208 FIFTY YEAES AMONG THE BEEfc 



used up all the honey in their honey-sacs, perhaps some time 

 after the robbers had ceased to pay any attention to them, they 

 had swarmed out as any hunger-swarm will do, and had united, 

 or tried to unite, with some other colony. Would they not be 

 likely to join some colony other than the one that had treated 

 them so unkindly? 



PILES SOMETIMES A TARGET FOB EOBBEES. 



Piles of four or five stories with abundant ventilation at 

 each story are in no danger from robbers under ordinary cir- 

 cumstances; but if you ever have such piles, and are so unfor- 

 tunate as to get the robbers once started at them, yon "better 

 watch out." Even if there should be a dearth for some time, 

 robbers are not likely to attack a pile; for they have probab'y 

 got into the habit of thinking- that such a pile is not to be 

 meddled with ; but just you do something to call particular 

 attention to the pile, such as letting a comb of honey stand by 

 it exposed, and there are so many exposed places to defend that 

 the robbers are likely to have things their own way. 



A BAD CASE OF ROBBING. 



One time George W. York was here when bees were not 

 busily at work in the tields, and I opened up a pile of four 

 stories, for what purpose I do not now remember; very likely 

 I was trying to show off in some way. At any rate I showed 

 him a tine case of robbing, for the robbers pounced down upon 

 every exposed point, and before I had noticed what was going 

 on they were having a gay time. Of course I couldn't build a 

 haystack about the four stories, but I had to do something, for 

 although the colony was a powerful one it was utterly inade- 

 quate to the protection of four exposed stories, and without 

 any interference on my part its doom was sealed. I closed all 

 entrances except the lower one, and then applied the hay and 

 water to the lower story successfully. 



PILES IN LATE SUMMER. 



During the usual working season there is need of some 

 foolishness on the part of the beekeeper to start robbing at a 



