THE ENEMIES OF BEES. 163 



CHAPTEE XXXII. 



THE ENEMIES OF BEES. 



It has been said that swallows, sparrows, tomtits, frogs, 

 toads, and hens, eat bees. "We have never seen them, or 

 any of them, do so, or even attempt to seize one ; we are 

 therefore very sceptical on this point. 



Mice often rob bees of their honey in the winter months 

 when they are sitting quiet and in little compass. Indeed 

 they sometimes take up their winter quarters in a bee-hive, 

 which they find to be comfortable every way. Mice dare 

 not enter hives in summer when the bees cover all their 

 combs. Experienced men contract the doors of their hives 

 about the middle of September, and so contract them that 

 mice cannot enter. The doors of our hives are about four 

 inches long, and one inch high. "We cut pieces of wood 

 to fit the doors, in each of which we cut a small doorway, 

 about one inch in length, and one quarter of an inch in 

 height. These small doorways prevent the mice from 

 going into hives, and allow the bees ample room for all 

 the traffic they need, and for canning out their dead dur- 

 ing the fine days of winter. These contracted doors are 

 useful in keeping not only mice and rats outside the hives, 

 but they assist greatly in keeping up the warmth of the 

 hives in cold weather. 



Snails are very fond of honey, and frequently find their 

 ■way into bee-hives, and there live and consume a great deal 

 I. 



