THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



171 



i\ 



State Agricultural College, 

 Ames, Iowa, July 14, 1875. 



Mrs. TvFFKn—Ded}' Madam: The in- 

 sect referred to by Mr. Stuart is wliat is 

 known as the Bee Killer, a species of fly 

 of the genus Asilas. 



It has frequently proved very destruc- 

 tive to bees in the west, and I have no 

 doubt that your correspondent is making 

 a just complaint. 



Mr. Riley testifies to having seen this 

 insect at work in Shaw's Gardens in St. 

 Louis. He says " they capture the bee 

 on the wing, pouncing upon it with 

 lightning like rapidity; then grasping it 

 securely with their forelegs they alight 

 upon some plant or even upon the ground, 

 and rapidly suck out the inside of the 

 bee with their stout and powerful pro- 

 boscis, leaving the empty shell when 

 they get through." [\st Eept. p. 168.] 



One bee grower lestifies to having 

 found the remains of one hundred and 

 forty-one bees, which had fallen victims to 

 this enemy in one single day. {Idem. loc. 

 sit.'\ 



It would pay to set a boy to work catch- 

 ing these Bee Killers. This can easily be 

 done by waiting until they alight and 

 then clapping a net over them. 



I shall speak a good word for the King 

 Bird, or Bee Bird right here, for while I 

 do not recollect ever to have seen it de- 

 vouring the Bee Killer, yet from its 

 known insectivorous habits, I have no 

 doubt it will do its share in keeping this 

 enemy in check. 



It would be well to suggest to some of 

 the bee keepers who live in the districts 

 infested by Bee Killers that they watch 

 carefully to determine whether or not 

 any birds, and especially Bee Birds, de- 

 stroy them. C. E. Bessey. 



Milkweed Asclepias. 



The Rev. E. Lewis, Frankfort, Marshall 

 county, Kansas, sent us three mutilated 

 bees, with their enemies hanging to them. 

 He says: "They are from a very strong 

 young hybrid hive. I find many of the 

 working bees with more or less of these 

 indescribable pests hanging to their feet. 

 Some are dying in the hive and are being 

 dragged out by their fellows, while others 



are toiling with their clogs on their feet. 

 Will you please examine these subjects 

 and inform me thiough the Journal 

 what these pests are, and what I shall do 

 to get rid of them. 



I came here last April, from Douglas 

 County, In this State, bringing one Ital- 

 ian and five hybrid stands with me; now 

 I have three Italians and ten hybrids; 

 all were doing well until this scourge ap- 

 peared." 



We sent them to Prof. C. E. Bessey, Pro- 

 fessor of Botany at the State Agricultural 

 College at Ames, Iowa, for examination, 

 and received the following reply: 



State Agricultural College, \ 

 Ames, Iowa, July 15, 1875. f 



Mrs. Tupper — Dear Madam : The en- 

 emies referred to by your correspondent 

 are the pollen masses of the milkweed, 

 {Asclepias) and probably those of the 

 large purple species. These little masses 

 belong to the flower, and are possessed of 

 sticky pads by which they adhere to the 

 legs of the bees, wasps, and other in- 

 sects which visit them. 



The only thing to do to obviate the 

 diflnculty is to mow down the milkweeds 

 before they come into blooming. 



C. E. Bessey. 



How to Do It. 



In order to assist our friends in procur- 

 ing new subscribers, we will send speci- 

 men copies to those that the^' intend to 

 call vipon, if the}- will send us their 

 names and addresses. It will take but a 

 little time to get parties to subscribe 

 when they see our journal. There are 

 thousands of bee-keepers all over the 

 country who take no bee journal, and 

 consequently are uninformed concerning 

 scientific bee-keeping. These should all 

 be solicited to take The American Bee 

 Journal, and the thousands who now 

 read and prize the Journal can easily 

 reach them. Will they not do it ? Every 

 one who reads this, is specially solicited 

 to act as an agent, and present the claims 

 of The American Bee Journal. We 

 feel assured that they will do it. A few 

 hours time from each, devoted to the 

 interests of The Journal will add thous- 

 ands to our list. 



