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39th YEAR, 



CHICAGO, ILL., APRIL 27, 1899, 



No, 17, 



Concerning- Bee-Moths and Robbing". 



BY HARRY S. HOWE- 



DURING the past few weeks I have attended several bee- 

 conventions in different parts of the State. 

 Among- the things that struck me as worthy of note 

 was the number of people who had questions on the two 

 subjects — bee-moths and robbing. Generallj- the man who 

 was interested in one also had some questions on the other. 



And not less curious to me were the remedies proposed. 

 One man advised that the combs to be kept from the 

 ravages of the moth be first soakt in brine, then dried and 

 packt away. When they were to be used again they were 

 to be soakt in fresh water to remove the salt, and then 

 dried again 1 



Some years ago I bought out a bee outfit. The former 

 owner wintered the bees in a double-walled house. Some 

 time during the previous winter he died, and the family, 

 being afraid of bees, opened the door, but left those bees 

 just as they were. When I got them later in the season 

 there was a sight. The rats had eaten the lower tier of 

 hives about all to pieces. Some of the bees had moved out 

 and taken up their abode in the corners of the room. Others 

 had succumbed entirely, while 15 colonies still held the fort 

 in their hives, and the moths — well, there was a great 

 chance for missionary- work. Yet in a season or two, with- 

 out anj- special treatment, there were no moths to be seen. 

 And the bees were not Italians, either. 



All the precautions necessary to keep my large stock of 

 extracting-combs even at that place are to space them one 

 less to the hive than they are used in the summer, and then 

 leave them where they will freeze during the winter. 



The moth passes the winter usually in the egg-stage, 

 and a good, solid freeze will kill those so in the spring there 

 are no worms to eat the comb. 



There are usualU' two broods during the season, one in 

 the spring, the other during the fall. It takes about three 

 weeks for the larva to mature. 



Another point in the safe keeping of combs is the pres- 

 ence of pollen or dead brood. The larvae of the moth cannot 

 live on wax alone, they must have some other food. Now. 

 combs used for extracting seldom have anv pollen or other 

 nitrogenous food for the worm. The combs which are in 

 hives where the bees have died are the most liable to their 

 attacks. How to protect them brings me to the second of 

 those two questions — 



HOW TO PREVENT ROBBING. 



We used to think that we must not let a bit of honey be 

 exposed when the bees were not storing honey or we should 

 have trouble from the robbers, but now we do about as we 



please in that regard ; that is, always keeping in mind cer- 

 tain laws. 



When the bees start to rob a place, if we can make them 

 think the}' have got it all, there will be no further trouble, 

 while if we cover up or take away the honej' they will keep 

 on looking for it. 



Now for m)' method of feeding the bees, and at the 

 same time caring for the combs that are likelj- to be 

 troubled by the bee-moth : 



As soon as the bees begin to work in the spring, I go 

 around and take out all the dead ones and store the honey 

 and combs in the honey-house. Then I put out one or two 

 hivefuls of it somewhere at one side of the apiary, leaving 

 the entrances so the bees can get in and carry away the 

 honey. As fast as one lot is carried away I put out more, as 

 long as I have more to put out. Then I go thru the hives 

 and take out the heavy combs, replacing them with the 

 ones first cleaned out, letting them carry this honey back 

 in turn. This I keep up clear to the time of the honey-flow. 



No self-respecting moth will stay in those hives that 

 are used for feeding ; things are too much stirred up, and 



/. L. Hubbaid^Sec page 265. 



the combs go into good, strong colonies often enough to 

 discourage them if they tried it. If we can J<eep the spring 

 brood of worms from maturing, we shall have to wait for 

 more until our neighbor sends them to us in August again. 

 As to robbing, the only time I ever see any is at the 

 last extracting, after the honey-flow stops in the fall, and 



