164 H.A.XDY BOOK OF BEES. 



of toney. Bees will kill a lion, but wiU not touch, a snaO. 

 ■ — it is so cold and disagreeable to " the feel;'' it is there- 

 fore allowed by the bees to go in and out without let or 

 hindrance. The bee-master only can save his hives from 

 the ravages of snaUs by killing all he can find in the 

 neighbourhood of his bees. Hornets, wasps, and humble- 

 bees seldom do harm, or get admission. 



Eees of one hive often rob those of another. A hive 

 of bees is a community of selfish creatures, which will, 

 without reluctance or remorse, rob another community 

 of all its stores. The greed and predatory habits of bees 

 are very remarkable. Doubtless this greed or these 

 habits are the outcome of their instincts of industry — 

 instincts which make bees the greatest enemies of bees. 

 If one swarm succeeds in its efforts to enter the citadel 

 of another, it is sacked in a comparatively short space 

 of time. When once a hive is invaded by a number of 

 robbers, it can be saved only by removal. I remember a 

 strong hive of ours being robbed by a second swarm be- 

 longing to a neighbour bee-keeper. This second swarm 

 had stolen about 20 lb. in three days previous to our dis- 

 covery of the robbery. We removed our strong hive to a 

 distance of two mUes (where it soon gathered as much, as 

 it had lost), and placed another hive on the spot where it 

 had been robbed. Early next morning the robbers came 

 for more plunder, when every attempt to enter the hive 

 (placed there during the night) was resisted. The rob- 

 bers, thus thwarted, instantly let the whole fraternity of 

 their own hive know that it would be of no use to look to 

 that quarter for more honey. Often have we seen hives 

 assaulted again and again with spirit and determination, 

 and every assault has been successfully and spiritedly re- 

 sisted. These continuous and persistent attacks are owing 

 to the fact that one or two of the enemy got access to the 



