133 DESTEUCTIOX OF THE MOTH-^\'OI:^I. 



with bees, concerning which, there is a great deal of the- 

 oretical reasoning and imposition. I wish the reader to 

 judge for himself, lay aside whims and prejudices, and look 

 at the subject candidly ; and if no testimony comes up to 

 confirm any position I assume, I shall not complain if my 

 assertions fare no better than some others. Only defer 

 judgment until you hnow for yourself. 



Bees have always received my special regard and atten- 

 tion, and my enthusiasm may blind my judgment. I may 

 be prejudiced, but not wilfully wrong. I have found so 

 many theories utterly false, when carried into practice, 

 that I depend on none, however plausible, without facts 

 to support them. 



To return to our subject. It is supposed by many, 

 when these worms are found on the board, that they get 

 there by accident, having dropped from the combs above. 

 They do not seem to understand that the worm generally 

 travels on safe principles, that he attaches a thread to 

 whatever he passes over. To be satisfied on this point, I 

 have many times carefully detached his foot-hold, when on 

 the side of the hive, or other place, where he would fall 

 a few inches, and always found him with a thread fast at 

 the place he left, to enable him to regain his former posi- 

 tion if he chose. Is it not probable, then, that whenever 

 he leaves the combs for the bottom board, he can readily 

 ascend again ? No doubt he often does, to be driven 

 down again by the bees. Now, what I wish to show by 

 all this preamble, is simply this ; that all our trouble and 

 anxiety to prevent the worms from again ascending to the 

 combs, by wire hooks, wire pins, screws, nails, turned 

 pins, clam shells, blocks of wood, etc., is perfect ndtisense, 

 Avhen half of them would do the bees no harm if they did 

 return, and might as well go there as any where else. 

 And, these useless contrivances are very often positively 

 injurious to the bees. 



