ROBBING, 213 
marauding propensities in the least. But if such temp- 
tations are placed before them in times of scarcity, par- 
ticularly in the spring, serious results may be anticipated. 
It is worth while to mention here, that if thievish habits 
are formed early in the season, by careless exposure of 
even trifling quantities of honey, bees will search for it 
more perseveringly, during the season, if it prove to bea 
poor one, than if, by strict care, they had been prevent- 
ed from acquiring the habit. Therefore, it should be a 
cardinal rule, for beginners, that honey, or broken up, 
discarded hives and frames, upon which particles of honey 
may remain, should not be accessible to the bees, at any 
time when they could possibly be demoralized thereby. 
Robbing is often induced by leaving too large an en- 
trance open, or other unnecessary apertures, thus allow- 
ing outsiders too free accegs. 
Probably but few bee-keepers are able to know at once 
when bees are robbing. It requires the closest scrutiny 
to decide. There is nothing about the apiary more diffi- 
cult to determine ; nothing in which one is more likely 
to be deceived. It is generally supposed that when a 
number are fighting outside, it is conclusive that they are 
also robbing, which is seldom the case. On the contrary, 
a show of resistance indicates a strong colony, and that 
they are disposed to defend their treasures. A very weak 
colony of Italians will often make a spirited resistance. I 
have no fears for a stock’that has courage to repel an at- 
tack. The greatest danger is with those weak colonies 
incapable of opposition. Such should at all times be 
closely watched,.and the entrance more than. usually con- 
tracted, that the bees may the more easily defend them- 
selves. Queenless colonies are much less vigorous in self 
defence. If there are colonies which have been wintered 
on their summer stands, or having been set out earlier in 
the season are thoroughly established, in the same or 
neighboring apiaries, care should be taken in setting out 
