BOBBER BEES 



137 



falls the honey-liouse should be closed. If the door were 

 closed first, the bees would recognise that "things are not 

 what they seem," and they would diligently continue the 

 search, until the apiarist will be astounded at the number 

 of entrances to the honey-house available to the bees. 

 Nail, and even knot-holes, are eagerly sought after. If a 

 breach has been effected there will be quite a deposit of 

 sticky dirt, etc., about the hole, formed by the passing of 

 so many "trampling feet." This is noticeable also when 

 a hive is assailed by robbers, the entrance or even a crack 

 in the hive, will be quite discoloured in the manner des- 

 cribed. Robber-bees, when let to pursue their own sweet 

 inclinations will try every hive in the yard. 



STRONG COLONIES SAFE. 



If the bees are populous, headed by a queen, and with 

 brood in all stages, the robbers will get a warm reception; 

 and if persistent — as they generally are — will finally get 

 stung by one of the guards. Weak and queenless stocks 

 do not, as a rule, make a vigorous defence, consequently 

 they fall easy victims ; but give them some brood, a queen 

 to defend, and they will fight valiantly in repelling the 

 onslaught. Queenless colonies relax the guard at the 

 entrance, and often join with the robbers in carrying off 

 stores to the new home. Robbing appears to bring out 

 other bad traits in the bees; sometimes baffled robbers 

 will follow the apiarist about hour after hour in a most 

 annoying manner. Buzzing (with a treble note) about six 

 or seven inches from the face, they make spasmodic 

 dashes for the eyes and hands, until the irate apiarist is 

 at last forced to kill the tormentors. 



When one or two bees develop this habit, it is advis- 

 able to kill them at the start. A good way to do this is 

 to have a frame of wood — like a tennis racket — covered 

 with wire cloth to allow the air to pass through, when 

 making "a stroke" at the bees. A flat plain piece of 

 wood blows the bee to one side, and before the "guard" 



