ROBBING AND FIGHTING. 175 



CHAPTER XXVII. 

 ROBBING AND FICHTINC. 



307. Robbing. — It must be admitted that bees, notwithstand- 

 ing their many excellent qualities, sometimes become very cap- 

 able and persistent robbers, and that, when once this sordid 

 vice has taken hold of them, it is exceedingly difficult to induce 



them to shake it off. In spring and autumn, when nectar is 



scarce out of doors, a careless bee-man may turn all his virtu- 

 ous pets into thieving rascals, by dropping honey or syrup 



anywhere near the hives, or by unduly exposing it during 

 manipulations. Then, the strong stocks destroy the weak 



stocks, carry off their stores, arid leave them to perish of 



hunger. Sometimes the robbed colony, when further resist- 

 ance becomes hopeless, join the robbers ; and, having helped 

 to empty their own combs, sally forth to do unto others as 

 they, themselves, have been done by ; and, the owner, paying 

 a belated visit to his colonies, is surprised to find one or more 

 hives empty of bees and honey (215), and, upon the ground, 

 in front, the carcases of the slain. Even when no sweets have 

 been carelessly exposed about the apiary, weak stocks, acting 

 as a temptation to the strong, encourage robbing, and often 

 fall victims to it. They will, indeed, maintain a strenuous 

 resistance against the aggressors for a time (12); but this is 

 a case in which there is safety only in numbers, and a weak 

 colony, in such circumstances, if left without assistance, must 

 eventually submit to defeat. 



308. Precautions against Robbing. — Obviously the precau- 

 .tions necessary to prevent robbing are : — To avoid exposing 

 sweets when nectar is scarce in the fields : to do all feeding in 

 the evenings, when bees have ceased flying : and to keep all 

 stocks strong, by uniting the weak, and by helping the 

 well-to-do. 



309. Signs of Robbing The signs which denote that 



robbing is in progress are unmistakeable. Wild excitement 

 manifests itself about the entrance of the hive attacked : 

 robbers hunt about the hive corners, and at all openings, 

 seeking an entrance where there are no guards: returning 

 bees hurry in-doors, as if in haste to escape the turmoil with- 



