DISEASES AND ENEMIES OF BEES. 187 



few, if we leave out of the question their inhuman masters 

 of the fire and brimstone school. Wax moths, although 

 very destructive in America, make no headway in 

 England ; that is to say, in hives containing living Bees, 

 although where empty combs are carelessly stowed away 

 they will, probably, be wholly destroyed. There are two 

 species of moths which commit these depredations ; one, 

 the largest, Galleria Mellonella, is comparatively rare 

 here, although commonly imported in the larva state 

 with Ligurian Bees ; the other, Achroia Grisella, is very 

 common, and where combs are left about unprotected, 

 its larvae will most likely soon be too apparent. The 

 Apiarian who pays proper attention to his stocks will 

 not need to fear the wax moths. The death's-head 

 hawk moth {Acherontia Atropos) is commonly cited as a 

 robber of Bee-hives, but in England it is sufficiently rare 

 to be unnoticeable in our Apiaries. On the Continent 

 of Europe a small insect, known as the Bee-louse> 

 Braula Caeca, often infects the Bees to a considerable 

 extent, as many as a hundred being sometimes found on 

 a single Bee, and as the insect is nearly as large as a small 

 flea, the poor Bee, when thus loaded, must find her life 

 a burthen, as each louse lives by sucking the Bee ; the 

 young are said to be produced in the pupa state. I have 

 found this pest several times on imported Ligurians ; but 

 the climate of England does not, fortunately, appear to 

 suit them, for they have soon disappeared. 



Wasps often become very troublesome ; they do not 

 hesitate to enter any hive to which they can gain 

 admission. A strong stock can generally defend their 

 entrance successfully, but woe betide the unfortunate 

 weak colony ; there the wasps run riot at their will, and 

 will often completely rifle the hive of all its honied 

 sweets. These marauders should be trapped in narrow- 



