174 HOW TO KEEP BEES 



board; it was made quite involuntarily as the cater- 

 pillars spin wherever they go. The bee-moth is 

 especially destructive to stored comb if it is piled 

 close together. 



REMEDY 



To prevent the injuries of this pest the colonies 

 should be kept strong. The bee-moth follows the 

 rule of other parasites and attacks only the weak 

 and the irresolute, and never injures a comb that is 

 covered with bees. A queenless colony, dejected 

 and discouraged, is usually victimised by it. The 

 Italian bees have learned to cope with the bee-moth 

 and exterminate it whenever attacked by it. Some 

 bee-keepers, when a comb becomes infested, intro- 

 duce it into the centre of an Italian colony, being 

 sure that the little wretches will find there the fate 

 they deserve. But to us this seems rather an im- 

 position upon a self-respecting colony of bees. 



The use of plain, simple, well-made hives is a 

 protection from the bee-moth, as such hives do not 

 afford hiding-places for moths and eggs. 



Before comb is stored it should be put in a closed 

 box out of doors, and a saucer of carbon bisulphide 

 placed on top of the comb and left for a day. The 

 deadly gas of this poison is heavier than the air and 

 so falls instead of rising. Care should be taken not 

 to breathe the fumes more than is necessary and 

 hence the work should be done in the open air. 

 Another reason for this is that the gas is inflammable, 

 and hence no fire should be allowed near it. There 



