MONTANA INSECT PESTS, 1947 AND 1948 2^ 



infected with American foul brood. By careful inspection and the 

 use of sulfathiazole, this figure has been reduced to six-tenths 

 percent infection. 



There has been a great increase in the bee industry in the 

 last few years. In 1941, thirty-six thousand colonies were recorded 

 in the state. This year, sixty-five thousand colonies have been 

 registered. It appears, however, that the next few years will show 

 a "leveling off" or even a decrease in bee populations. This state- 

 ment is based on the fact that many honey producing areas in 

 Montana are now over-stocked. In addition, there has been an 

 appreciable drop in honey prices, while the costs of labor and 

 equipment are steadily increasing. These conditions will make it 

 impracticable for beekeepers to operate bees on marginal territory. 



There is much that might be done to aid the beekeeper in 

 producing larger honey crops. This phase of the work of the State 

 Apiarist is necessarily limited because at present, most of his time 

 must be spent on disease control and law enforcement. If adequate 

 personnel were available, more time could be devoted to assisting 

 the beekeepers in solving their problems. 



The value of the bee industry in agriculture is generally not 

 recognized. According to the United States Department of Agri- 

 culture, bees are 10 to 20 times more valuable as pollinators than 

 they are for the honey or beeswax which they produce. With the 

 extensive use of new organic insecticides which are very toxic to 

 wild bees, many of the natural pollinators are being destroyed and 

 honey bees may become more and more essential for the pollina- 

 tion of agricultural crops. 



