BOBBINS AND FIQHTINO. 177 



robbers may be repelled by imparting to the hive some intensely 

 powerful and unaccustomed odour. He effects this the most readily 

 by placing in it, in the evening, a smaJl portion of musk, and on 

 the following morning the bees, if they have a healthy queen, will 

 boldly meet their assailant*. These are non-plussed by the unwonted 

 odour, and, if any of them enter the hive and carry off some of 

 the coveted Booty, on their return home, having a strange smell, 

 they will be killed by their own household. The robbing is thua 

 soon brought to a close." — S. Wagneh. 



It will often be found that a colony which offers little resist- 

 ance to robbers, and is overpowered, is either queenless or 

 diseased ; and that bees that are being robbed are moio 

 than usually difficult to handle. (179). If it should become necessary 

 to remove the molested hive, it will be well to place an empty hive, 

 of similar appearance, in its place, as otherwise the robbers may 

 attack the neig-hbouring- stocks. Sometimes a useful remedy con- 

 sists in inserting- a " Porter" escape (274), or a double cone (273) in 

 the entrance of the hive that is being attacked-any other inlet being 

 closed— and to leave it so for forty-eight hours, thus confining the 

 bees to the hive, but giving sufficient ventilation over the frames by 

 placing on them a sheet of wire cloth, and removing the other 

 coverings. After forty-eight hours, the entrance being opened, 

 robbers and robbed are frequently good friends and work together 

 in harmony ; and the stock, weak before, but now reinforced by the 

 robbers, will probably be strong enough to defend itself. 



