yo THE HiSTORY-OF-BEES. 
{iraiten the paflage ; for no fooner doth honey begin to 
fail abroad, but the robbers’ nr be trying to break in 
and fieal. 
. In the next month’ make the valine fmaller ftill, fo a 
few Bees will more eafily guard it. 
This is the worft month in all the year for robbing ; 
and therefore a flri€t and daily infpection and overignt 
ig requilite. 
The method I ufe is as follows ; which offeStually pre= 
vents the entrance of the mice (their mortal enemies) : 
and the finking of the hive’s mouth, when it 1s old, 
which often flops the paflage, and fhuts them in, great- 
ly to their prejudice. 
Take a fquare piece of deal above 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 leflened 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 {warms 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 Odtober i is the beft for feeding Bees, or , 
taking them for your ufe, either thofe ftocks which are’ 
very 
