FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 209 



pile having a strong colony ; but after the weather becomes quite 

 cool toward fall, the case is different. Of course, all but the 

 lower entrance should be closed before cold nights come, but 

 sometimes there is a case of neglect. In a cold night the colony 

 shrinks down into the lower or the lower two stories — all the 

 more because there is a current of air right through the hive — 

 and the two or three upper stories are left without any bees. 



Fig. 74 — Wheeling Load of Supers. 



In the following morning they do not go up again into the 

 upper stories till some time after the day has warmed up. The 

 robbers, however, do not wait so long, but finding an upper 

 entrance unprotected go to work in lively style. 



As late as October 6, in the year 1902, a pile was left with 

 an upper entrance or ventilating space still open, and on the 

 forenoon of that day I observed lively work at that place, while 

 all was quiet at the lower or regular entrance. I shoved the 

 cover back so as to close the space, and then took a snap-shot 

 of the bees trying to get in, as shown in Fig. 81. Only two 

 stories show in the picture, although the pile was four stories 

 high. Fortunately no other place was open except the regular 

 lower entrance, and it was so far from top to bottom that the 



