ROBBING 
730 
a few more bees, the precaution being 
taken, however, to cage the queen, as the 
new bees might kill her. 
Some good beekeepers doubt whether it 
is best to let these robbers loose after they 
have once been trapped. Where there are 
very many of them it would be bad to 
destroy them. If only a few they should be 
killed. 
A CONVENIENT ROBBER CAGE. 
This consists, of a light framework of 
%-square stuff held together at the inter¬ 
sections by means of three-cornered blocks. 
The whole is then covered with wire cloth, 
and across the top a strip is nailed to pro¬ 
vide a handle so the cage may be lifted up 
with one hand. It is advisable to have in 
addition one or two larger cages—big 
enough to take in a man while he is operat¬ 
ing over the hive. These cages may be of 
various sizes, but they should be light 
enough so that one can carry them around 
easily and squat over a hive to be manipu- 
Open top robber cage. 
latecl. The larger cages should be made in 
the same way as the small cages, of 
%-square stuff braced at the intersections 
by three-cornered blocks, except that the top 
need not be covered. Cross-rails on each 
side two feet from the bottom serve as con¬ 
venient handles, so that the man on the in¬ 
side can pick up the cage and walk from 
one hive to another. The use of cheese 
cloth is quite as effective as wire cloth for 
these large cages, and much cheaper. With 
the large cages it is not necessary to have 
the top covered. The average robber that 
is supposed to make trouble will hover 
along on a level about the top of the hive 
that is being operated. It does not have 
sense enough to rise up and dive down over 
the top. At the same time bees that be¬ 
long to the hive that is being manipulated 
will easily escape. On the other hand, the 
cages that have tops will cage the bees so 
they will be bumping around the head of 
the operator. Unless they are actual rob¬ 
bers, it is better to let them loose; and as 
soon as the operator has left the hive they 
will go into their own entrance. 
Tor raising queens these topless cages 
are very convenient when the robbing sea¬ 
son is oil. The queen-breeder, while he is 
on the inside of one of these cages, can 
work over a hive as long as he pleases, 
secure from robbers. If he uses the cage 
continually, robbers will seldom get a taste 
of honey; and therefore there will be little 
or no trouble. 
EXCHANGING PLACES WITH THE ROBBING 
AND ROBBED COLONIES. 
Trying to people the house-apiary in the 
fall, when it was first built, the author had 
trouble with one certain colony. In fact, 
when robbing was going on anywhere it 
was sure to be these hybrids that were at 
the bottom of the mischief. After trying 
every plan recommended, and still finding 
these fellows would ; persist in pushing into 
every new colony started, the idea occurred 
that, on the principle that it takes a rogue 
to catch a rogue, it would be well to try to 
see how these would repel other robbers. 
The greater part of the combs were taken 
from the robbers, bees and all, carried into 
the house-apiary, and put into the hive 
which had been robbed. The effect was in¬ 
stantaneous. Every laden robber-bee that 
went home with its load, on finding the 
' queen and brood gone from the old stand 
at once showed the utmost consternation, 
while the passion for robbing was instantly 
changed to grief and moaning for the lost 
home. The weak colony which they had 
been robbing, and which had only a queen¬ 
cell, was carried to them, and they soon 
took up with it and went ,to work. The rol)- 
