Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-11-18
Stories Of Bees.

BEES are quick to distinguish between n
friend and foe and while they will allow
the one to do almost what he pleases with
them, will resent the least interference
from the other. 1t is said that they will
find out at once, like children and dogs,
whether you are fond of them, and so meet
you halfway.
The temper of the bee, according to q
writer In the London QudrteHy Rcoie,c, is
affected by the weather. as we rational be-
ings are, and will become exceedingly
testy when the day is very hot or windy.
1t resembles also man, or rather. woman
kind, in resenting all interference with its
domestic quarrels. When the time comes
IN autumn, says-the writer above quoted
for turning the drones out of the hive,
many think they can assist the bees in get
ting rid of these improbable spouses, and
so destroy them as fast as they are turned
out This uncalled-for meddling is often
very fiercely resented"
Bees are, however generally very tract-
able, especially under the management of
their own master, whom they easily recog-
nlze. II seems that they have particular
aversion to human breath, and those in
danger OF being attacked by them should
De mindful OF this With unlailing pres
ence OF mind there need be no fear of be-
. y
settled so thickly upon the head of a SER
vant-maid that she was i'm danger of beinp
stitied to death. Her master, who was
familiar with the habits of the insect. motto.
ing her danger, bade her keep perfectly
still, an injunction which she had the GOOD
sense to obey. He then sought out the
| queen, and conducted her safely to the
hive, whittier she was Immediately followed
by the whole swarm, much to- the relief of
the maid, who escaped without a sting.
There are some curious stories of the
effectiveness of the sting of the bee as a
weapon of offence and defence. We are
told that " a, small privateer, with forty or
fifty men, having on board some hives,
made of earthenware, full of bees, was pur-
sued by a Turkish galley, manned by 500
seamen and soldiers. As soon as the latter
came alongside, the crew of the privateer
mounted the rigging with their hives, and
hurled them down on the deck of the
! galley. The Turks, astOnished at this novel
mode of warfare, and unable to defend
themselves from the stings of the eurgged
bees, became so terrified that they Thought
OF nothing but how to escape their fury /;
while the crew of the small vessel, defended
by masks and gloves, flew upon their enc
mics, sword in hand, and captured the yes
sci almost without resistance"
| Again there is the story: During the
confusion occasioned bya time of war, in
1925, mob of peasants, assembling in Ho-
! henstein, in Thuringia, attempted to pilage
| the house of the minister of Elende who
having in vain employed all his eloquence
to dissuade them from their design, or
dered his domestic to fetch his bee-hives
and throw them in the middle of the furious
mob. The effect was what might be eX-
! pected; they were Immediately put to
flight, and happy to escape unstung."
The weapon with which the hornet,
wasp or bee inflicts its sting, is a sharp
and hollow dart. Into this opens a reser-
voir or bag filled with a poisonous fluid
kept supplied by a skein of twisted tubes
which secrete it. The insect thus not only
wounds but poisons. When greatly en-
ragged it does even more, its leaves its wea
pom sticking in the flesh, which adds great
; ly to the pain and mischief
The first thing to be done in treating ,
sting by hornet, wasp or bee, is to try tC
to extract, with a pair of tweezers, thu
weapon of the insect, if it should be left
If this is broken in the attempt the re
mainder must be gently squeezed out. A
watch-key pressed directly over the wounC
will aid in extracting, and the application
{ OF the least drop of spirits of hartshorl
Will tend to neutralize the venom. Subse
quently poultices may be applied, and tn
, parts besmeared with sweet oil.
1t is seldom that these things prove ia
tai. The hornet wounds the most, tn
wasp less and the bee the least severely
Sometimes in eating summer fruits peopl
are stung in the throat by one OF these in
sects lurking within them. In such case
the danger arises from the swelling of til
throat, and the stoppage of breathin
I which is apt to ensue. The surgeons re
cord some few cases of death of huma
q beings from stings and naturalist tell
of "a horse, in the heat of the day, look
ing over hedge, on the other side {
, which was a hive of bees; while he stoo
nodding with his head as his manner il
because of the flies, the bees fell upon hir
!. and killed him. r