Bees, and with them the bee-keeper, are subject to annoyance and depredations from many enemies in the natural world. Some make direct attacks on the hive and their contents, and others, by destroying or interfering with the food supply of the bees, sadly deplenish the stores for which the bees work and on which the bee-keeper's hopes rest. Among the former are insect-eating birds, spiders, moths, and other insects. Prominent in the other class are bud-eating birds and the green fly. Thus it will be seen that in both classes the enemies of the bees are also those of the gardener, so that no scruples need be felt in combating them with all the forces at our command.

The Earwig.—Among the most tiresome of pests is the earwig. The bar-framed hive seems to suit its requirements in every particular, and an opportunity is apparently never lost by it to enter and take possession. Any empty combs that may lie within its purview are immediately commandeered for its own particular purposes—even when combs are kept for warmth in a super or section crate on the quilt inside the hive they are not safe from the ravages of this pest. Its eggs are deposited in the cells and the combs rendered useless.

One of the best traps for catching earwigs is the old-fashioned one of a plant-pot filled with moss and placed upside down on the end of a stake. The pot and its contents should be dropped into boiling water at regular intervals of a few days.

Mice.—Both house and field mice are included in the bee-keeper's black list. Their raids are seldom made in summer-time, especially if the hives are up to strength, but in winter it is no uncommon occurrence to find them in possession of a hive. It is probably the sweet scent and suggestion of warmth that first attract them to explore the hive, but once inside they begin the work of devastation. They are keen after the farinaceous pollen and demolish the combs to get to their stores.

The only effective way to prevent the entry of mice is to place a piece of zinc perforated with holes just large enough to admit the passage of a bee, along the entrance to the hive to a height of ³/₁₆ of an inch.

Moths.—Moths of various kinds choose the hive as a suitable place in which to deposit their eggs, and the bee-keeper has need to keep a sharp lookout for the first evidence of their visitation, for, if not dealt with promptly, disaster is sure to follow. They generally deposit their eggs in loose bundles among the combs, and immediately the grubs are hatched they commence operations on the cells, which are rendered useless by their perforations. The sawgate of the frame is a favourite lodging of the moth, and the skep hive, of course, is a happy hunting ground for it.

The old-fashioned remedies—lavender flowers and camphor—are still esteemed the best for warding off moths, though naphthalene and chemical solutions are without doubt equally effective.

Ants.—The fondness of ants for sweet things is sufficient explanation of their raids on the hives. Where they are numerous it is advisable to stand the legs of the hive in tins containing paraffin oil: this is an effective means of preventing their climbing into the hives.

The Blind Louse.—This is a parasite fairly common in this country, and the bees, both hive and wild varieties, are favoured by it as hosts. Although it is said to be harmless, it must be treated with suspicion, and if its presence in a hive be detected steps should be taken to get rid of it. If tobacco smoke be blown into the hive, the parasite will loosen its tenacious grip and fall to the floorboard of the hive. Its destruction is then easy. Before the floor-board is replaced it should be washed with hot water into which a few drops of carbolic acid have been dropped.

Pollen Mites.—Amongst the smallest of the insects visible to the naked eye these little creatures work—as their name suggests—among the pollen stored by the bees. They are about the size of a grain of pollen and prefer the pollen when it is damp either with honey or water.

It is a commendable practice to keep combs that contain pollen by themselves when they are not in use.

Spiders.—In this country the spider is not to be so dreaded by the bee-keeper as it is in hotter climates. For cleanliness' sake, however, it is well to keep the hive clear of its webs.

Green Fly.—It is the bee-keeper rather than the bee that has cause to dislike the green fly. To the bee, indeed, the aphis ranks as great a friend as it does to the ant. To both it is the excretion with which the aphis surrounds itself that is the attraction. To the gardener and the bee-keeper, however, it is an abomination to be warred against by all means at command.

The excretion of the aphis, popularly known as "honeydew," is white when at first sprayed out by the little creature, but after it is stored by the bee in the comb its presence is marked by a dark patch in the honey, and the bee-keeper knows that the latter is spoiled. This dark colour is attributed to a fungus generated by the honeydew. Where large quantities of honeydew are contained in combs the most economical method of dealing with the latter is to give them to the bees for drawing-out combs, for it is practically impossible to separate the honey, and for commercial purposes the presence of honeydew is prejudicial.

Occasionally honey that contains honeydew will crystallise, sometimes to look like a sponge, and in such cases the honeydew can be run off. If not so treated it will ferment and permeate the candied honey.

Wasps.—When particularly numerous, wasps become a source of anxiety to the bee-keeper, and it is therefore to his interest to aid in keeping their numbers down as much as possible. The usual method is to destroy the nests before the queens are hatched out—which generally occurs about the middle of September.

Snails and Slugs.—Here again the bee-keeper and the gardener are at one in their efforts against common enemies. It is probably due to the trail of slime left by both slug and snail that the bees do not care to interfere with these intruders to the hive and leave them to roam about at their leisure.

The practice of using old honeycombs as bait or traps for these marauders is not to be commended, for their fermenting contents near the hives is in no way good, and may lead to ill, for the bees. Where snails and slugs are troublesome it is better to raise the hives at least a foot from the ground and clear away all grass and weeds in their immediate neighbourhood, sprinkling the ground with strong salt and water—or if the ground is to be fallowed, dry salt may be used.

Birds.—For the most part birds are indirect enemies of the bees, for they injure them by injuring the buds and flowers on which they draw for nectar. Finches and sparrows are the worst offenders in this respect.

A bird that often makes a direct attack on bees, however, is the blue-tit, an insect-eating bird. When the winter is severe, and insects rare, the blue-tit will venture to tackle bees. Its methods afford a curious instance of the adaptability of wild creatures to circumstances. The general proceeding is for the blue-tit to alight on the front of a hive and tap gently with its beak at the entrance. The tapping attracts the attention of the inmates, and one is usually curious enough to investigate its cause. The bird seizes it immediately, flies off with it to a convenient branch, and, holding it down with one claw, with a quick motion abstracts the sting organs. That source of danger removed, "little Billy Bluecap" proceeds to peck off the head—which he likewise discards—and to lay open the thorax, the contents of which are all that he requires. From this, it is evident that blue-tits have developed an epicurean taste with regard to bees, and, when one has acquired it, it is astonishing the number of bees it will demolish to satisfy its cravings.

When hives are liable to such raids, perforated zinc, or small strips of glass, fixed on edge across the entrance will often serve to frighten the birds off.

Another bird that raids directly on bees is the flycatcher, one of the migratory birds which come here for breeding purposes. Their usual swooping movement when catching insects on the wing is not practised when bees are their objective. It would seem that they avoid bees when flying. When raiding them, the bird alights at the back of the hive, and rushing under the alighting board, gathers up as many bees as he can from the ground in front of the hive.

It is quite possible that flycatchers could account for many a missing virgin queen.

The Toad.—Perhaps it is hardly right to class the toad as an enemy to the bee, seeing that the bulk of its food consists of insects that are injurious—either directly or through their larvae—to vegetable or plant life. But, inasmuch as it varies its diet with bees when they can be obtained, we have included it in this list.