The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1885-08-01
Queer Habits of Bees.
Maryland Farmers Talk of Them-The
Process of Swarming queer
Places Selected-How Their
Flight is Arrested-Whom
They Sting, Etc, Etc:
Baltimore Herald.

vigorously putting away at their cigars
and enjoying the refreshing breezes.
The voice of each chimed in at regular
intervals in running comments upon
the prospects of the wheat yield, and
on the advantages to be derived from
early planting of sweet potato sprouts.
The drummer elevated his chin from
his breast, on which it had reposed
while he tried to figure out whether his
trip would be put in the profit or loss
column, when he heard the converse
ton of the farmers jump from the po-
tato crop to yarn about bees.
81 read in newspaper the other
day." the drummer heard one of the
farmers say, "that swarm of bees
alighted on the head of a telegraph OPP
orator up in Mt. Airey. 1t is the first
time that ever heard of them choosing
such place as on mans head though
l have known them to select some queer
places. Of course, l suppose the oper-
ator was in the open air and not in his
Office"
"It is nothing strange" said farmer
No. 2, as he took up the strand of the
conversation, "for bees to select the
mans head if he was in the open air,
as you suppose. l have been handling
bees for great many years, and | think
l know some of their traits. You see,
the swarm was led by queen bee, and
and wherever she stopped there stopped
all her vassals. When they leave hive
the queen always takes up temporary
residence at some convenient spot until
permanent dwelling-place for herself
and her people has been provided.
Scouts are sent out in all directions to
choose a favorable place, and when the
dwelling has been selected the queen,
followed by her army, resumes her
flight through mid-air for the designated
palace. Hollow trees and the spaces
between the inner and outer walls of
deserted frame houses are most desirable
dwellings, and when they once take up
their abode here they are hard to dis
lodge. know of rather dilapidated
church in Wicomico county which was
seized by bees during the week, and
they as effectually routed the congrega-
ton on the following Sunday as Gabriel
with his trumpet would have done. Yes,
sir; it took month to drive those bees
away. One of the deacons first tried
to persuade them to go into nice hive,
but they wouldn't be persuaded. Then
one night he ripped off the boards of
the side of the church in which they
were supposed to be lodged, and tried
to bag them. This show of force arous-
ed their ire, and the deacon made a
hasty if ungraceful flight. His wife was
unable 10 recognize him next morning,
so bunged up were his eyes. That
, deacon let the bees alone. Another
took the matter in hand, and by burn
ing corncobs dipped in tar in the in
; terstices he finally drove them off. The
pastor during the battle enjoyed vaca-
t ton of four weeks. A similar incident
happened in the same locality, a school
house being the residence selected by
the bees. The children also enjoyed
short vacation. Bees are often found
in hollow trees in forests where they
" have been accumulating honey for years,
and the find is bonanza to the dis
coverer.
"It is very seldom, however, that a
swarm escapes to the woods. Their
d intentions to leave their old quarters
are apparent day beforehand, as they
g collect around the entrance to the hive
and are in a state of intense activity.
When they do leave every man, woman
= and child and all the neighborhood
turn out with tin pans and bells, and
y make regular pandemonium to arrest
the flight of the bees. When they stop
they are easily persuaded to enter an
other hive placed alongside of them.
81 saw a swarm leave neighbours
: hive one Sunday morning and fly across
an open field in the direction of a grove
r in which a colored church was located.
: We all followed in hot pursuit, ringing
J, bells, blowing horns, and rafting tin
n cans, and the noise we made convinced
, the congregation that Gabriel had come
!, at last, and the way in which they piled
out of that church was demoralizing to
} their clothing and to good order"
:. "Talking about bees selecting queer
: places to STOP" said farmer No. 8, who
: pondered some seconds after No. 2 had
stopped to take aboard new supply of
air, 81 once saw swarm pitch on a
: horse that was at work in an open field.
I The horse was very much frightened
and ran away. The colored man at the
: plough ran in an opposite direction.
The horse was terribly Stung.
, "The most remarkable and exciting
scene ever witnessed was fight be-
. tween a swarm of bees and colony of
=, hornets. Hornets, as you may know,
build their nests out of material not
unlike paper, which is moulded into
: concentrate layers. The nests often
attain the size of mans head and are
occupied by about 200 hornets. One
B. day swarm of bees took flight from
bee hive of my fathers, and made its
J. way through peach orchard for piece
e of underbrush about 200 yards from the
hive. We pursued with tin pans, and
brought the heeting bees to stop.
They alighted on an apparently desert
ed nest of hornets. 1t took about two
seconds for the 200 hornets to come
q out of their den and attack the inva-
e ders. The battle was hot and furious.
The air was filled with prolonged buzz
!; as the conbatants flew at each other,
and tried to use their stings. A great
0 many on each side were killed, but the
hornets carried the day. After the
', queen had been killed her army was put
I. to route. l also heard of a swarm Of
: bees flying through an open door of q
dining-room and alighting on the sill
! yer castors while the family was at din
ner. The bees were masters of the
field"
"Do you know" said another farmer
). "that bees won't sting some people
), while they attack Others at every op
portunity presented? Well, sir, it is {
- fact. | know a gentleman who car