The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1900-05-18

A Littic strategy II >ccessnry 10 Ea-
trap Them ana Then Turn
Them 10 Account.

Bees do not select he colonies near
est them 10 rob, nor 40 they coniine
themselves to their own apsars, but
may so miles away and ron nclgnbor-
ing bees. Bees may come from the
forests, what We term wild bees, and
prey upon our domestlcated ones. HoU-
Der bees may he caught in "A trap, but
this would damage our own or our
neighDors bees, but may be worked
successfully on the Wild bees. Take
tight box with Il bottom in which is
"A two-inch ho.c; insert in this wire
cloth cone the shape of "A funnel, and
just large enough at the small end 10
let bee pass. and two inches at the
other !. o suit hole in bottom. III, cone
may be three or four inches long, and
the small end extend up into the box.
and the box TO be covered With wire
screen with small mesh TO confne the
bees. Set this on an ordinary hive that
contains some honey and place il con-
venient 10 the robbers. The robber
bees will pass in AT the entrance, load
up with honey. and. seeing the light di-
rect.y above them, will go up o IT, pass
up through the wire cone and into the
empty chamber and there remain.
Enough bees will go out OF the ordi.
nary entrance of the hive TO go home
and bring others with them. and thus
keep up the work until all the working
force Of the robber bees are entrappcd.
These bees may be turned to account
by giving them frames Of comb and
honey. and also a frame or two OF
brood from O; her colonies. They should
be confined three or four days before
| letting out. for il left out soon they
will 90 back to their former home.
There are several methods OF stop
| ping cases OF robbing when once thor
oughly at it. The quickest way is 10
! throw blanket over the entire hive
f, that is being robbed. and Thus entirely
cover the hive. with the edges Of the
blanket spreading out as far on the
| ground as il will reach. occasionally
| picking up a corner Of the blanket TO
let out the robbers and TO let in the
occupants of the hive. In this manner
we will soon get all the robbers out and
al the bees belonging to the hive in
This simply checks it fer the present
bat does not cure the case. The colony
should be examined late in the evening
or early in the morning to ascertain ~
condition. In nine eases out or ten. or
1 might say. ninety cases out Of Q
hundred. II will be found without q
queen. and the remedy Is TO supply il
with one or two frames Of young brood
from other cc'-nies, and also TO intro
ducc queen to ii, j, tl.s:e is any a
hand.
! How to readily detect = case Of rob
! hing requires some experience. ana IN
less one makes a close study of bees NJ
can hardly know when il occurs. tsu
ally there is an unusual uproar at
hive being robbed. The bees Viii com
out OF the hive hcasily loaded VT.
honey. ard those going ia will zoo
.n.n and lank. which is quite the re
verse OF bees working in their natura
way. When case Of robbing is goin
on. all other hives near will be see
fighting the robbers. for the neighboi
inr hives will be visited by them also
but these hives. being in good condl
ton. will defend themselves, and th
result is more or less fighting.
. Preventing is always better tina
remedies. and il all colonies are kept
proper condition they will never fall
, prey to robbers. and in about ever
case Of robbirg may be laid TO careless
+ ness on the part OF the apiarisi.-A.
: Duff, in National Rural.