104 JOURNAL OP ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 1 



less or ignorant persons, who do not treat the disease, harbor a men- 

 ace to all the bee keepers in the neighborhood. For this reason, in- 

 spection of apiaries for disease has been instituted in several states. 

 As in the case of all inspection, the work of these men is not only 

 that of a police officer empowered to enforce the law, but it is also 

 largely educational. Good results have come from this supervision in 

 almost all cases, and they follow whenever a thorough man is in 

 charge of the work. In several states not now having inspection of 

 apiaries, the bee keepers are asking for its institution ; and it seems 

 probable that before long this phase of the work will be well under 

 way whenever either disease is severe. 



The present weak point in state inspection seems to the writer to 

 be a lack of the proper kind of supervision of the inspection. The in- 

 spectors are usually good practical bee keepers and are experts in the 

 detection and treatment of disease. As a rule, however, they know 

 little of the methods used in other lines of inspection and are equally 

 uninformed on all other phases of entomological work which would 

 be valuable for purposes of comparison. It would seem desirable, 

 therefore, that apiarian inspection be under the supervision of the 

 state entomologist; not that the entomologist himself should do the 

 work, for he has enough to do, but that the inspector should be re- 

 sponsible to him. In fact, in most cases, a practical bee keeper would 

 be better able to handle disease than the entomologist who may not 

 be trained in the practical manipulation of bees, which is an absolute 

 essential to effective work. In Texas the state entomologist is also 

 foul brood inspector, but has four assistants who do the actual in- 

 spection. 



I would not have any of the previous statements interpreted as 

 reflecting adversely on the present inspectors; their work commands 

 the highest respect, with but few exceptions. The official entomolo- 

 gists may feel that such a recommendation tends to impose addi- 

 tional arduous duties on men already overworked, but apiculture is 

 a branch of economic entomology, and the honey bee, as a most bene- 

 ficial insect, demands attention. The only reason for suggesting this 

 supervision by the state entomologist is the belief that an entomologist 

 is better able to direct in this work than any other state official. If 

 the entomologist is also a trained bee keeper, the efficiency of the work 

 would be inestimably increased. 



Even if the state law does not specify that the entomologist shall 

 have supervision of this inspection, he may be of the greatest value, 

 not only in the eradication of bee disease, but in the furtherance of 

 the bee-keeping industry, by giving out information concerning im- 



