114 llOBBING. 



when perliaps neither is to blame, farther than for igno- 

 rance. The person keeping the most bees, must expect to 

 bo held accountable for all the losses in the neighborhood, 

 whether they occur from mismanagement, or want of 

 management, and if he escapes without being charged 

 with those lost by hundreds of other causes, he ought to 

 be thankful. It is often thought if a person has but one 

 stock, and another has ten, that the ten will combine to 

 plunder the one. This conclusion is not warranted by 

 facts. I can discover no collusion between different 

 families of the same apiary. It is true that when one col- 

 ony finds another weak and defenceless, possessing treasures, 

 they have no conscientious scruples about carrying off the 

 last particle, notwithstanding they revel in abundance at 

 home ; and it is most frequently the case that the strong- 

 est colonies are most given to this despicable habit. The 

 hurry and bustle attending the plunder,' seldom escapes 

 the notice of other hives, and when one hive in the yard 

 has been robbed, perhaps two-thirds or all of the others 

 have participated in the offense. 



It is common to hear remarks like this, " I had a first 

 rate hive of bees," (when, in fact, he had not looked at 

 them, particularly, for a month, and knew nothing oi 

 their real condition)— " and Mr. A's bees began to rob 

 them." I tried every thing to stop it ; moved them sev- 

 eral times to prevent their finding the hive, but it did no 

 good ; the first I knew they were all gone — bees, honey 

 and all ! The bees all joined th« robbers." Now, the fact 

 is, that not one good colony in fifty will ever be robbed, 

 if let alone ; that is, if the entrance is properly protected. 

 Moving the hive was enough to ruin it ; bees were lost at 

 every change, until nothing was left but honey to tempt 

 the robbers ; whereas, if left on its stand, it might have 

 escaped. 



The injury done by robbers is sometimes like that done 



