1907 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURPl 



1'31 



of people annually; besides, it is unfair to 

 the producers of purely natural footls to al- 

 low these imitations to sell freely. When 

 compelled to do so we will find a way of 

 producing excellent syrups without using 

 chemicals. The United States can produce 

 a vast deal more honey if the price is slightly 

 raised. There will not only be more of it 

 but it will be lietter in quality; but the bee- 

 keepers of this country must not be com- 

 pelled to compete with artitiicial products 

 that are far inferior to honey. The words 

 "sulphur dioxid" on the label will cause ed- 

 ucated mothers to pause before (»ffering the 

 contents to their children. " Doctored" foods 

 have had their day, and we hope the decision 

 will be allowed to stand. 



THE VALUE OF THE ROBBER-TKAP; HOW IT 

 CAN BE USED TO OBVIATK THE ROB- 

 BING NUISANCE. 



At this time of the year it often happens, 

 even in a well-regulated apiary, that a weak 

 colony may be suddenly overcome by rob- 

 bers. In some cases it is, perhaps, l5est to 

 let the rascals finish up the job; for to take 

 away the hive or to close the entrance will 

 only have the effect of causing an attack of 

 every other weak colony in the yard. Many 

 bees vvill be killed, resulting in a general dis- 

 turbance throughout the apiary. For sev- 

 eral days thereafter the apiarist will be com- 

 pelled to work with extreme caution. Ex- 

 perience has shown us that in some cases, at 

 least, when a colony has been nearly over- 

 powered, or quite so, it is best to let the i ob- 

 bers finish up the job, when they will be in- 

 clined to go home, although they will be 

 more or less annoying for several days after- 

 ward. 



Very lately we have found a I'emedy that 

 does away with the whole trouble, and that, 

 too, within a very few hours. This consists 

 simply of the use of a robber-trap. This is 

 nothing more nor less than an ordinary hive 

 having a contracted entrance and a bee-es- 

 cape on the inside, so placed that bees can 

 pass in readily but not out. A long wire 

 cloth with a gradual taper is better than any 

 other form of escape, for this purpose at least. 



We will assume that a bad case of robbing 

 has suddenly developed in which the colony 

 or nucleus is nearly overpowered if not en- 

 tirely so. If the attack is confined to the one 

 colony, the problem is much simpler. In 

 that case we remove the attacked hive im- 

 mediately, and put it down cellar with the 

 windows all dai'kened but one, so that the 

 bees that do not belong in the hive can es- 

 cape and go back. On the stand of the hive 

 of the colony removed we put the hive with 

 the bee-escape on the inside of the entrance, 

 or what we will call our trap, when, presto! 

 all the robbers will rush into this hive and 

 be imprisoned. It is only a matter of an hour 

 or so before they are all caught; and what 

 was once a perfect uproar in the yard will 

 now be as quiet as though nothing had ever 

 happened. When this condition prevails, or 

 toward nightfall, the attacked colony that 



was put in the cellar is put back on its own 

 stand, but with its entrance contracted down 

 to a space so that only one bee can pass at a 

 ti^iie. A frame of youug l)ees is shaken into 

 the hive, and nearly all the honey is taken 

 away, if any is left, and in its stead will be 

 given a cake of hard dry candy. The rob- 

 ber-trap, with its gang of mischief-makers, 

 is now put down cellar where it will be cool, 

 and where there will not be much danger of 

 sutTocation. Strips of broken sections, or 

 any pieces of wood not more than one-eighth 

 inch thii'k, are now carefully slid between 

 the cover and hive-body containing the con- 

 fined bees. One of these is placed at each of 

 the four corners. This will make a gap of 

 one-eighth inch lietween the cover and the 

 hive, or a crack just too narrow for the bees 

 to pass through. This is to give the bees 

 ventilation; and a cellar is just the place to 

 put a lot of confined bees. After being con- 

 fined for two days they may require to be 

 fed. We would advise keeping them shut 

 up for a week, or, better, take them to an 

 out-yard or some location about two miles 

 away from the scene of their recent pow- 

 wows. Give them a queen or queen-cell, 

 and let them start housekeeping. 



It is bad practice to allow a lot of robbers 

 that have once had a taste of stolen sweets 

 to remain in the yard For days and weeks 

 afterward, they vvill follow around, hector- 

 ing other colonies and the apiaiist as well. 

 If any hive l)e opened they are ready to 

 pounce upon it. Instead of letting them have 

 their liberty again it will be actual economy 

 to brimstone them; but, of course, it is bet- 

 ter to take them to an out- yard or some spot 

 away off ljy themselves. "This robber-trap 

 idea was originally suggested by J. F. Mcln- 

 tyre, of California, and it is a wonder bee- 

 keepers have not made use of the device 

 more than they have. Queen-breeders es- 

 pecially will do well to have a trap handy. 



Of course, if robbing in the yard should be 

 general, involving nearly every colony, the 

 trap plan will not be effective. 



MOST OF THE KOBBEUS FROM ONE OR TWO 

 COLONIES. 



In this connection it will be well to remem- 

 ber that a great proportion of the robbeis. if 

 the robbing has only just commenced, will 

 come from only one or two of the colonies. 

 Track them back to their homes by sprink- 

 ling tlour on them; and if they belong to one 

 or two hives only, shut the entrance at night 

 and tote them off to some isolated spot. In 

 that case it may be well to unite the two of 

 them so they can not rob from each other. 



The colony that has a tendency to rob is 

 often one that has bees that are good w()rk- 

 ers. We found this to be true of the bees of 

 our red-clover mother 25 years ago. They 

 would gather honey and keep their hives full 

 when other bees were starving, and, what vvas 

 more, they were the worst robbers we ever 

 saw. Their mania for getting sweets caused 

 them to make no discrimination between 

 that acquired by honest toil and that actual- 

 ly stolen outright. 



