CHAPTER XIII 



WHERE THE BEE SUCKS 



IT is characteristic of those unlettered in bee- 

 craft that they are often afraid when there is 

 no danger, and will venture with the intrepidity 

 that is born of ignorance where old experienced 

 bee-keepers fear to tread. 



Temper in bees is one of the most variable 

 qualities in a creature made up of variabilities. 

 There are times, when a summer storm is threaten- 

 ing and the air is charged with electricity, when 

 to go among the bees is to court certain disaster ; 

 and there are other times, such as the full height 

 of the honey-flow, when almost any liberties can 

 be taken with bees, without fear of reprisals. And 

 yet this is not always the rule. Much depends on 

 their lineage and the purity of the strain, and, 

 again, on the systems of the bee-master. Bees 

 respond as readily as any other form of domestic 

 stock to wise and considerate treatment. Handled 

 in a firm, quiet, deliberate way, the most vicious 

 colony can often be dealt with in perfect safety ; 

 while the mildest-natured bees will commonly 



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