THE ENEMIES OF BEES. 121 



traffic they need, and for carrying out their dead during 

 the fine days of winter. These contracted doors assist 

 greatly in keeping up the warmth of the hives in cold 

 weather. It should be known that mice kiU hees and eat 

 their heads off. Both house and field mice do this in cold 

 weather when bees are sitting closely together. The mice 

 pick off from the mass a bee at a time and carry it outside 

 for decapitation. 



Snaih ai'e very fond of honey and frequently find their 

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

 deal of honey. Bees will face and kill a lion, but will 

 not touch a snail ; it is therefore allowed to go in and out 

 without let or hindrance. A bee-master should kill all 

 the snails he finds in the neighbourhood of his hives. 

 Hornets, wasps, and humble-bees seldom do harm or get 

 admission. 



Bees 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 these habits are the outcome 

 of the 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. "We remember a strong hive of ours being 

 robbed by a second swarm belonging to a neighbour 

 bee-keeper. The second swarm had stolen about 20 lb. 

 in two or three days previous to our discovery of the 

 robbery. We removed the strong hive to a distance of 

 two miles (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 was re- 



