MANAGEMENT OF BEES. 
47 
the spring of 1847, .on examining my old Box Hives 
I found a mouse nest in one of the strongest of my 
swarms. The mice had eaten away the comb to the 
size of a quart howl, and filled the vacancy mostly 
with feathers. 1 found a number of full grown mice 
in the nest. The weather had become quite warm, 
and the Bees had settled in the Hive so that the nest 
was covered with living Bees. The colony was so 
strong and the season so far advanced, that the mice 
would soon have been under the necessity of leaving 
the Hive. Hives should be made to accommodate 
Bees instead of mice, if much profit is expected from 
them. 
Another great enemy to Bees is the King-bird , 
every Apiarian should pursue him with a rifle as a 
shepherd does a wolf. You will see this little bird sit- 
ting on the highest locations about the Apiary, watch- 
ing the Bees as they return from the field of labor tug- 
ging along their burden ; and with his utmost velocity 
he darts through the air and seizes his little victim. He 
pursues this slaughter until he has satisfied his appetite ; 
and if you suffer him to remain unmolested, he will 
in a few days destroy many Bees and the treasure they 
beur. A certain writer informs us, that he once took from 
the craw of a king-bird 171 Bees; and no less than 54 
of them recovered and returned to their Hive. This 
perhaps may be true, but to me it is doubtful. One 
thing is indisputable, give this bird an opportunity and 
he will make a meal of your Boes. 
Ants are very troublesome, if they once get posses- 
sion of the chambers of the Hive. They seldom trouble 
Hives that are well made, and the chambers kept dry 
through the winter season. But if the chambers are 
permitted to get sour and mouldy, ants and spiders will 
be very likely to be troublesome, especially the little 
black ant. 
RULE SEVENTEENTH. 
JJntidotes for the Poison of Bees. 
The sting of the Bee is more poisonous at some 
