®0nucixti0ws* 



Parasites of the Honey Bee. 



BEAD BEFORE THE N. E. CONVENTION. 



A year a^o this winter, while examining 

 the dust which is found upon the hottom 

 board, directly under the cluster of bees, 

 in every hive that is wintering well, I dis- 

 covered several kinds of minute insects. I 

 was making this examination with a strong 

 magnifying glass, tor the purpose of satis- 

 fying myself more fully in regard to the 

 theory offered by Mr. M. Quinby, in 1874, as 

 to the feces of the bees being voided in a 

 dry state. And here let me say, though 

 foreign to the present topic, that I am fully 

 persuaded of the correctness of this theory, 

 and the importance of the discovery is yet 

 to be recognized as second to none in its 

 bearing upon the requirements for success- 

 ful wintering. 



During both the past and present winters, 

 I have at different times examined hives in 

 some of the leading apiaries of our State, 

 and in every instance have found some 

 varieties of these insects or parasites, to 

 more or less extent. I have so far noticed 

 6 different forms; whether all distinct vari- 

 eties or not, 1 am unable to say. One kind 

 I have hardly been able to retain possession 

 of long enough to determine niucli about it. 

 It is of a bluish color, and about as fixed in 

 its habits as a flea. When I thought 1 had 

 him he was generally not there. 



It has long been claimed by our best 

 writers, on the subject of wintering bees, 

 that one of the prime requisites for success 

 was perfect quiet. It has also been noticed 

 by many that while some swarms remained 

 very quiet, others could be heard buzzing, 

 and would be constantly uneasy. The fact 

 that some were quiet proves that the 

 uneasiness was not due to any external 

 disturbance. It has often been a subject of 

 much perplexity to me why these different 

 conditions should exist. 



Some writers liave advised setting such 

 restless swarms upon their summer stands 

 for a purifying flight, antl this may be desi- 

 rable, inasmuch as they have necessarily 

 been stimulated to a large consumption of 

 food by this undue excitement ; but the 

 original cause of this disturbance has not 

 yet been understood. 



I have given the subject my particular 

 attention, and have found such swarms 

 clearing the dust from the bottom boards, 

 and upon examining this dust as they had 

 thrown it from the entrance, 1 discovered 

 these parasites in large numbers that had 

 been ejected from the hive. I find the Ital- 

 ians much more liable to be disturbed by 

 them than the natives. Their tendency to 

 defend themselves is here manifest, and 

 they are more easily aroused to action.— 

 This may account for the cases that are 

 cited where the natives winter better than 

 the Italians. 



Another proof that the worrying of 

 swarms while in winter quarters is occa- 

 sioned by these pests, is the fact that the 



bees gradually leave the hive and fall upon 

 the cellar bottom; and when set upon their 

 summer stands, weak in bees, will oe found 

 to be throwing these parasites in large num- 

 bers from the hive. They are found in all 

 parts of the hive where the bees can not 

 reach them. Where the mat hugs closely 

 to the top of the frame, they will often be 

 found between it and the frame. 



It has often been noticed that during the 

 spring and summer months, young bees are 

 frequently thrown from the cells that have 

 from some cause died before maturing. — 

 Cases have been reported where they have 

 been so removed in large numbers. It 

 seems very probable that these may have 

 been destroyed by the parasite. 



I find that some of them frequent the 

 hive, seemingly for honey alone, others 

 seem to be found only in the dust under the 

 cluster, while yet others appear to feed 

 upon the bees, especially the young and im- 

 mature bees that are thrown from the 

 coml)s. I have, as yet, been unable to deter- 

 mine whether or not they destroy the bee in 

 the cell, and are thrown with it to the bot- 

 tom board. It has often been noticed that 

 during the spring and summer months 

 young bees are often thrown from the cells^ 

 that have, through some cause, been de- 

 stroyed before maturing. Cases have been 

 reported where they have been so removed 

 in large numbers. It seems very reasona- 

 ble that these may have been destroyed by 

 parasites. 



It has been demonstrated by the experi- 

 ence of many, in wintering, that when the 

 ventilating slide in the bottom board is left 

 open, the bees, in most cases, cluster lower, 

 and directly over the opening; and are 

 found to keep more quiet. This method 

 has been recommended because of the evi- 

 dently better results. I had supposed that 

 the advantage lay in the fact that they were 

 more certain of their freedom from the 

 opening being so near, and I yet believe 

 this to be a condition which favors this 

 result. It occurs to me, however, since my 

 acquaintance with these parasites, that 

 they were also more easily removed from 

 the hive when it was thus arranged. I 

 have examined the dust which dropped 

 from the cluster through this opening, 

 lodging upon the top of the hive, beneath 

 when in winter quarters, and in nearly 

 every case I find these insects. 



It has been found to conduce to success- 

 ful wintering, to place a rim under each 

 hive, raising it a short distance from the 

 bottom board. In this case, the insects in 

 the dust would be farther from the cluster 

 of bees and less likely to annoy them. 



It is quite probable that at least some of 

 these varieties came to us with tlie intro- 

 duction of the Italians, and while their 

 presence is evidently harmful to us, I am 

 very much inclined to the belief that in 

 some form, they have, in many cases,. 

 removed the greatest curse to American 

 bee-keepers, viz: foul brood. It has ever' 

 been a mystery how this plague was so sud- 

 denly overcome, and I can in no way ac- 

 count for it so satisfactorily as that it was 

 caused by a parasite feeding upon the brood 

 in a certain stage ; and that its destroyer, 

 in the form of another parasite, has over- 



