33 



The moth is about three-fourths of an inch in length, dull, ashy gray, 

 streaked in imitation of a weathered chip and may be seen flitting rapidly 

 about the entrance of the hive at dusk The life history of the bee moth 

 may be briefly sketched as follows. The moth deposits her spherical 

 white eggs singly about the entrance or in the crevices of the hive, inside, 

 if she can gain admittance. As soon as the caterpillar hatches it begins 

 feeding on the combs, where it tunnels along the midrib, the tunnel or 

 gallery increasing in size as the larva grows It thus burrows through 

 the bases of the cells, possibly destroying great numbers of eggs and 

 young bees, and as it goes it lines its passageway with a tough, silken 

 web. In three or four weeks the caterpillar attains its growth and is 

 about one inch in length. It then withdraws to some secure crevice, 

 often gnawing a cavity in a frame or in the sides of the hive, and there 

 spins a strong cocoon. In this it changes into a pupa and after from 

 ten to fourteen days emerges as the adult moth, ready, after mating, to 

 repeat the life cycle. 



If the caterpillars gain entrance to a hive earl}' in the season, and 

 produce four broods before winter, as is usual in this State, it is to be 

 expected that a colony will be much weakened from loss of j'oung bees, 

 and will not be able to survive the winter. This was the condition in 

 the old-fashioned hives in which so many colonies were destroyed. 

 These were left about the farm, a mass of webs and cocoons, which 

 acted as a breeding place for the whole neighborhood. Had the 

 farmers known the nature of the pest they cnuld have easily saved 

 much further infestation by merely destroying the old combs and hives 

 as fast as the bees died. 



To-day, however, things have changed, the ravages of the moth are 

 checked, so that in some States it is nearly exterminated. This has been 

 brought about mainly by the improved hives, with movable frames, 

 which enable every part of the colony to be examined. Even with such 

 facilities the common black or German bee, of which we will speak later, 

 requires constant attention. The hive must be opened at least once in 

 eight or ten days, and whenever the wax worms have gained a foothold 

 the caterpillars can be traced in their galleries, and with a long pin or 

 knife blade can be cut out or killed. Even with this constant attention 

 infested black bees are frequently lost. From this it may readily be 

 seen how impossible the task of fighting wax worms was years ago in 

 the old box hives. 



An equally important move toward controlling the bee moth was made 

 when the United States Department of Agriculture introduced Italian bees 

 into this country. Fortunately these and some of the still more recently 

 introduced races do not tolerate the presence of a wax worm in their 

 combs. Wherever the bee moth exists, and we I'egret to say that this 

 probably includes all of Massachusetts, simply requeen with Italian or 

 other moth-proof strain and the battle is won.* Hence by the use of 



* For the method of introducing new races or etraina of bees in your apiary, refer to 

 some of the standard works on bee culture, under head of " Introducing Queens." 

 Many of these works were mentioned at tlie close of Professor I'aigc's article. 



