WASPS AND MOTHS. 225 



sume the honey, but cause a good deal of worry to the 

 legitimate inhabitants of the hive, as well as killing the 

 foremost defenders of it. Wasps being much superior 

 in strength, it requires at least three bees to master one 

 of them. 



Having suffered loss in our own apiary from the 

 attacks of wasps, we feel it desirable to give a 

 detailed account of our troubles from that cause. A 

 Ligurian stock was besieged and worried by wasps 

 to such an extent, that the bees deserted it on the 5 th 

 of September, J 864. Fortunately, the bees chose a 

 time for their departure just as we visited the apiaty. 

 An unusual turmoil was heard in the hive, such as is ex- 

 perienced at the time of swarming, and on immediately 

 examining the entrance, we observed that the bees were 

 quitting in tumultuous hciste. The usual methods that 

 induce bees to settle were tried — amongst others, that 

 of throwing sand up into the air, so that it should fall 

 down amongst the bees on the wing ; but they were 

 dispersed in disorder, and their flight extended over 

 three adjacent gardens. We only discovered the clus- 

 tered bees by diligent search, cis the sequel will shoWi 

 Permission being asked of our next-door neighbour, we 

 searched his garden to see if our bees had alighted 

 there ; but found that they had passed over. Making a 

 similar application to the owner of the garden adjoining, 

 we entered, having a straw hive in hand, but no bees 

 were there. After looking diligently all round, and 



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