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and stings are to be avoided, a good deal of smoke may have 
to be used, so as to demoralise the bees. Under these circum- 
stances, an examination in the middle of the day, when the 
bees are very busy in the fields, might result in great disturb- 
ance, and consequent loss of honey. At such a time the bee- 
keeper is advised to use as little smoke as possible, and to 
wear a veil, in order to frustrate the attack of the one or two 
bees that might become dangerous during the handling process. 
‘Many advise opening the hives only in the late afternoon, 
when the work of the bees will be less interfered with, since 
foraging has largely ceased by that time. Others recommend 
the very middle of the day, holding that at this time the 
older and more irritable worker bees will be mostly in the 
fields, leaving at home the younger and more docile. 
The weather and the season have great effect on the 
temper of the bees. Cold and wet days, and especially 
showery weather, make the bees very irritable, because it 
interferes with their work in the fields. In the late autumn, 
when the natural flow of nectar has largely ceased, and 
robbers are prowling round, the bees appear to have their 
nerves on edge, and may attack anyone who approaches their 
hives. At such unfavourable seasons they are much more 
difficult to handle, and more smoke will have to be used. 
Influence of Race and. Strain. 
So-ealled “black” bees are nervous and irritable, but 
easily subdued and reduced to a state of panic. If too much 
smoke is used, they “boil over” the sides of the hive, pour 
out at the door, and produce much disturbance and incon- 
venience. They can be readily shaken off their combs, and 
will run into a new hive without trouble. This characteristic 
makes it easy to “drive” or “drum” a skep of black bees. 
Pure-bred Italians are much more docile, and can frequently 
be handled without any smoke at all. If a comb of Italians 
be gently lifted out of the hive, the bees will remain at their 
work, and the queen will frequently go on laying while the 
comb is held in the sunshine. In similar circumstances, black 
workers would be running up and down over the comb, and 
