198 THE BEE keeper's MAJTCAL, 



some stings. I have seldom attempted night-work upon my 

 bees, without having occasion most thoroughly to rue my folly. 

 If the weather is not too cool, early in the morning, before 

 the bees are stirring, will be the best time, as there will be 

 less danger of annoyance from robber-bees. 



If honey-water is used instead of sugar-water in sprink- 

 ling the bees when the hive is first opened, the smell will be 

 almost certain to entice marauders from other hives to at- 

 tempt to take possession of treasures which do not belong 

 to them, and when they once commence such a pilfering 

 course of life, they will be very loth to lay it aside. When 

 the honey harvest is abundant, (and this is the very time 

 for forcing swarms,) bees, with proper precautions, are Sel- 

 dom inclined to rob. I have sometimes found it difficult to 

 induce them to notice honey-combs which I wished them to 

 empty, even when they were placed in an exposed situation. 

 This subject, however, will be more fully treated in the 

 remarks on Robbing. 



Perhaps some of my readers will hardly be able to convince 

 themselves that bees may be dealt with after the fashion I 

 have been describing, without becoming greatly enraged ; 

 so far is this from being the ease, that in my operations, I 

 often use neither sugar-water nor bee-dress, although I do 

 not recommend the neglect of such precautions. 



The artificial swarm may be created with perfect safety, 

 even at mid-day, when thousands of bees are returning to 

 the hive : for these bees being laden with honey, never 

 venture upon making an attack, while those at home may 

 be easily pacified. 



I find a very great advantage in the peculiar shape of 

 my hive, which allows the top to be easily removed, and 

 the sugar-water to be sprinkled upon the bees, before they 

 attempt to take wing. If like the Dzierzon hive, it opened 



