THE AMERICAN BEE JOUENAL. 



27 



mellifluous stores of the hive, but they appear 

 to know to what they would expose them- 

 selves were they to proceed to the pillage of a 

 well-peopled hive. We have often admired the 

 choice which certain ants have made of the 

 place in which they have established them- 

 selves, in comparison to that which they might 

 have chosen, and which combined within itself 

 greater advantages than any other that might 

 have been offered to them. On opening the 

 shutters of my glassed hives, I have often found 

 hundreds of ants, which had established them- 

 selves between the shutters and the panes of 

 glass; and they had even transported thither 

 their eggs, their larvcc, and their nymphs, the 

 number of which equalled, and sometimes sur- 

 passed that of the ants themselves. Where in 

 the whole garden could they have found a place 

 in which they could enjoy so high and regular a 

 degree of heat? But at the same time, not an 

 ant was to be seen inside of those hives, which 

 had so many of them on the outside, although 

 they could have found a number of crevices by 

 which they could have entered; and wdiich, no 

 doubt, they possessed every disposition to do, 

 if the honey had not been so vigorously pro- 

 tected. When, however, we have left any hives 

 for a few hours in the garden, the bees of which 

 have died, the ants then, who have nothing to 

 fear, hesitated not instantly to regale themselves 

 with the honey, which had remained in it; but 

 we never witnessed that they otfered any an- 

 noyance to those bees which belonged to a well- 

 peopled hive. 



The toad is a ravenous enemy of the bee, but 

 it seldom happens that the ugly animal can car- 

 vy on his ravages without immediate detection; 

 yet, there are particular occasions, when his vis- 

 its to the hives cannot be ascertained, as they are 

 generally paid during the night. In hot sultry 

 Tjveather, when the bees lie out during the night in 

 clusters for the benefit of the air, the toad will 

 frequently place itself under the cluster; and as 

 it frequently happens that a few will fall to the 

 ground, the toad makes a dainty meal of them 

 |jefore they can regain their companions. We 

 once killed a toad under one of our hives, and 

 found nineteen undigested bees in its stomach. 

 This appetite of the toad for bees is confirmed 

 by Lapoutrc, who, m his Traite sur les Abeilles, 

 mentions that he once found twenty bees in the 

 stomach of a toad. The wasp, as well as the bee, 

 is a bonne bouche for the toad; but if he would 

 let the latter alone, we Avould not quarrel with 

 him as to the number which he might devour 

 of the former, and under those circumstances, 

 he should have our zealous co-operation in the 

 augmentation of his species; but, as he exhibits 

 such a decided partiality for the bee, a spade or 

 a rake generally puts an end to his existence, 

 and we advise all keepers of bees to follow our 

 example. 



Birds are great enemies to bees, especially 

 the woodpecker, tomtit, the swallow, and al- 

 most all the gallinaceous tribe. In regard to 

 the latter, hovv^ever, it appears to be more a 

 matter of sport with them, than any fixed habit 

 or epicurean relish they entertain for the body 

 of tlie bee; the few, however, that they destroy, 

 cannot have any sensible effect upon a populous 



hive, but still we do not like to see them about 

 our hives, except towards the close of the day, 

 when they catch the moths, which with the set- 

 ting of the sun are generally seen hovering 

 about the apiary. In regard to the tomtit, the 

 French apiarians consider it as rather a formid- 

 able enemy; for Buffon says, that it employs 

 the following stratagem to satisfy its appetite 

 for the bees. The artful biped, knowing the 

 extreme vigilance of the bees, aud that they are 

 on the alert at the slightest sound, alight on the 

 hive, and begin scratching with their claws, 

 and tapping with their beaks; on which, the 

 sentinels come out of the hive to ascertain the 

 cause of the annoyance, when one is caught up 

 after the other, until the little cormorant has 

 satisfied its appetite. The love of the tomtit for 

 the bees is in a great degree confirmed by La- 

 poutre, who says, that he saw under a tree, in 

 which there was a tomtit's nest, a surprising 

 quantity of the scaly parts of bees, which these 

 birds had dropped from their nests. A little 

 shot and powder is the surest remedy for these 

 malpractices of the tomtit family, and we never 

 hesitate to apply them, whenever an opportu- 

 nity presents itself. 



But of all the enemies of the bees, the wax 

 moth is the most formidable. In those places 

 where the moth abounds the hives should be 

 frequently visited, and especially the weak ones, 

 in order to ascertain if the moth has begun its 

 ravages. The destruction of a few larvaj at the 

 period of their maturity will prevent the multi- 

 plication of some thousands of these insects, 

 which carry with them destruction and desola- 

 tion through a whole apiary. It is easy to 

 ascertain if the moth has made its lodgment in 

 the hive, by the dejection and lassitude of the 

 bees, and by a cessation from their wonted la- 

 bors. It is in the tops or coverings of tlie hives, 

 that these dawgerous insects frequently estab- 

 lish themselves, especially if they be made of 

 straw, between the bauds of which they deposit 

 their eggs, or spin their cocoons. This exami- 

 nation should be made early in the morning, 

 for the wax moths retire to their recesses when 

 the light appears, and as they do not take to the 

 wing, but run about the exterior' of the hive, 

 they are easily destroyed. 



In regard to the visitation of the interior, the 

 cottage hive presents itself with all its insuper- 

 able obstructions, and therefore we can only de- 

 scribe a few signs by Avhich the existence of the 

 moth in the hive may be ascertained. The hive 

 must be gently lifted up and the platform care- 

 fully examined. If some shreds or fragments 

 of wax be seen, or some yellowish or red grains, 

 which are merely some portions of the pollen, 

 which the larva) have extracted from the cells, 

 or if some black grains be seen which are the 

 excrement of the moth, then the conclusion 

 may be drawn that the moth is carrying on its 

 ravages. 



Previously, however, to our entering into any 

 further detail of the means by which the wax 

 moth may be destroyed, it may be advisable to 

 impart that information by which this enemy 

 of the bee may be recognized, and, we may 

 add, the most dangerous enemy which this cli- 

 mate generates; for such are the ravages which 



