REPORT OF THE ENTOMOLOGIST AND BOTANIST 209 



SESSIONAL PAPER No. 16 



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 long black pencils on the 1st and. 7th abdominal segments. When full-grown this 

 caterpillar is one inch and a half in length.' 



Occurring with the above and almost as abundant was the rather handsomer cater- 

 pillar of the Spotted Halisidota, Halisidota maculata, Harr., which is covered with 

 tufts of bright yeUow and black hairs, the black tufts being on the four anterior and 

 the three posterior segments, the yellow tufts on the central segments of the body. 

 These latter are centered down the middle of the back with a row of black tufts. This 

 larva is rather shorter thau that of tire Hickory Tussock Moth and although a general 

 feeder like the other seems to prefer willows and poplars to other food. 



Large numbers of these caterpillars were sent in by correspondents who had been 

 attracted by their appearance or who had suffered from the irritation of their bristles. 

 In the autumn and early spring large numbers of the close oval cocoons beset with the 

 bristles of the caterpillars were found beneath stones in woods and in other shelters 

 near where the caterpillars had fed. Many of these were found to be parasitized by 

 Pimpla pedalis. Cress. 



As; a rule neither of these insects develop into pests of importance, but upon 

 occasion, as during 1907, their attacks upon shade trees are serious. 



A sufficient remedy is spraying the trees when the cat-erpillars are noticed with 

 Paris green or any other of the arsenical poisons. Both of these species are late sum- 

 mer and autumn insects and neither of them has so far pi-oved a serious orchard pest. 



THE APIARY. 



The Apiary is under the management of Mr. D. D. Gray, the farm foreman, 

 whose report I append herewith. The practical work of handling and caring for the 

 bees has been done by Mr. C. A. Burnside. There was a considerable amount of 

 disease in the colonies in the beginning of the year, but by the end of the season this 

 had disappeared and such colonies as we had were in good condition. The inclement 

 weather of early spring rendered the services of bees in fertilizing fruit conspicuously 

 apparent. In orchards situated near apiaries there was a considerable increase in the 

 fruit over those not so advantageously located. It having been decided to reduce the 

 number of colonies in the apiary, some of those which were strong and healthy were 

 sold and the number on our own stands was reduced to 32. 



EEPORT OF MR. D. D. GRAY. 



Season of 1907. 



The spring of 1907 was very cold and backward. 



The bees were placed on their summer stands on April 20, nearly all very badly 

 affected with dysentery and very weak, in fact a number dwindled and died, although 

 they had had plenty of stores through the winter. 



The weather continued cold and windy well on into May and the first notice of 

 pollen being gathered to any extent was on May 10. Some feeding was done to 

 encourage brood-rearing and by June 15 quite a number were strong enough to have 

 supers put on and by the first week in July all were ready for work. The first swarm 

 came off on July 10 and we had six of an increase from the 32 colonies put out on 

 the stands. There were a few colonies, however, which escaped with very little of 

 the disease and these did well, one colony making 215 lbs. of honey. 



The bees were put into their winter quarters on November 13 weighing an aver- 

 age of about 50 lbs. each. 



All the colonies were raised from the bottom boards and blocked up 1 inch all 

 around between brood chamber and bottom board to allow for better ventilation. The 

 wooden covers were also removed and replaced by bran sacks, 2 or 3 being put on each 

 colony. 



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