2S4 E?rEMIES OF BEES. 



Spiders are of course a considerable annoyance to the 

 apiarian, as well as to the bees ; not so much on account 

 of the number of bees consumed, as from their habit of 

 spinnine; a web about the hive, that will occasionally take 

 a moth, but will probably entangle fifty bees the while.* 

 They are probably in fear of the bees, or else, they do not 

 relish the bee as food, as one caught in the morning is fi-e- 

 quently untouched during the day. This web is often ex- 

 actly before the entrance, entangling the bees as they go 

 out and return, irritating and hindering them greatly, 

 though they often escape after repeated struggles. I have 

 removed a web from the same place, every morning for a 

 week, that was renewed at night with astonishing persever- 

 ance. The redeeming qualities of the spider are few, and 

 are more than balanced by its evil propensities. Their 

 sagacity will sometimes find a place of concealment, not 

 easily discovered. At the approach of cold weather, the 

 box or chamber of the hive, being a little warmer than other 

 places, win attract a great many there to deposit their 

 eggs. Little piles of webbing may be seen attached to the 

 top of the hive, or sides of boxes. These contain eggs for 

 the next year's brood. This is the time to destroy them, 

 and save trouble for the future. 



If we combine into one ]phalanx all the depredators yet 

 named, and compare their ability for mischief, with that 

 of the wax-moth, we shall find their powers of destruction 

 but feeble in comparison. From the moth herself, we 

 would have nothing to fear were it not for her progeny ; 

 a hundred or thousand vile worms, whose food is princi- 

 pally wax or comb. 



* Not long since, an eminent npiarian recommended the spider as an assistant 

 in destroying tlie moth. 



