ROBBING 79 



this hive two comb frames filled with comb, with no 

 eggs or brood, and go to a populous stock and ex- 

 change these two combs for two others filled with 

 brood. Select such as have most of the brood 

 sealed over, as you want that which will hatch the 

 quickest. Put these two combs in the hive that is 

 being robbed, fasten up the stock by putting wire 

 cloth over the entrances, giving then air, yet pre- 

 venting the passage of bees.* When you put in 

 the two frames with brood, if you find but little 

 honey in the hive — not enough to last the bees a 

 month or more — put in one frame containing honey. 

 Put on the feeder and carry the hive to a dark and 

 quiet room, and fill the feeder with pure, soft water. 

 Let the bees remain in this room four days ; then 

 about one hour before sunset, set them on the old 

 stand, giving them their liberty, with the entrances 

 to the hive contracted — the lower entrance closed 

 entirely and the upper one-half closed. Intelligent 

 bee keepers will readily understand why this plan 

 shold prove a success : — First, the bees that hatch 

 from the brood comb given the weak stock, will be 

 a great encouragement to the few bees in the hive ; 

 and in a very few da3'S they will aid in defending 

 the hive against the attacks of robbers. Again — 

 removing the hive from the stand seems to disor- 

 ganize the robbers,, for after they have visited the 

 stand for several days, and find no plunder, the\' 

 will give up the search in that direction. 



*lt is well to confine the bees when a large number of robbers are in- 

 side — a larger number if possible than the swarm itself, for being con- 

 fined a few days, they will make that' hive their home, and aid in defend- 

 ing its stores against other robbers with as much energy as the bees of 

 the original swarm. 



