2(10 TACIII>-1]) I'AKASITE OF J!KE. 



lodged in crevices in the bottom boards of the hives themselves. 

 The pupal stage lasts seven to eight Aveeks in snmmer and 

 eight to ten weeks in winter. 



It is practically impossible to determine accurately the 

 length of the larval stage, as bees taken from the hives and 

 kept in cages die in the course of a few days. There are 

 two generations a year, the pnpal stage lasts some two months, 

 the adult probably lives for three or four weeks, hence the 

 larval stage should last for about three months. The adult 

 tly attacks the incoming bees indiscriminately, therefore many 

 of the larvae must be deposited on old bees, which die before 

 the larvae have time to reach maturity. 



As a pest, R. apivonts cannot be regarded as serious. Only 

 adult worker bees (and probably drones as well) are attacked, 

 and, as many of these are old and wom-oiit when attacked, 

 their loss is negligible. The younger bees that are parasitised 

 seem to work just as well as noinial bees almost np to the 

 time of their death. It is difficult to form a correct estimate 

 as to the number of bees destroyed by this parasite, as many 

 of them must die whilst in the field, and are thus lost sight of. 

 Out of one hundred bees caught at the entrance of one of the 

 hives, only three AA-ere found to harbour tlie parasite. Besides 

 the incoming foraging bees, the fly attacks the young bees 

 during their midday play-spell in front of the hive, and it is 

 probable that it is only the larvae deposited on these young 

 bees that liaA'e any chance of reacdiing maturity. 



The simplest remedy for this pest is to go round the 

 apiary at middiy and kill the flies Avith a ily-sAvatter as they 

 rest on the front rf the hives. They are sluggish and easily 

 killed, but it is adA'isable to Avear a A'eil whilst engaged in 

 this work, as the bees strongly object to the flapping of a 

 sAvattor against the hives. A number of the puparia can be 

 trapped and destroyed by leaA'ing pieces of board lying on 

 the ground around the hives. These should be examined 

 ])eriotlically from XoA-omber to January and again from April 

 to .June. 



SUMMAKY. 



1. Roitdaniocesfnis apicorns paiasitises adult bees, and 

 seems to be widely spread in South Africa. 



2. The eggs are liatched v.-ithin the body of the female. 



3. She haunts the entrances of the luA-es and deposits 

 living maggots on the incoming bees. 



4. The young larA-a burrows into the abdomen of its host 

 and feeds on the abdominal tissues. 



5. In about three months the larva is mature and the 

 bee dies. 



G. Pupation takes place in loose soil, beneath refuse, or 

 in the creA'ices of the hive. 



T. The pupal stage extends OA'er about tAvo months. 



8. Killing the adult Hies around the hives and destroying 

 the puparia are the only remedies. 



