118 BOBBING. 



■with honey, they are robbers ; for it is very suspicious to 

 he filled -with honey when leaving the hive ; or sprinkle 

 softie flour on them as they come out, and let some one 

 " watch by the other hives to see if they enter. The follow- 

 ing is less trouble, but it will be longer before they are 

 checked, if robbing. Visit them again in the course of half 

 an hour or more, after the young bees have returned, and if 

 the bustle continues or increases, it is time to interfere. 

 When the entrance has been contracted, as directed, close 

 it entirely, till near sunset. If it has been left open, it 

 should now be closed, giving room for only one b.ee at a 

 time. This will allow all that belong to the hive to get in, 

 and others to get out, and will materially retard the pro- 

 gress of the robbers. Unless it shoidd be cool, they will 

 continue their operations till evening. Veiy often some 

 are unable to get home in the dark, and are lost. This, 

 by the way, is another good test of robbing. Visit the 

 hives every warm evening. They commence depredations 

 on the warmest days, seldom at any other time. If any 

 are at work when honest laborers should be at home, they 

 should be regarded with suspicion. 



KEMBDIBS. 



A great many remedies for this evil have been recom- 

 mended, which are as bad as the evil itself, and often the 

 cause of it. The most fatal is to move the hive a few rods ; 

 another, to entirely close it, which may smother the bees ; 

 or to break out some comb in the hives of the robbers, 

 and set the honey to running, thereby giving them work 

 at home. I would recommend removing the weak hive, 

 on the morning after the attack, to the cellar, or some dark, 

 cool place, until two or three warm days have passed, and 

 the search has been abandoned. The robbers will proba- 

 bly attack the stock on the next stand. Contract the en- 

 trance of this according to the number of bees that are to 



