BEE MOTH 213 



and causing- a considerable loss in the flour, meal, or other 

 products. Its life-cycle is fairly contiiuious where buildings 

 are warm enough to permit its growth. 



The principal methods of control are by means of heat 

 and fumigation. Where a heating system is present, and it 

 is ])ossible to raise the temperature of the building to 125°, 

 this is a most effective plan and requires but a short suspen- 

 sion of the operations of the mill. Where this is not avail- 

 able the use of hydrocyanic gas or bisulphifle fumigation is 

 necessary, although frequent cleaning of the building and 

 the careful disposition of insects which are found in the 

 accumulated dust in different parts of the building will serve 

 to keej) them in check. 



Bee Moth (daUeria mcllonclla). — The bee moth gets its 

 name from the fact that it li^'es in the hiNCS of honey bees. 

 It is confined closely to this habit and all stages will be 

 found in and around the hives. The adults are found 

 during the summer months particularly and are com- 

 monly hidden under and around the hives, and if disturbed 

 tend to slip away, crawling into corners or making a 

 short flight to some safe place, almost as slippery as cock- 

 roaches. They gain entrance to the hives by slipping in at 

 the entrance, especially if the entrance is not well guarded, 

 they deposit eggs upon the comb doubtless in some corner 

 where the bees are not numerous. The larva^ feed upon the 

 wax and make long burrows around through the combs, 

 x^ccording to Comstock, the larva feeds only at night and 

 hides in its burrow during the day. They pupate generally 

 within the hive and upon the tops of the frames or in 

 the corners, and in some cases probably creep outside and 

 get underneath the hi\'e. They spin quite a tough silken 

 cocoon within which they pupate. This stage gives rise 

 later to the moth. There are at least two generations 

 during the season. The first measure in the way of pre- 

 vention is to keep the colonies in good condition and a part 

 of the treatment may consist in looking over colonies and 

 catching and killing any moths, larvae, or pupcie that may be 

 obser\ed. 



