PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY THE W T FALCONER MANPG CO 



VOL. V. 



SEPTEMBER, 1895. 



NO. 9. 



Worms on Comb Honey. 



BY (>. M. DOOLITTLE. 



Years ago, when I first commenced 

 to keep bees, nearly every one who 

 then kept bees stored their honey in 

 the cellar considering that such was 



the honey growing thicker and better 

 as time advances, and I see no reason 

 why comb honey could not be kept 

 for many yeais if always in such a 

 room. ' But, in having such a room 

 in which our honey is stored another 



the place that would keep it best, for difficulty arises, which in many cases 

 it was thought that a cool or cold has given rise to almost as great a loss 

 place was what was needed for the as was experienced in the former case, 

 preservation of this product. How- This difficulty comes in the shape 

 ever, it was soon found out that if of the larva of the wax moth. I have 

 kept for any length of time, in a cool yet to see the pile of 2,000 lbs, 

 damp place, honey would commence of comb honey which does not have 

 to sweat or ooze out of the unsealed more or less of these little worms or 

 cells and sour, while if left in such a larva upon it, after it had been stored 

 place for two or three months, the in a warm room for two or three weeks, 

 capping to the sealed cells would as- Some of our bee friends tell us they 

 sume a watery appearance and finally never have any trouble in this way, 

 burst, so the whole would become a but, however strong my hopes may 

 souring, bad smelling and bad tasting be, as I place my honey in the honey 

 mass. It was soon discovered that room, that I shall, like them, be ex- 

 right the reverse of a cool place was empt from that nuisance " moth 

 the proper one in which to keep hon- worms," still I have to eventually 

 ey, if we wish to have it improving conclude with such hopes never real- 

 on our hands, and so it happens that ized, for the worms always put in an 

 any beekeeper of considerable exper- appearance. After the honey has 

 ience is to-day recommending a room, been away from the bees about ten 

 whose temeprature can be kept at days, if we inspect the cappings of 

 from 80° to 90°, as the only place in the honey closely we will detect little 

 which honey should be kept, which pieces of white dust resembling flour 

 recommendation I know to be correct. upon the surface of the comb, and 

 By thus storing our products, we have usually most abundant near the bot- 



