BEE MOTH. 109 



It must be borne in mind, that at this early period, 

 vegetation was luxuriant, and uncropped to a great 

 extent by domestic animals, so that the bee had 

 almost an uninterrupted harvest. This, it is well 

 known, would give the worms less chance to increase 

 than if a dearth of pasturage prevailed; for when 

 bees are prosperous they subdue the worms with ease, 

 but when not adding to existing stores they decrease, 

 and thus afford the worms a season of peace and 

 plenty which enables them to increase more rapidly. 



Owing to the peculiar habit of the honey bee in 

 swarming and flying long distances before locating, 

 they were enabled to leave the moths far in the rear ; 

 they thus advanced westward without the aid of man, 

 and being found by the settlers in the wilderness, who 

 captured and cultivated them, no worms troubled 

 them for many years. Hence it is not strange that 

 when they did come they were mistaken for a new 

 enemy. 



It has been about forty years since the moth was 

 first known west of the Alleghany mountains ; they 

 crossed the Mississippi at a still later period. 



There are still places in the so-called " far west," 

 where it is said no worms exist. 



Of all the bees that have been brought to Cali- 

 fornia few have been free from worms, and frequently 

 there have been more of them than bees. 



Great carelessness has been shown by some im- 

 porters and purchasers in not destroying them. 

 Hence a number of hives (even of those bred in this 



