WEALTH IN HONEY 237 



when cloudy, rainy or cold, and with the use of a good 

 smoker, one need rarely be stung. 



In many cases the sting of a bee is attended with much 

 pain and swelling, while in others there are no ill effects 

 produced whatever, and there is no doubt but that the 

 system may become inured to the poison so that no bad 

 effects are produced. 



It is much easier to prevent the anger of bees than to 

 stop it after it has begun. If you mismanage a colony of 

 bees and arouse their anger, it is quite likely that this 

 disposition will remain with them for a few days. 



A bee away from home, or laden with honey, never 

 volunteers an attack. 



Thus, in order to render bees harmless, it is only nec- 

 essary to cause them to fill themselves with honey, and 

 this is done by frightening them with smoke. When 

 smoke is driven into a hive through the entrance, the bees 

 at once begin filling themselves with honey. 



But with them, as with human beings, it is the most 

 experienced which are slowest to take fright, so when 

 the old bees are all at home, it is more difficult, and takes 

 more time to compel them all to fill themselves. 



For this reason it is much safer to handle bees during 

 the warmest part of the day, or at a time when the 

 greater part of the old bees are in the field. 



The bees which compose a swarm are usually filled with 

 honey for the journey which they expect to take, and 

 they are harmless unless crushed, or very much irritated 

 by the anger of others, and the smell of the poison. 



An expert may open a hive without smoke and without 

 danger, and may handle the combs and return them to the 

 hive without getting a single sting, by being quiet, steady 

 and fearless. It is a fact that the fearless apiarist may 

 often be entirely unharmed, while others a rod away may 

 be stung. 



