196 FORTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES. 



down out of it. What that sufficient number is depends 

 upon circumstances. If it is early in the day, and we do 

 not care to tal^e the honey home till late, there is no need 

 to drive out so many bees. Other circumstances may 

 also make a difference, and we "cut our coat according 

 to the cloth." 



SUPERS STANDING OPEN. 



Suppose the honey-flow is in full blast, and we com- 

 mence to take ofi^ supers early in the day, or at least in 

 the forenoon. At such a time there is little need to be 

 very careful about robbers, and it may be that honey 

 may stand exposed for hours without being troubled by 

 them. So when the super has been smoked it is taken 

 off and set on the ground leaning against the hive, the 

 hive-cover is put on the remaining supers, and then our 

 removed super is set on its end on top, so as to project 

 a little over the side of the hive. After a time, perhaps 

 half an hour, the bees are likely to start a trail from the 

 super over the side of the hive to join the bees of the 

 colony below. 



A number of supers may be thus standing at a time 

 on their respective hives. Sometimes two supers are 

 taken from the same hive, and, in rare cases, especially 

 late in the season, three. 



WATCHING FOR ROBBER-BEES. 



These supers left standing on the hives, however, 

 are never left entirely out of mind, and a glance is given 

 toward them every few minutes. If at any time bees are 

 seen flying with their heads toward a super, immediate 

 attention is given to the matter, and the supers hustled 

 off the hives. When the bees are nearly all out, or at 

 any time when it is not desirable to leave supers stand- 

 ing on the hives, they are put in piles, preferably not 

 more than ten high. 



