BEES, BEE-HIVES, AND DEE CULTURE. 107 



the wasps will be accomplished without further trouble. But to 

 use blazing straw for the purpose is always dangerous in country 

 districts. We have lately heard of a very ingenious and successful 

 mode of entrapping and killing wasps. Place some sugar or 

 strongly sweetened compound on the ground in a garden, and 

 place over it a square hand glass, wedged up an inch or so aU 

 round. On this glass, wliich should have an opening at the 

 apex, lodge another, but a sound one. The wasps, attracted by 

 the sweets, will soon crowd under the lower glass, and when they 

 have well feasted, will ascend into the upper one ; there, between 

 the two, they soon become scorched and perish by the heat of the 

 sun shining on the outer glass. 



The season of 1864 was most productive for the increase of 

 these prime pests of the apiary, and many hives have severely 

 suffered by their depredations. When once wasps in any number 

 have gained an entrance into a hive, the bees can seldom eject them, 

 and the invaders generally remain until they have freely regaled 

 themselves from the luscious store. They not only consume 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 of so much superior 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 own 

 troubles from that cause. One of our Ligurian stocks was besieged 

 and worried by wasps to such an extent, that the bees deserted it 

 on the 5th of September, (1864). fortunately, the bees chose a 

 time for their departure just as we visited the apiary. An unusual 

 turmoil was heard in the hive, such as is experienced at the time of 

 swarming, and on immediately examim'ng the entrance, we observed 

 that the bees were quitting in tumultuous haste. The usual 

 methods that induce bees to settle were tried — amongst others, 

 that of throwing sand up into the air, so as 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 clustered bees by diligent search, as the sequel will 

 show. 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 



