152 MONEY IK BEES IN AUSTRALASIA 



guise of a harmless wasp, enters the hive, deposits eggs, 

 and the fly pupae subsequently fatten on the young larval 

 bees. Mr. Froggatt also showed a piece of honey-comb 

 containing pupal cases of the fly. The comb came from 

 Condobolin, New South Wales. Practical apiarists up to 

 the present time, however, have never observed any 

 danger to the prosperity of their colonies from this insect. 



POISONOUS SPRAYS. 



Bee-keepers sometimes experience trouble when 

 poisonous compounds are sprayed upon fruit trees in 

 bloom. Not all sprays are troublesome, but there are a 

 few that kill the young brood. Fruit-growers of to-day, 

 however, are well versed in the use of the various sprays, 

 and it is exceptional to meet one ignorant of the bee's 

 value to the orchard. While bees return considerable 

 profit to the apiarist, the orchardist is almost as well 

 favoured. It has been conclusively demonstrated that 

 the presence of the honey-bee exercises a marked 

 influence for good on the pollination of the blossoms. 



There are now few fruit-growers who wilfully spray 

 during full bloom, or in fact, at any period injurious to 

 bees. The use of arsenites of sufficient strength to kill 

 insects will most certainly devitalise the pollen. There 

 is also danger of people eating the honey gathered from 

 sprayed blossoms with perhaps fatal results. Some 

 States in America have legislation dealing with full 

 bloom spraying. 



