BEE-MOTH. 



51 



BEE-MOTH. 



COMliS INFESTJED BY THE LJESSEK AV AX-MOTH. 



Tliis photograph was sent us by Georg-e W. Tebbs, Hespeler, Ontario, Canada, who wrote that the frame 



was taken from a liive which had originally contained an Italian colony, but 



which had been empty during- the winter. 



mile above the level of the sea, the ordinary 

 wax-moths are unknown. The great eleva- 

 tion seems to be more than they can stand. 

 There is, however, a very small wax-worm, 

 but it is not the same that ordinarily trou- 

 bles bee-keepers. 



The Government Entomologist for New 

 South Wales, Australia, Mr. Sidney Olliff, 

 wrote an article on the subject of bee-moths 

 for the New South Wales Agricultural Ga- 

 zette. There is so much of value in it, espe- 

 cially as it describes the same pest we have 

 here, that we have decided to reproduce it 

 in these columns. The illustration accom- 

 panying it is especially accurate. 



The bee-moths, or beeswax-moths, of which theie 

 are two distinct kinds commonly found in Australia) 

 are so well known, and have been so frequently figured 

 and described, that it will not be necessary to give 

 very detailed or technical descriptions of them here. 

 A considerable number of inquiries have been received 

 during the past few years regaiding these destructive 

 moths, chiefly from amateur bee-keepers ; and it may, 

 therefore, be useful to publish a few notes concerning 

 the habits and seasonal appearance of these insects in 

 Australia, more especially as I am able to add some 

 information regarding remedial and preventive meas- 

 ures for the suppression of the pests, which have been 

 found satisfactory by experienced bee-keepers. The 

 larger of the beeswax-moths — properly known as Ga!- 

 leria tnellonella, I<inn., but sometimes called by the 

 name Galleria cereana, Fabr. — appears to be by far the 

 more destructive of the two insects. It is a very wide 

 ly distributed species, being found throughout Europe 

 and North America, in India, and even in the cold re- 

 gions of Northern Siberia ; indeed, it appears to have a 

 range that is co-extensive with that of the hive-bee it- 

 self. In warm countries it is much more abundant, 

 and therefore destructive, than in temperate or cold 



climates, a fact which is probably accounted for by the 

 varying number of broods or generations which occur 

 in a season under different climatic conditions. With 

 us in New South Wales the first brood of moth appears 

 in the early spring from caterpillars which have pass- 

 ed the winter in a semi-dormant condition, within the 

 walls of their silken coverings, and turn into pupae 

 or chrysalids only upon the approach of warm weath- 

 er. These winter (or hibernating) caterpillars feed 

 very little, and usually confine their wanderings to the 

 silken channels which they have made for themselves 

 before the cool weather set in. Upon the return of 

 desired warmth these caterpillars spin a complete 

 cocoon for themselves and then turn into the chrysalis 

 stage, whence, from ten days to a fortnight, perfect 

 moths appear. These then lay eggs in any con- 

 venient spot, such as the sides and bottoms of the 

 frames, on the walls of the hive itself, or on the comb. 

 In each case I have had an opportunity of observing 

 the process, the moth chose the sides of the frames, 

 as near to the brood-comb as possible, the young larvfe 

 having a very decided preference for this comb. The 

 larvae having once made their appearance (usually in 

 from eight to ten days after the laying of the larval 

 eggf) their growth is exceedingly rapid, the average 

 time before they are ready to assume the chrysalis 

 stage being only some thirty days. The average dura- 

 tion of the chrysalis period is about a fortnight, so it 

 can easily be seen with what great capabilities for rap- 

 id reproduction we have to deal. As we have said, the 

 number of generations, or broods, which develop in a 

 season, z. e., between early spring and late autumn, 

 varies with locality and climate; but it may be worth 

 while to record that, in my opinion, we have suflficient 

 evidence to prove the existence of four broods in the 

 Sydney district under ordinary circumstances. I have 

 myself bred three generations, or broods, from a comb 

 received in early spring from the Richmond River; 

 and I am convinced that a fourth might have teen 

 bred from the same stock but for an unfortunate acci- 

 dent to the eggs obtained from my third brood. Upon 

 first hatching, the larva is pale yellow in color, with a 

 slightly darkened head ; and, when full grown, it is of 



