120 THE HISTORY:-OF BEES. 
- ftraiten the; paflage ; for no fooner doth honey begin to 
fail abroad, but the robbers will be trying to break. in 
and fteal. 
_ In the next month make the paflage fmaller aill, fo a 
few Bees will more eafily guard it. 
This is the worft month in all the year for robbing ; 
and therefore a ftriG@ and daily ie and overfight 
is requifite. | 
The method I ule is as follows ; which effeCtually pre- 
vents the entrance of the mice (their mortal enemies) 
and the finking of the hive’s mouth, when it is old, 
which often flops the paflage, and fhuts them in, great- 
ly to aes prejudice. 
Take a fquare piece of deal aera four inches long, 
and cut a door-way in it the length of three or four in- 
ches, and more than a quarter of an inch in depth, that 
a large Bee or Drone may eafily pafs it. Place this at 
the mouth of the hive, to be enlarged or leffened accord- 
ing to the feafon of the year, and as you fee occafion, 
‘When the hives are full of Bees remove it, and re- 
place it after the fwarms are come forth. 
If in this, or the following month, you obferve any 
hive daily attempted by robbers ; but efpecially if you 
find the Drones in an hive, after they are expelled all 
the other ftocks, you have great reafon to fufpec& the 
lofs of the Queen, and confequently the total diffoluti- 
on of the whole ftate ; and fo the moft prudent way will 
be to take them in time. 
The month of O@ober is the beft for feeding Bees, or 
taking them for your ufe, either thofe ftocks which are 
wee very 
