HONEY-BEES IN HORTICULTURE 87 



bees. On the whole good spraying practices will in no way con- 

 flict with the beekeeper's interests. Occasionally there may be 

 some slight damage, but wholesale destruction has usually been 

 traced to improper spraying practices. Generally speaking, it 

 will suffice to say that a tree, or bloom of any kind, does not need 

 to be sprayed until the petals have fallen. At this time bees are 

 not inclined to visit the flowers, hence there can be little danger of 

 injuring the apiary. The problem as a whole, however, is an 

 intricate one, and where questions arise as to the time and advisa- 

 bility of spraying, they should be referred to an authority for dis- 

 cussion or settlement. 



Experiments have been and are being made on the use of re- 

 pellents to bees in spray mixtures. Beekeepers hope, and doubtless 

 fruit growers and those who use spray poisons will be glad to 

 cooperate, that the time is not far distant when the bees can be 

 repelled so that by no accident will they come in contact with a 

 poisonous spray. As yet, no definite instructions can be given 

 for the use of repellents to bees in spray mixtures. 



As a preliminary observation, the writer ^ on July 7, 1916, 

 applied lime-sulphur spray to a European linden which was in full 

 bloom. One-half only of the tree was sprayed with a solution of 

 1-25, the strength usually employed in spraying operations. The 

 spraying was done between 9: 30 and 10 o'clock in the morning of 

 a bright calm day. The following observations were obtained: 



Results of Lime Sulphur as a Repellent. 



In the sprayed half of the tree : — 

 ^ 15 honey-bees. 



Some wild bees, j 



1 milkweed butterfly. 



Flies of various types numerous. 

 In the unsprayed half of the tree : — 



53 honey-bees. 



Wild bees. 



Flies numerous. 



4 Bombus. 



1 Gates, Burton N., Seventh Annual Report of the State Inspector of Apiaries for the 

 Year 1916, Mass. State Board of Agriculture. Apiary Series Bulletin No. 11, pj). 16-19. 



