THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL AND GAZETTE. 



183 



three days, but noticed that they were con- 

 tinually "crawling all over the hive, and seemed 

 disconcerted, until one morning I discovered a 

 cluster of bees, apparently almost dead, on the 

 underside of a bench a few feet from the hive. 

 I placed them on the alighting-board, and was 

 much surprised and elated to see a very strange- 

 shaped long black bee stalk majestically from 

 the midst of the cluster to the entrance, and go 

 in, and then there was rejoicing both by the 

 bees and myself, as 1 knew then that I had ac- 

 tually seen that famed personage, (whose exis- 

 tence was so much doubted,) a Queen Bee. 



«9 — ♦-<^"* — «■ 



For tlie American Bee Journal and Gazette. 



Worker Brood from a Wingless Queen. 



Mr. Editor: On the 3d of August, 1866, 

 I grafted two sealed royal cells into a nucleus 

 containing a few drones and a fair stock of 

 workers. The first queen, a beautiful Italian, 

 emerged from her cell August 5th. The re- 

 maining cell was at once removed to another 

 nucleus. August 19th I examined the nucleus 

 in which the first ciueen hatched, and found 

 abundance of brood in all stages, except sealed, 

 and my beautiful ciueen entirely destitute of 

 wings. 



Not doubting her inability to lay worker eggs, 

 she was at once removed. Twelve hours after 

 another sealed royal cell was grafted in; but 

 what was my surprise, two days later, to find 

 tlie brood from my Avingless queen being sealed 

 without lengthening the colls. I watched the 

 maturing brood carefully, and found it matured 

 Italian workers, beautifully marked. I am 

 forced to conclude that this queen must have 

 been impregnated in the hive, however con- 

 trary to my previous experience and the ex- 

 perience of others. 



T, F. Bingham.. 



GOWANDA, N. Y. 



[The probability is that this queen lost her 

 wings from a " regicidal attack" on her return 

 from her matrimonial trip. Instances of similar 

 occurrences are on record. — Ed.] 



iw « H T B i < <■ 



[From the Bienenzoitiing- ] 



The Bee Moth. 



For the American Bee Journal. 



ExcEi.siOK, Mm., Feb. 16, 1867. 

 Editor Bee Journal : 



Sm : Can you inform us through the medium 

 of your excellent Journal, whether "Mehring's 

 Houey-Comb Foundation" can be obtained in 

 this country; if so where, and at what price V 

 Should be glad to obtain and try some. An 

 answer would doubtless oblige many apiarians. 

 Very respectfully, 



J. W. MUKRAY. 



[We have understood that "honey-comb 

 foundations" made by Mehring's apparatus", 

 have been used in Jersey City, by a person with 

 whose name and address we are unacquaintiid. 

 -Ed.] 



This insect is justly regarded as one of the 

 worst enemies of the honey-bee, as its depreda- 

 tions involve the destruction of combs, brood, 

 and stores. Happy the bee-keeper who knows 

 how to exclude it from his hives, or arrest and 

 prevent its devastations. 



The scientific name of this pest is Tinea inel- 

 lonella. There are said to be three kinds of it, 

 one of which has been called Tinea cereana; but 

 it seems probable that two of these are mere 

 sexual varieties. That of medium size is re- 

 garded as the most destructive. The smaller 

 kind is often seen at dusk in summer evenings, 

 hovering about in front of the hives, seeking 

 entrance. The bees evidently become excited 

 on noticing its approach, and angrily resist it. 

 When successful in efi'ecting an entrance, these 

 moths deposit their eggs in the droppings and 

 refuse-matter on the bottom-board, if any be 

 found there; and from it the larvae, when 

 hatched, derive their nourishment. The larger 

 kind does not usually make its way into the 

 hive till after the smaller kind have elfectually 

 secured possession- and made extensive pro- 

 gress in the work of devastation. The color of 

 the medium kind is grey.. The egg greatlj^ re- 

 sembles that of the queen-bee. The fullgrown 

 moth may often be seen sitting quietly on a hive, 

 near its entrance or on some projeciiiig ledge or 

 corner. It frequently deposits its eggs in cracks 

 or crevices through which the heat and odor of 

 the hive escape. 



As soon as the larvse are hatched, they en- 

 deavor to crawl into the hive through some 

 opening or cranny, however narrow; and if 

 successful, at once take post in and live on the 

 otfal and particles of wax they maj^ chance to 

 find on the bottom. They grow very rapidly, 

 mount the combs as soon as they can reach 

 them, and enter the cells. Arrived there, they 

 speedily construct their galleries, tunnelling 

 passages along the common base of the cells, 

 and extending their devastating course towards 

 the centre of the comb, in quest of cells con- 

 taining poll(?u. These appear to be their fa- 

 vorite resort, whence they advance, revelling 

 in the delights of havoc and destruction. Nor 

 do those portions of comb which contain brood 

 escape attack. The defenceless larvae perish 

 when the side-walls of the cells are broken down 

 or undermined; and the ruin of the colony is 

 sure to follow quickly, if the bee-keeper do not 

 come to the rescue. Even though a worker oc- 

 casionally lays open the gallery, the passage is 

 too narrow to permit her to enter and dislodge 

 the insidious foe, which, moreover, qtiickly 

 retires to a safe distance. 



Since only feeble stocks are overpowered by 

 the worm; or such as, not being very populourf, 

 are at the time engaged in rearing a queen, and 

 are consequently daily growing weaker, it oc- 

 casionally happens that the bees are literally 

 crowded out and constrained to abandon their 

 mansion. The inexperienced and inexpert bee- 

 keeper, seeing numbers of workers constantly 

 massed at the entrance, fancies lie has a strong 



