Evening journal., 1908-07-21

Z
BY Joel s. eilfillan. Newark, Del
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"such was the spell which round
wildman's arm,
Twin'd In dark wreaths the fascinated
swarm.
Bright DER his breast the gllttering le-
gions led,
Or with a living garland bound his
head.
His dextrous hand, with firm yet hurt
less hold,
Could seize the chief known by her
scales OF gold,
Prune mid the wondering train her
nlmy wing,
or DER her folds the silken fetter
fling"
Il confess like the bees and like
to handle them. but the pesky things
win turn on me when 1 least expect
them to do So" Yes. but IL is a ques-
ton whether you should not have ex-
pected them to turn on you. It re-
duires a thorough knowledge OF the
I nature and habits and characteristics OF
the bees TO handle them with impun-
ity; and Il requires also some knowl-
edge of the sources from which the
bees are obtaining their supplies.
am writing this article on this phase
OF the subject at this time because we
are just now passing through a condi-
ton which requires great care in hand
ling bees. During the last two weeks
the nectar IN the white clover has
been very rapidly diminishing. and as
consequence the bees have attacked
their owner who has opened their hive
with the same confidence as previous
.ly. The bees judging that the Intruder
was the cause OF the lack OF nectar In
the clover. However, this anger of the
bees continues only few days. when
the accommodate themselves &c
their lessoned income and are mild and
quiet again under the handling OF their
master Another danger arises. how
ever, and that is the danger from rob-
lbing. II at this time OF the year a hive
Us opened, almost as soon as the cover
Is of, some bees from neighboring
hives Will be lowering round trying to
lEet a chance TO steal a load of honey
to carry home The bees OF the open
lhive, of course, bounce the btruder
, and then while they have their dandel
up, win just as likely try TO bounce the
= bee keeper, who has opened their hive
In handling bees during July and Au.
gust II the hive is to be kept opcr
, more than a very few minuteA II 4,
b best 10 use a screened tent made oi
mosquito netting, which can be sci
over the hive 20 be opened.
. II the bees get started TO robhinf
3 there will be a great commotioI
among them for quite a while.
-. Il
h the bees alone Is during the hone,
O flow. when a storm comes up an'
washes the nectar out Of the flowers
AT such a time II is well not 10 opel
a hive. as the workers are all at hom
and not being able to work on tn
i, flowers might take a notion 20 worl
! on you.
: During July and August It Is wei
/, Ito look out for weak colonies. II ther
:, are any such I'm the apiary the bee
. from the strong colonies viii soon fin
y them out and win rob them. not onl
of the honey but Of their bees, for
lis a peculiar fact that the bees OF th
e. hive when they have been overcom
and their stores Of honey taken, wi
desert the hive and viii return wit
the robbers 10 the latter's hom
carrying a load Of honey with then
which Is always a free passport int
lanother hive
one Of the wonders Of the bee king
dom is the fact that while there ma
be a hundred colonies In a small spac
and each colony composed of thou
sands of bees. each bee must know II
own hive or IL will be killed by goin
into strange hive; and yet while thi
Is true any bee can 60 into anothe
hive providing Il is carrying a load
honey. why this distinction Is mad
Il Is hard to say, unless they go
the theory OF keeping all they hav
and getting all they can. In the mat
ter of a strange bee entering anothC
hive there IS much in the action TO b'
tray IT, AS conscience betrays ma
Into little acts that are quickly detect
ed as suspicious by the expert dete'
tive. so the robber bee Is recognized y
the guards at tho entrance 20 the hi'
before IL alight< j have watched IN
lattempt OF a robber bee trying 70 ent'
a strange hive a,ain and again, an
Invariably Il would be detected by u
guards and sometimes captured befoi
h had time 10 alight, and at 9TH
times IL would be pounoed upon I
soon as Il struck the entrance, az
guard and robber would roll down
the ground. A bee coming in lad'
with honey drops upon the alightir
board and runs into the hive witho
hesitating
The usual way one bee recogniz