Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-08-19
BEE is GENEROUS
Harmless Insect When Hives are
Well Filled.
DANGER WHEN CELLARS ARE EMPTY
ottumWa Apiarists Make Discoveries
in Regard to Habits of Useful Insect
Say Will Not Sting Unless Starv-
ng-QuarreIsome When Poor.

Ottumwa apiarists have all had
more or less experience in entering
the hives of bees and being attacked
by the insects, and have made the dis
covery that the aggressive bees are
not the ones who have full hive of
honey, but that it is the starving bees
in poor beehive which resent the dis
turbing of their homes. An article
which recently appeared in daily pa
per telling of an apiarist who was
stung to death by his bees while eX-
aiming the beehives has led to not
little discussion on this subject and
much interesting information has been
disclosed in regard to the habits of
this useful little insect 1t is affirmed
that in her heart the bee is the most
good natured of insects, and as long
as she is out for honey she never
stings unless actually pinched or
bruised. But in her warm, waxen
kingdom sne retains these pleasant
characteristics only as long as the
fortress is we'll provisioned. When
her house is poor, when her cellars
are empty. she becomes quarrelsome
and even dangerous.
Generous When Rich.
That the bee should defend her
abode, or stronghold, if rich in honey,
if overlooking with it, would be more
natural, to our way of thinking. In
the millions of tiny cells, filing the
hives from cellar TO dome, like so ma
ny well shaped barrels piled up, the
golden nectar courses, oozing from the
waXen pores and sending out into the
fields echoes of the fragrance deity
extracted from natures most beauti-
full children.
The bees have collected it all with
infinite care, but their interest in it
seems to cease when there is a sur
plus. The richer their stock the less
they are intent to preserve it, After
ascertaining that a beehive is we'll
filled with treasure almost any one
may help himself to its contents by
opening it, or even turning it over if
he uses the precaution of driving away
the bee sentinel by a little tobacco
smoke, the rest of the inmates will
show scant inclination for attacking
him. The competency they've acquir.
ed for themselves through the favor
and smiles of the summer they give
up to the first conner without a blow
or sting Try it yourselves-you Low.
ers of nature and sweetmeats; | will
answer for it that you come out un
harmed, provided, of course, that you
don't attempt to rob the poor. to stea
| from widows and orphans, so to speak
You can handle the hives, turn then
up and down like so many demijohns
filled with buzzing fies-if you strike
the right ones.
Treasure Chest Invaded.
To appreciate the feelings of be-
in rich hive when her home and thai
of her countless sisters is suddenly in
vaded, reflect for moment on the gi
| gantic impressions of mans move
ments on the bees eye. To her the
beehive is an edifice of the proportions
| of cathedral or an immense sky
scraper. Seeing it suddenly move ant
upset, cellar heavenwards or sidewise
she necessarily assumes that a grea
national catastrophe an earthquake
an eruption of Mt. Pelee.
The people of ST. Pierre didn't sent
regiment or battery against Mt
Pelee when it spat forth death and de
struction, so the bee offers no resist
/ ance when overwhelmed by the actor
of the monster man, a veritable noun
tain in her eyes
I The bee facing national catastro
4 phe Ito her eye), is too dazed to fight
but doesn't run away either Accept
!, ing her fate, her instinct turns to tn,
u future. Her citadel has been invaded
J it's walls are in the dust. Lets say,
the pieces!" she cries. The piece
may help to build another house.
The bees make the utmost haste t
attack the combs the moment tn
news of inevitable disaster reache
, them by series of word signals, &C
ing from mouth to mouth.
= Presently the sacred seals of tn
boarded winter preserves are torn OF
and each bee buries her head deep il
the fragrant cask and drinks in lon
draughts of the beloved flower wine
Then sort of intoxication takes hol
> of her. She crawls in head over heel
and sucks and SUCKS until her bod
swells and expands in all directions.
And in this way she loses her CO
pacity for defense. The hin
part OF the body is nov
too stiff and heavy to allow of contra
, ton; consequently the bee cannot us
| her sting.
> Smoking Out the SentineIs.
Many persons believe that the be
keeper employs the smoking apparatl
e to cut off the air from the bees and
: half suffocate them. That much a
. complished, think these amateurs, it
easy to get at the honey.
Their view is entirely wrong. I'll
smoke only serves to drive away tt
. sentinels at the gates that are alwa.
dafandad hy fiarca fighting bees wei