4 BEE-KEEPING, A FASCINATING PURSUIT 



of the workers, in going to and from the hive. People who should 

 know better are often seen getting directly in front of the hive, 

 even though a rod or two away, to watch their movements. An 

 expert called upon to look into a hive may, by approaching from 

 the rear, carefully remove the cover without causing any commo- 

 tion. At the same time the novice, watching from some distance 

 in front, is quite likely to receive sufficient attention to insure 

 a hasty retreat (Fig. 3). 



Fig. 3. — The eting is an effective weapon of defence. 



An Orderly Community. — The work of the hive is done in 

 an orderly manner. There is no hit-and-miss business there. 

 Every individual bee has a duty to perform, and that duty is 

 apparently done in the right manner and at the proper time. 

 In order to look within the hive without causing resentment on 

 the part of the bees, one must do something to break up the 

 orderly system and create confusion among the inmates. Under 

 normal conditions, sentinels are posted at the entrance of the 



