780 



PROCEEDINGS OF THE THIHD ENTOMOLOGICAL MEETING 



all except two and so get a fair chance of fertilization. The large 

 number of queens is with a view to accommodate themselves against the 

 attack of birds and wasps. In my opinion an Egyptian hybrid would 

 suit India. 



Egyptian bees have another peculiar habit. In honey-bees all the 

 drones are usually slaughtered after the swarming period, but the 

 Egyptian bee keeps the drones right up to the breeding period in the 

 next year. This is a precaution against the loss of the queen by hornet 

 attacks. 



In Egypt bees hibernate from September to December. It is then 

 quite warm with us and we have plenty of flowers for them, but the 

 bees go into hibernation on account of the attacks of Vespa orienialis. 

 From September onwards this wasp waits in front of the bee-hive and 

 pounces on any bee that comes out. The bees change their daily flight 

 as the result of these attacks. This flight that they make for cleansing 

 purposes takes place at first about midday and it is postponed and 

 postponed till the bees come out after sundown. 



The Wax-moth is our other trouble ; it is one of the two great troubles 

 we have in Egypt. It should not occur if the colonies are strong and 

 there is sufficient room for the bees to be able to get about under and 

 above the combs. 



Bee keeping is the most important minor industry in Egypt. We 

 have ten thousand apiaries producing an income of £200,000. 



Vesfa orienialis is probably responsible for the destruction of a 

 half of the colonies. Large sums are spent in catching hornets in front 

 of the hives. I have now invented a trap which is placed in front of 

 the bee-hive with a bait of dates ; the bees can get in and out of it 

 and the hornets can get in but cannot get out. 



This year we hope to obtain a credit for Apiary work and we 

 intend starting apiaries in schools. Formerly we used to finance apiary 

 work out of our Experimental Credit. 



What is this Experimental Credit ? 



It is difficult to estimate in advance the money to be spent on experi- 

 mental work during the year and we have a system by which a certain 

 smn is allotted to us, not split up into subheads, for labour, purchases, etc. 

 Our Experimental Credit up to last year was £1,000. Research cannot 

 be carried out to a successful issue without experiments and one cannot 

 carry out experiments without Experimental Credit. 



Ho^Y do you kill hornets ? 



We mark down the nest and pour down carbon bisulphide. The 

 hornets come to the bee- hive along a regular road ; they make a straight 



