34 



modern hives and suj^erloi* races of bees, the bee moth problem entirely 

 disappears as a difficulty. In reality, if this pest serves as a means of 

 improving methods and stock, it should be looked upon as a blessing in 

 disguise. 



Robbing. 



This is a real and serious difficulty, to avoid which the bee keeper 

 should carry with him an ounce of prevention and use it all the time. 

 As Mr. Root expresses it, " A stitch in time will save a great many more 

 than nine in this case." Phrasing the proverb to suit the bees, the love 

 of honey is the root of all evil. Generally robbing may be traced to 

 honey spilled or left carelessly where bees can get at it during a time of 

 scarcity or honey famine. The diiference between preventing any access 

 to honey and stopping the riot, when an apiary is in an uproar of rob- 

 bing, may be likened to that of putting out a match and a conflagration. 



Robbing may be detected by the high-keyed, angry tone of the bees 

 and their quick and nervous flight. Great apparent uproar and confu- 

 sion among the bees is sometimes occasioned by the young bees swarm- 

 ing out for their daily play spell. Beginners often mistake this for 

 robbing, but the mild and joyous hum of the bees and the absence of 

 fighting about the entrances should serve to distinguish between the two. 

 When we discover the hive that is being attacked we shall probably find 

 bees fighting at the entrance and heaps of dead around the alighting 

 board, while others are trying to gain admittance through cracks about 

 the hive. They are likely to be cross and to sting promiscuously, causing 

 injury to stock and annoyance to passers by. 



To prevent robbing we must never have honey about in any form, the 

 taste of which may start the craze. Avoid opening hives as much as 

 possible during periods of honey scarcity. Keep all colonies strong if 

 possible, and, when honey is not coming in, contract the entrances of 

 the weaker swarms to the width of one or two bees. Lastly, and most 

 important of all, keep only "civilized " bees. Here is another reason 

 for impi'oving stock. A small nucleus of Italian bees or of the other 

 improved races will successfully defend their hives, under conditions 

 in which a moderately strong swarm of black bees would be over- 

 powered. 



If robbing has begun, immediately contract the entrances of the hives 

 attacked to the width of a single bee and throw a handful of weeds over 

 it to further confuse the enemy. If robbing bees are numerous it is also 

 well to smoke them vigorously. In cases of persistent robbing, the plan 

 of exchanging the greater part of the frames of the two hives concerned 

 is sometimes to be I'ccom mended. 



Bee Diseases. 

 We now come to the grim part of our theme. For a man to say that 

 the bee moth has injured his apiary is a frank admission of ignorance 

 or neglect on his part. For him to bewail his afflictions from robbing 

 marks him as one who is careless if not slovenly in his methods. For 

 him to say that his bees have foul brood carries as yet no stigma, for we 



