360 INSECTS OF MASSACHUSETTS. 



and weak ones. When the moth-worms have established them- 

 selves in a hive, their presence is made known to us by the little 

 fragments of wax and the black grains scattered by them over 

 the floor. Means should then be taken, without delay, to dis- 

 lodge the depredators and invigorate the swarm. These are so 

 fully described in Dr. Thacher's " Treatise on the Management 

 of Bees," and in other works on the same subject, that I shall 

 limit myself to a few remarks, and refer the reader for further 

 particulars to these works. Kollar states that there is but one 

 sure method of clearing bee-hives of the moth, and this is to look 

 for and destroy the caterpillars or moth-worms and the chrysa- 

 lids ; and he advises that the hives should be examined, for this 

 purpose, once a week, and that all the webs and cocoons, with 

 the insects in them, should be taken out and destroyed. At all 

 events, the examination ought to be made every year, early in 

 September, when the cocoons will be found in greater numbers 

 than at any other time, and should be carefully removed and 

 burned. The winged moths are very fond of sweets ; and if shal- 

 low vessels, containing a mixture of honey or sugar, with vinegar 

 and water, are placed near the bee-house in the evening, the 

 moths will get into them and be drowned. In this way great 

 numbers may be caught every night. Several kinds of hives and 

 bee-houses have been contrived and recommended, for the pur- 

 pose of keeping out the bee-moth ; but it does not appear that any 

 of them entirely supersede the necessity for the measures above 

 recommended. 



The various kinds of destructive moths, found in houses, 

 stores, barns, granaries, and mills, are mostly very small insects ; 

 the largest of them, when arrived at maturity, expanding their 

 wings only about eight tenths of an inch. The ravages of some 

 of these little creatures are too well known to need a particular de- 

 scription. Among them may be mentioned the clothes-moth 

 (Tinea vcstianella), the tapestry or carpet-moth (7 1 . (apcizclla), 

 the fur-moth ( T. pdlionclla), the hair-moth (T. crinella), and 

 the grain-moth ( T. granclla), with some others belonging to a 

 group, which may be called Tineans (Tinead.e) ; also the pack- 

 moth (Anacampsis sarcitclla), which is very destructive to wool 

 and fabrics made of this material, and the Angoumois grain-moth 



