A VISIT TO A HIVE
Let us now imagine that we are to pay a visit to a hive. If we are
afraid of stings we may put on thick leather gloves and tie our sleeves
around the wrists, to prevent any curious bee from investigating our
arms. Then over our hats we may place a veil, to keep the bees from our
face, for a sting in the eye would be a serious matter. The bee-man in
Plate XVII. is wearing a veil, as you will see, and the brim of his
straw hat is useful to keep it at a little distance from his face, so
that the bees are not able to sting through it. Before we approach the
hive I must tell you one thing; if a bee flies around you and comes
rather closer to your face than you care about, do not on any account
hit it away. Bees, like some human beings, are very curious by nature,
and they like to investigate anything strange that comes under their
notice. Never mind if one of them comes crawling over your hand, or
even if it steps inside your ear! It will not hurt you if you keep
still, but should you knock it away with your hand, it will become
angry, and probably you will be stung there and then.
[Illustration: PLATE XVII
From a photograph by] [E. Hawks
Examining a Comb]
Bees are very brave little creatures, and are frightened of nothing
in the world except smoke and the smell of carbolic acid. When we
wish to open the hive and to examine the combs, we must first puff in a
little smoke at the door. Ordinary tobacco smoke would do quite well,
but we more often use a rolled-up piece of brown paper, or some old
rag, which are allowed to smoulder. They are placed inside a tin, which
is fixed to a pair of bellows, and by working the bellows with our hand
we are able to puff out any quantity of smoke from the nozzle with
which the tin is fitted. This is done to frighten the bees, and not to
stupefy them, as most people think. As soon as the smoke reaches them
they rush to the storehouses in order to take in provisions, for they
think some terrible calamity is about to occur. They know that they
would starve if they were forced to leave the hive without a supply
of food, and so by filling their honey-sacs they provide themselves
with food to last at least a day or two. Though the bees are greatly
frightened by the smoke, they have no intention of deserting the city
that they have built with so much labour, unless it is absolutely
necessary; so after taking in supplies they wait to see what is going
to happen. While all this is going on we may look into the hive and
examine the combs, and after doing so the roof is replaced, the smell
of smoke leaves the hive, and the bees settle down again. The honey in
their honey-sacs is put back into the storehouses, and work goes on as
usual throughout the bee-city.