FEEDING. 203 



the hollow prepared for it. The bees will soon 

 become aware of the fact that food is within their 

 reach, and poking their tongues through the zinc 

 and muslin, they will draw what supplies they need. 

 As no air can get through the syrup, the liquid 

 will run only as fast as it is imbibed by the bees, 

 unless, through sun-heat, the bottle should become 

 so warmed as to cause the air inside to expand, and 

 thrust out the food faster than it can be drunk. 



FIG. 67. CHESHIRE'S FEEDING STAGE. 



It is easy to avoid this danger by properly covering 

 the bottle. Another, and still more important, reason 

 for protecting it is to prevent any bees from another 

 hive getting at it ; for should they do so, robbing is 

 very likely to ensue, stolen sweets having a most 

 demoralising effect on bees, as well as on human 

 beings ; and this trouble once started, it is difficult 

 to stop it before all the weak stocks have been plun- 

 dered and destroyed by their stronger neighbours. 



In order to regulate precisely the quantity of food 

 it may be desirable to give to a stock, Mr. Cheshire 



