ROBBING. 119 



pass. If Strong, no danger need be apprehended ; they 

 may fight and even kill some ; perhaps a little chastise- 

 ment is necessary to bring them to a sense of their duty. 

 When a hive has been removed, if the one on the next 

 stand is weak, it is better to take that in also, to be 

 returned as soon as the robbers will allow it. If a second 

 attack is made, put them in again, or if practicable, remove 

 them a mile or two, out of their knowledge of country ; 

 they would then lose no time from labor. Where but few 

 hives are kept, and not more than one or two are engaged, 

 sprinkle a little flour on the bees as they leave, to ascer- 

 tain which hive they are from ; then reverse their position, 

 putting the robbed in the place of the robbing, and the 

 reverse. The weak hive will generally become the strong- 

 est, and put a stop to their operations. But this method 

 is impracticable in a large apiary, because several stocks ■ 

 are usually engaged very soon after one begins, and a 

 dozen may be robbing one. Another method is, when 

 you are sure a stock is being robbed, to close the hive at 

 a time when there as many plunderers inside as possible, 

 (wire-cloth, or som.ething that will admit air, and confine 

 the bees, is necessary,) and carry in as before directed, for 

 two or three days, when they may be set out again. The 

 strange bees thus enclosed will join the weak family, and 

 will be as eager to defend what is now their treasure, as 

 they were before to carry it off. This principle of forget- 

 ting home, and uniting with others, after a lapse of a few 

 days, can be wisely acted upon in this case. It succeeds 

 about four times in five, when a proper number is enclos- 

 ed. Weak families are very easily strengthened in this 

 way, and the bees, being taken from a number of hives, 

 are scarcely missed elsewhere. The difficulty is, to secure 

 about as many as belong to the weak hive ; if too few are 

 enclosed, they are apt to be destroyed. As I remarked 

 in the beginning of the chapter, bees will plunder and fight 



