FIFTY YEARS AMONG THE BEES 199 



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 of£ 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 iaken 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 out, or at any time when it is not desirable to 

 leave supers standing on the hives, they are put in p'iles, pre- 

 ferably not more than ien high. 



WHEN ROBBER BEES TROUBLE. 



If fear of robbers does not- allow the supers to stand ex- 

 posed, the super is still put on top of the hives, and a good 

 many of the bees are at once driven out by smoke. The smoker 

 is held on the side toward the wind, so that the wind will help 

 drive the smoke between the sections, and from time to time the 

 bees are brushed off. The bee-brush generally used is the 

 Coggshall, but if it were not for the trouble of preparing one 

 fresh every day, I think I would prefer a good-sized bunch of 

 asparagus, sweet clover, goldenrod, or something of the kind 

 tied together. 



MILLER TENT-ESCAPE. 



In piling the supers a sunny place is preferred, to entice 

 out the bees. A deep bottom-board is put on the ground, a 

 super placed on it, and the entrance closed with wire cloth 



