416 Beekeeping 



flies (especially in Florida where they destroy queens 

 while mating), various Hemiptera which suck the blood 

 of adult bees, the death's head moth (repeatedly men- 

 tioned in Europe), Mediterranean flour moth (eating pollen 

 in stored combs), a dipterous parasite (Braula cceca) some- 

 times found on imported queens, blister beetle (Melee) 

 and other beetles feeding on pollen or combs, wasps and 

 hornets (Vespa) and ants, especially in tropics and semi- 

 tropics, are the chief offenders. Dragonflies are so destructive 

 to queens as to make queen-rearing unprofitable in some 

 places. Various devices have been suggested for circumvent- 

 ing ants, among which is the hive stand shown in Fig. 183, 

 used in Hawaii. Around the post which serves as a base, 

 a strip of tree tanglefoot is painted and this is renewed at 

 intervals. The bee louse seemingly does not thrive in Amer- 

 ica. There are several plants which trap bees and destroy 

 them and, as mentioned under honey plants, the pollen 

 masses of certain milkweeds adhere to bees, sometimes mak- 

 ing them incapable of flight. 



