1908 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



571 



the picture, the high boards on the opposite 

 side being used as a support for the ladder. 



I always use a long apron to protect my 

 clothing from getting smeared with the hon- 

 ey, and in it are pockets for my tools and 

 supplies, such as hammer, chisel, putty-knife 

 (which is indispensable), matches, and ex- 

 tra smoker fuel. The smoker and dishpan 

 are visible, with honey showing in the pan 



This same pan (and a large one it is), with 

 a good-sized butter- bowl and a large meat- 

 platter were all rounded full of honey, with 

 enough left to fill a medium breadpan. 



The entrance was under the shingles just 

 at the drip to the water-lead. Such work is 

 hard, and straining on the muscles, and is 

 done only by a crank of all cranks — a bee- 

 crank. 



Philo, 111. 



THE BEE MOTH. 



Their Ravages and their Eradication by 



Means of the Deadly Cyanide of 



Potassium, 



BY PROF. H. A. SURFACE, 



State Zoologist of Pennsylvania. 



To many bee-keepers the bee-moth is known 

 as the worst enemy. Perhaps we should say 

 the bee-moths, because there are two species 

 of these pests, the one of which is not half 

 the size of the other, and is consequently 

 known as the lesser wax-moth or lesser bee- 

 moth. Practically all bee-keepers know that 

 in the worm (or larval) stage these pests 

 bore through the honey-comb, devouring it, 

 living within the tubular silken cases, and 

 often eating away the capping or waxy cov- 

 ering of the young bees in the comb in such 

 a way as to uncap them and leave rows of 

 young bees with their heads visible in the cells. 

 This is one of the causes of what is sometimes 

 known as "bald-headed brood." There are 

 other causes of this, such as chilling or in- 

 sufficient food; but the larva of the bee-moth 

 is one of the chief. When this pest becomes 

 grown it crawls into some protected spot, 

 covers itself with a silken cocoon, and in the 

 course of a few days (depending upon the 

 temperature) transforms into a winged moth, 

 commonly known as a "miller," and enters 

 the hives or sections of honey-comb at any 

 possible place, seeking comb on which to lay 

 its eggs. In the course of a few days these 

 eggs hatch, and the larva or worm repeats 

 the life cycle. 



The best possible treatment for the bee- 

 moth in the hive is to keep in the hive a full 

 and strong strain or race of bees that will 

 look after the moth and clean out the worms 

 if these should start. Moths always attack 

 weak hives in preference to strong It is 

 important that the entrance of the hive be 

 not too large, especially at night, when the 

 winged moth is flying, to be properly guard- 

 ed by the bees. It is likewise important that 

 there be no fragments of comb around the 

 entrance of the hive to attract the moths in 

 unusual numbers. All fragments or pieces 



of comb, howeyer large or small, should be 

 gathered into a receptacle for the purpose, 

 and kept so tightly closed that no insect can 

 enter it. As often as once a week, during 

 the summer, melt all rejected pieces of comb 

 into beeswax. Leave no deserted hive with 

 comb for the moth to inhabit and become a 

 soui'ce of infestation to the entire apiary. 

 When combs are to be stored it is a good 

 plan to put them into an empty hive-body 

 and place this above a strong colony of bees 

 or close it so tightly with strips of paper 

 pasted over the cracks that even an ant can 

 not enter. 



The best possible means of avoiding the 

 ravages of the bee-moth is by fumigation. 

 We have recently had occasion to fumigate 

 combs and honey. This produced no evil 

 effects whatever, and certainly killed every 

 bee-moth in all its stages, whether it was an 

 egg, a larva, a pupa, or a winged moth. 

 This fumigation is possible in the hands of a 

 novice; but he should be very careful to fol- 

 low instructions. Place all honey and comb, 

 supposed to be infested, in a room, box, bar- 

 rel, or bin that is air-tight. Determine the 

 cabic contents of this vessel by multiplying 

 its length, breadth, and height, and for each 

 100 cubic feet of space use the following for- 

 mula: Cyanide of potassium, 98 per cent pure; 

 1 ounce (by weight); sulphuric acid, 1 83 

 specific gravity, 2 ounces ( by liquid measure); 

 water, 4 ounces (by liquid measure). 



Compute and weigh or measure the amount 

 of material to be used. The cyanide of po- 

 tassium is sold in hard white lumps resem- 

 bling alum. Determine the amount of this 

 to be used in the vessel or room which is to 

 be fumigated. Put the proper amount into 

 a paper sack and put it on a stand or on the 

 floor near the vessel which is to hold the liq- 

 uids. Put a stone jar on the floor in the mid- 

 dle of the room or vessel, using one that is 

 at least twice or thrice as large as will be 

 necessary to hold the liquids that are to be 

 placed in it. Into this jar pour four liquid 

 ounces of water, or one-fourth pint for each 

 one hundred cubic feet of space to be fumi- 

 gated. Into the water pour two ounces of 

 sulphuric acid for each one hundred cubic 

 feet, or half as much of this as of the water. 

 Both acid and water should be measured by 

 the liquid measure rather than by weight. It 

 is important that the acid be the thick or 

 strong sulphuric acid, sold commercially with 

 a specific gravity of 1.83 per cent. Drop in- 

 to the acid and water the paper sack con- 

 taining the cyanide of potassium, and close 

 the vessel or room instantly. Do not remain 

 a fraction of a second in the room or bin 

 after the cyanide is dropped into the acid 

 and water. There is no danger whatever 

 until this combination is made; but as soon 

 as this is done, fumes are given off which 

 are deadly and instantly poisonous to all in- 

 sects and higher forms of animal life, as well 

 as to delicate plants, but will not injure met- 

 al work, varnish, cloth fabrics, seeds, nor 

 food products of any kind. Honey is not 

 tainted nor poisoned by being fumigated by 

 this material, as we proved by several ex- 



