146 
SPRING. 
must either break away, or suffer the penalty of insect 
justice, which is generally of the utmost severity. 
BAD POLICY TO RAISE TILE HIVES. 
A great many apiarians raise their hives an inch 
from the board early in spring. They seem to disre- 
gard the chance it gives robbers to enter on every 
side. It is like setting the door of your own house 
open, to tempt the thief, and then complain of de- 
pravity. 
Let it be understood, then, that all good stocks, 
under ordinary circumstances, will take care of them- 
selves. Nature has provided means of defence, with 
instinct to direct its use. Non-resistance may do for 
highly cultivated intellect in man, but not here. 
INDICATIONS OF ROBBERS. 
"We will now notice the appearance about a weak 
hive that makes no resistance, and show the. result to 
be a total loss of the stock, without timely interfer- 
ence. Each robber, when leaving the hive, instead of 
flying in a direct line to its home, will turn its head 
towards the hive to mark the spot, that it may know 
where to return for another load, in the same manner 
that they do when leaving their hive in the spring. 
The first time the young bees leave home, they mark 
their location, by the same process. A few of these 
begin to hatch from the cells very early ; in all good 
stocks, often before the weather is warm enough for 
any to leave the hive. Consequently, it cannot be too 
early for them at any time in spring. These young 
