This page has been validated.
210
HOW TO KEEP BEES

operator in his apiary, but a co-operator with his bees, and we firmly believe that the bees are being educated by the partnership, as well as the beekeeper. Bees certainly do learn by experience, as is well instanced by some Cyprians, which, in their native home, build columns of wax and propolis at the hive-entrance to keep out the large death's-head moth which preys upon them. After living in this country for two years, the bees discovered that there were none of these moths about, and so ceased building these bars. The readiness with which our bees use the comb-foundation and fit their combs to the frames and follow the hint given by the starters in the sections, all point to their adaptability; and however others may regard the matter, we never take off a section filled with just one pound of pearly comb and amber honey that we do not pay tribute to the bee intelligence which placed it there, and regard the little artisans as true partners in our enterprise. And we never doubt that in the future this co-operation and co-education of bees and beekeepers will result in a perfection of honey-production as yet undreamed.