PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIHD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING UV 



As regards obtaining better honey-yielders, we must be on our guard 

 in introducing bees from other countries. Most countries outside of 

 India have some bee-disease, and we run at present considerable risk of 

 getting these diseases brought into India by the importation of bees by 

 well-meaning but irresponsible people. I myself know of one case of a 

 man who was keeping bees at Ootacamund and who introduced a colony 

 from abroad. On arrival of the colony he found that it was affected 

 with Foul Brood and, realizing the danger, he burnt the whole lot. But 

 how many people who might send for bees from abroad would do that ? 

 How many would have the knowledge to recognize that the bees were 

 diseased or the public spirit to destroy them ? In England of late 

 years the whole of the South of England has suffered very badly from 

 Isle of Wight Disease, so much so, that I believe that there has been 

 considerable failure in orchards owing to the want of bees to pollinate 

 the flowers. In a country like India, where we have wild honey bees 

 of one or more kinds in every district, a disease, once introduced, would 

 he impossible to deal with. In this connection I think we shall have to 

 consider whether it is not necessary to impose some restrictions on the . 

 importation of bees into India. At the time when the Pest Act was 

 under consideration I suggested this, but it was considered that the 

 Act could not be made applicable to bees as they could not be regarded 

 as crops. So we must apparently have another Act to deal specifically 

 with bees and bee-products. In South Africa there are restrictions on 

 the importation of bees and bees-wax. We in India receive honey 

 and probably also wax from Australia and California. Of course, honey 

 does not carry disease unless it comes from infected colonies and is 

 actually eaten by bees. 



In Egypt the importation of bees is only permitted by license and it Dr. Gough. 

 is not our intention to get bees from countries where there is disease. 

 Importation from England is not permitted and from Italy only the 

 queens can be imported. Our bee-keeping is conducted principally 'with 

 Ajns fasciata, which is a native Egyptian species, smaller than the Euro- 

 ]iean bee. It is not si good honey-producer but, when crossed with the 

 Italian bee, gives a very good yield, anything about 60 lb. a year. In 

 the Orient bees suSer from a wasp. To counteract this they produce 

 a large number of queens. The Egyptian bee produces an enormous 

 number, and as many as 365 queens have been taken from one swarm. 

 In Europe six queens, produced by Italian bees, are considered a large 

 number. 



When Egyptian bees swarm the first queen goes with the first swarm. 

 This swarm is never large. In the second swarm we get a large number 

 of queens. I have taken as many as 40 unfertilized queens. I remove 



