NINTH ANNUAL liKI'OKT STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 



91 



is a g-rowiiii;- interest in beekcepin.L;- in Monluna, and, althou^i^di in 

 former vears it was believed that onr climate or other conditions 

 wonld probably not permit bees to do well, it has been found by 

 actual experience that even in our hii^her mounlain valleys there 

 is nothing- t() ])revent a successful bee industry. It seems very clear, 

 theref(»re, that the industry may be made t<. become a very valuable 

 one to our people. It deserves stimulation in every way possible. 



VOin. BROOD AND WAX MOTH. 



Our first suspicion of the presence of a serious bee disease came 

 in March, kju, when Mr. W. M. White, of Joliet, wrote us of 

 a disease in his apiary, which he took to be foul brood. Specimens 

 received a few days later ])roved to l)e a clear case of American 

 foul brood, which is tlu' most serious of this class oi troubles. Sub- 

 se(juent rept)rts ha\ e indicated that the disease is probably present 

 over an extensive territory in that ])art of the State. ( )ur corre- 

 spondence with Air. White shows that it had been in his nt-i.^'h- 

 borhood for some three years ])rior to i<;ii. In correspondence- 

 with the beekeepers of Montana it was learned that no (usease 

 recoi^iiized as foul brood was present in the State, excepting in the 

 locality above mentioned. We were surprised, however, to learn 

 that the bee-moth or wax-moth is of very g-eneral occurrence. It 

 was reported from five different counties, besides (iallatin, where 

 we have known it to be present for several years. 



In a general wav the losses from an epidemic of foul brocjd 

 are of two kinds; first, a direct loss through the killing of colonies, 

 reduction of the cro]) and pre\ention ot increase; and, s>cond, 

 a demoralizing influence on the whole business, reaching even 

 down to the manufacture and sale of beekeepers' su]:.plie>. It 

 mav be stated that, where this disease starts in, it is liable to 

 almost comjjletely wi])e out the industry, especialh' in localities 

 bke mr.r.v in Montana, where beekeeping is new and on a pie- 

 carious 1 asis. Taking the State as a whole, it would be most un- 

 fortunate if foul brood should gain much headway. It would take 

 years of time and much instruction and stimulation to recover the 

 lost ground. 



From present indications in Montana and knowdedgc of the 

 experience of other states, we cannot expect the bee industrv to 



