36 
BEE-OULTUBE. 
the danger is that they will do that which is worse than 
nothing. 
Careless feeding, or honey left where hees can get at it, is 
generally the first incentive to robbery. In a village like ours, 
where there are six hundred hives of bees within two miles 
of the place, it requires caution on the part of every bee- 
keeper to retain peace among the bees and good will amongst 
the neighbors. For if one colony is being robbed, the whole 
neighborhood of bees becomes excited I can generally tell 
when there has been a colony of bees robbed in my neighbor- 
hood; for, generally, although one may commence the depre- 
dations, before it is over many will participate; and they will 
not be satisfied with emptying one hive, but will test the 
strength of every colony in the vicinity, keeping all unusu- 
ally excited, even pouring into the candy shops and penetrat- 
ing the kitchens and every apartment where there is the odor 
of,; sweets, much to the annoyance of the housewife 
in making her jellies and putting up canned fruit. It will 
sometimes require several days lor the excitement to subside, 
and will remain for a time susceptible to excitement ; and woe 
to the queenless colonies at such times when the keeper has not 
thoroughly fortified them by reducing the entrances to the ca- 
pacity merely sufficient for exit and return, so that a few senti- 
nels may defend the colony against a large army of invaders. 
TVhen robbery commences, close all hives to the least capacity 
for a bee to pass out and in. If a hive is very determinedly 
attacked, close the entrance so that but a single bee can pass 
in and out at a time. If they pile on the hive in great num- 
bers, dash cold water on them; this materially abates their 
rapacity, and gives them a homeward inclination. If they 
are ungovernable, close the hive entirely and carry it to a cel- 
lar or dark, cool place, where it should stand two or three 
days, until the marauding spirit has subsided, then set it out 
on the stand. When this hive is moved, those sitting next 
to it are in danger, and should be carefully closed. llefore 
any hive is entirely closed it is necessary to have some holes 
in it, and cover them with wire cloth, to prevent smothering. 
If a weak colony is closed for two or three days with a great 
many robbers in it, the most of them will remain and add to 
its strength. 
As good a remedy as I have found is, to pile a bundle of 
grass against the entrance of the hive, then thoroughly wet 
