MONTANA INSECT PESTS, 1953-1954 23 



The most logical explanation for this decrease in honey production per 

 colony is the overcrowding of bee territory' by beekeepers and the partial 

 elimination of volunteer sweet clover and alfalfa from Montana highways, 

 railroad rights of wa\-, and irrigation ditches with herlMcides. Weed spraying 

 has also tended to limit the production of sweet clover honey, which for 

 many years has made Montana famous both nationally and internationally 

 on the honey markets. In many cases clover is being replaced not by grass, 

 as was the original intent, but by weeds, which are undesirable from the 

 standpoint of honey production. 



HONEY AND BEESWAX PRODUCTION IN MONTANA 

 FOR THE YEARS 1942-19.53 



Year— 1942 1944 1946 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 



Honey 4,600 4,444 3,432 7,808 3,596 3,720 5,200 5,146 5,742 



(1,000 Ibs.i 



Beeswax 150 102 69 141 61 60 94 93 98 



(1,000 lbs.) 



Col. of bees 36,000 44,000 52,000 64,000 62,000 62,000 65,000 62,000 66,000 



Avg. per col. 128 101 66 122 58 60 80 83 87 

 (lbs.) 



GENERAL STATEMENT ON THE PROGRESS OF DISEASE CONTROL 



Montana has for the past several years maintained about the same 

 over-all percentage of American Foulbrood. Some years one area will be 

 heavily contaminated; it will be cleaned up, and the ne.xt year this disease 

 will break out in another localiU'. The approximate over-all American Foul- 

 brood percentage has been about 4. .5 percent infection, as indicated b\- yearly 

 inspection records. Ho\\'ever, it must be kept in mind that this figure is 

 probably high because of the fact that most inspecting has been done where 

 the State Apiarist has anticipated the heaviest infection. This naturally 

 would give an improperh' weighted figure. 



