No. 4.] STATE INSPECTOR OF APIARIES. 131 



On the spraying proposition we have had a good deal of experience; 

 have lost heavily in bees from apple trees being sprayed in bloom three 

 different seasons, 190-4, 1909 and 1912. In 1912 I lost 60 per cent of my 

 colonies and the other 40 per cent were so weakened that they were no 

 good the rest of the summer. This was an experience with 150 colonies; 

 a number of other large bee men lost theirs heavily. In 1913 and 1914 

 several of us lost very heavily from the third sprajdng in June, it falhng 

 on a cover crop of sweet clover wliich was in bloom. In 1913 I had 68 

 colonies so weakened from this cause that I neither got any honey nor 

 made any increase. In 1914 I had 19 colonies in reach of this spraying, 

 and on June 29, 30 and July 1 there were 18 acres of orchard across the 

 road from me sprayed. The whole block was a mass of sweet clover in 

 full bloom. In two weeks 13 of the 19 colonies were dead; the 6 others 

 were so weakened that I had to bring two hivefuls of bees and brood 

 from my other yard to save them. It affected all bees within 2 miles. My 

 bees which were out of reach of this spray [in 1914] averaged 91 pounds 

 of mostly comb honey. ^ 



The State horticultural inspector of Idaho reported that at 

 the January meeting of the horticultural society, there was a 

 consensus of opinion that injury is being done to bees by in- 

 judicious spraying. He adds: "However, this is at a minimum 

 in our State, as the fruit growers here are well versed in the 

 exact time to apply the first, or calyx, spray, which, as you 

 know, is after most of the petals have fallen, and there are but 

 few bees working at that time." 



The director of the Utah Experiment Station, Logan, in- 

 formed the writer that "there have been a number of instances 

 in this State in which whole apiaries have been wiped out in a 

 day or two by spraying fruit trees in bloom, A case occurred 

 last season where an orchardist sprayed while the trees were 

 in full bloom, with the resulting destruction of two different 

 apiaries, of over 200 colonies in one case, and I do not know 

 how man}' in the other." 



Bees visit Sprayed Trees after the Petals have fallen. 

 ■Mr. A., West Roxbury, reported in July, 1914, that he had 

 watched closely the activity of bees with relation to how they 

 become poisoned. His observations are particularly keen, and 

 I believe not before recorded. He says: "I have come to the 

 conclusion that if spraying is done at any time, the bees are 



, . . ^ 



• April 13, 1915. 



