VltTt YEARS AMONG THE BEES 215 



tiirbed by robbers. But if it has been kept closed until a time 

 when robbers are troublesome, and then opened, whether it be 

 that the robbers are stirred up by seeing the change, or whether 

 the bees of the colony are not in the habit of protecting them- 

 selves in that quarter, the robbers are pretty sure to give the 

 new entrance especial attention ; and if the colony be not very 

 strong there may be serious results. 



STARTING BOBBING BY FEEDING. 



As feeding is done only in a time of scarcity, it is one of 

 the most common causes of robbing among careless beekeepers. 

 When general feeding is done with Miller feeders, there is little 

 danger, no matter what time of day the work is done; but if 

 some weak colony is short of stores I try to be somewhat care- 

 ful to do nothing to attract especial attention to it. I have 

 sometimes fed at night, and so far as convenient prefer to feed 

 late in the day, but convenience does not always allow it. 



One time I found a colony at the close of the honey har- 

 vest, by some means about at the point of starvation. With 

 more carelessness than was excusable, I gave them, I think in 

 the forenoon, two or three combs filled with sugar syrup. Some 

 time after, I happened to look toward that end of the apiary, 

 and saw what looked to be a swarm. The bees had become ex- 

 cited over their new-found stores; the robber-bees had joined 

 in, and the bees of the colony seemed to think forage was 

 so plentiful that it wasn't worth while to be mean about it, 

 there was enough for all; so the robbers were doing a land- 

 office business without let or hindrance. 



1 



STOPPING ROBBING WITH WET HAT. 



I closed the entrance of the other hives in the immediate 

 neighborhood, so that only two or three bees could pass at a 

 time, and then threw a lot of loose wet hay at the entrance of 

 the besieged hive. 



Not only did I put hay at the entrance, but piled it up 

 all around to the top of the hive. For some time I kept every 

 thing very wet around the hive by pouring on pails of water, 

 then left them till next day. 



