16 A Modern Bee-Farm 
to occur before he can get through a large number at one 
place, if precautions are not taken. As far as possible, 
while on a tour the larger apiary should be visited last, 
and the work so timed that it will be completed towards 
dusk, and no combs from the extractor should be returned 
till then. These remarks apply to Autumn in particular, 
though there are other periods when honey is not coming 
in, and not only then, but at all times the owner should 
be very careful not to give his bees a chance even to start 
robbing, with its consequent fighting, loss, and annoyance. 
Preventive measures are of course the first consideration, 
and in the case of fairly large apiaries some bee-proof 
shelter is a great necessity, as many operations may there 
be carried on which would be impossible in the open. 
Many of the stocks may be carried into such shelter for 
examination or deprivation; and besides being invaluable 
for extracting, will be found most useful for queen-rearing 
and many other purposes. 
If through negligence in carelessly allowing honey or 
syrup to be exposed in the apiary, the 
Robbing Mania 
has once commenced, as may also be induced by the 
‘injudicious opening of hives, or badly fitting floors, etc., 
then the uninitiated will find he has let loose a power 
which will require his coolest judgment to enable him 
to subdue. I have known horses, chickens, dogs, and 
other animals severely attacked by bees because the skep 
of a neighbour having been placed upon an old block 
cracked in every direction, offered capital openings for a 
host of determined robbers, whom I found coming and 
‘going like some irresistible hurricane. All openings, 
except one reduced to a j-inch tubular passage-way, were 
immediately stopped; the watering can was freely used, 
