Aug. 1, 1911 



strong consistence. There are no eyes at all; 

 but in two deep hollows we find two feelers, 

 each composed of three short segments, 

 mostly concealed in their cavities (they are 

 reproduced in the photo). The mouth is 

 situated on the under side, with an upper 

 lip and two bulky lip-feelers. 



The legs are similar to those of the bee, 

 but with very different extremities. "We 

 find there a very nice comb, with which the 

 parasite takes an exceedingly firm hold in 

 the hairs of the bee, so that it is quite im- 

 possible to strip it off with a match or tooth- 

 pick. On the back side there are two ap- 

 pendices with fine hairs, which I consider 

 an organ of touch. 



The abdomen consists of five segments, 

 and contains (in the female) the ovaries, 

 which contain only four eggs, which hatch 

 successively, nourished by the insect till 

 they have a certain size. Then the mother 

 lets the small, smooth pupa fall on the floor- 

 board of the hive, where it develops its chiti- 

 nous surface. At first the louse is nearly 

 white, and becomes browner, the older it is. 

 On the bottom-board the little parasite waits 

 till a bee is approaching. Being very active 

 and quick it is easy for it to climb on its 

 back. 



With us, I think most colonies have more 

 or less lice on the bees. There is generally 

 but one on the queen; but if she is an old 

 one there may be a great many. In this 

 case the queen may indeed suffer. On young 

 active queens lice are seldom found, because 

 it is not comfortable for the parasite if the 

 queen is putting her head and breast into a 

 cell every moment. 



A very simple and- sure way to dislodge 

 the lice is to lay a carton on the floor-board, 

 and put there for a night a piece of camphor 

 of the size of a hazelnut. If one takes small 

 pieces the bees carry them off. In the morn- 

 ing, if one will draw out the carton all the 

 lice lie there paralyzed by the vapors of the 

 camphor. 



Rheinau, Germany. 



FOUL-BROOD INSPECTORS OF CALIFORNIA. 



Some Experience with them; Direct Legislation, 

 Past and Present. 



BY W. A. H. GILSTRAP. 



My first foul-brood scare was nearly 21 

 years ago. It was natural that my partner, 

 who was more experienced in the care of 

 bees than I, should take the lead. He argu- 

 ed that, as the bees in one fine colony were 

 not sealing their brood, it must be diseased 

 — evidently foul brood. We could not risk 

 having foul brood scattered on the flowers 

 all over the range by one colony, so we burn- 

 ed it, hive and all. After I learned that 

 bees sometimes do not care to seal their 

 brood, and that foul brood is neither a mias- 

 ma nor a dust, and had learned how to cure 

 the disease, an intelligent horticultural 

 commissioner asked me to examine his bees, 



41,9 



as there was something wrong with the 

 combs, and he was anxious to know wheth- 

 er it was foul brood. An investigation re- 

 vealed the cause of his uneasiness. There 

 was some pollen in the combs! Some old 

 bee-keepers may laugh at this; but we of the 

 younger set knew nothing of bees except as 

 we learned it. 



Finally, after I was familiar with foul 

 brood, I saw an infected apiary, and helj^ed 

 get a stranger in as inspector, on recommen- 

 dation of his neighbor apiarists. At that 

 time the law said the diseased colonies 

 should be burned or buried in the earth the 

 night after the owner or keeper of the 

 bees was notified of their diseased condi- 

 tion. An apiary of 31 colonies had 17 con- 

 demned by the inspector who allowed them 

 to be left alone for 57 days. I then went on 

 the war-path. Soon a deputy inspector 

 burned the bees, and several apiarists ex- 

 pressed themselves to the supervisors of the 

 county as being well satisfied with what the 

 inspector had done. Later I was told that 

 the hives, which were very rich in honey, 

 had been piled on hard and nearly level 

 ground, and burned, and that the honey 

 and wax which had melted and dripped 

 down, had been left in that condition un- 

 covered. 



Finally California learned of a man nam- 

 ed McEvoy, and our present law was enact- 

 ed. When I speak of an inspector under 

 this law it iBay be a deputy, and these re- 

 marks apply to more than one county. 

 Rambler's report, p. 12, .Jan. 1, 1902, Glean- 

 ings, referring to cleaning wires which had 

 been in contact with infected honey and 

 wax, brought a storm of protests later. Some 

 other queer inspection might be of real val- 

 ue to Gleanings readers. 



Our law permits an inspector to compel 

 the transfer or destruction of box hives with- 

 in three miles of foul brood, ilr. Blank 

 had a small apiary a trifle over half a mile 

 from mine. Mr. Inspector approached me 

 with something like this: 



"Wilson, don't you think Blank's bees 

 are in your way?" 



" Yes, more on account of the strain than 

 by overstocking the range." 



"Well, if there was foul brood within 

 three miles he would have to transfer his 

 bees from box hives, or have them burned. 

 I don't think he would transfer. Bees could 

 be put within three miles of his bees with- 

 out endangering yours, and later they could 

 be inspected and found diseased. What do 

 you say ? ' ' 



I did not "bite," and perhaps there has 

 never been any foul brood within five miles 

 of that man's bees. The insi^ector was sup- 

 posed to be a friend of both Mr. Blank and 

 myself. This is not a kick at the law, but 

 a caution about selecting inspectors. Never 

 sign a petition for any thing just to accom- 

 modate some one. Show friendship in oth- 

 er ways. 



One inspector held office several years, 

 much of the time with foul-broody bees in 

 his charge, and was flatly defied by at least 



