7T 



A favourite haunt of the* grubs is on the top of the frames under the 

 mat, or where there are two mats they will get in between them. . In the 

 daytime they apparently^ hide from the bees, and at night attack the 

 combs ; but when the colony becomes very weak the grubs show no 

 such fear, and attack the combs at all times. 



It is the larvae or grubs of the moth which prove so destructive to the 

 combs, burrowing through them under the protection of strong silken 

 galleries which they spin round themselves, secure from the bees as they 

 advance in their work of destruction. Eventually the combs are com- 

 pletely destroyed and fall a mass of web and cocoons to the bottom of 

 the hive (see Fig. 55). 



The moth itself, which is usually to be seen during warm summer 

 evenings flitting about the hives, watching for an opportunity to lay its 

 eggs within or near the entrances, can readily discover weak colonies, 

 when it does not hesitate to enter the hives, and thus the grubs 

 eventually get a footing from which they are seldom or never dislodged 

 by the bees. 



The average length of the grub is about i in., and " when first 

 hatched it is pale yellow, with a slightly darker head, and of a 

 greyish flesh-colour when full-grown, with a dark reddish-brown 

 head." The length of the moth is about fin., "has reddish brown- 

 grey forewings, which are distinctly lighter in colour towards the outer 

 or hinder margins." 



That wax-moths, large and small, are only enemies of careless bee- 

 keepers and those who have not advanced beyond the common box-hive 

 stage is a well-known fact. Careful up-to-date beekeepers have nothing 

 to fear from thes^ or any other insect enemies. FoUow the golden rule 

 of beekeeping — viz., " Keep all polonies strong " — and insect enemies 

 wiU never trouble. 



Fumigating Combs. 



Not only the combs within the hives, but also any which may happen 

 to be unprotected, are liable to be attacked by the moth. No combs or 

 pieces of combs should be allowed to lie about. When they are of no 

 further service they should be melted into wax at once. Spare combs 

 should always be stored in a place of safety from the moth, and 

 inspected frequently. On the first sign of moths or grubs they should 

 be fumigated, and a few days afterwards they should undergo a second 

 fumigation. When there are not many to do they may be suspended in 

 empty hives about i in. apart, and the latter piled one on the other, 

 taking care that the junctions of the boxes are made smoke-tight by 

 pasting a strip of paper round them. The top box of the pile should 

 contain no frames. Into this place an old iron saucepan containing live 

 wood-embers, and on to these throw a couple of handfuls of sulphur, 

 close the cover securely, and keep closed for a couple of days. In a 

 large apiary it is best to have a small room fitted up for the purpose. 

 Two or three pounds of sulphur will be sufficient for a large room. 



