ENEMIES OP BEES. 243 



bees, betweii those free from motbs, and those, as ordinarily 

 troubled with them, mnsfc be guess-work. It is evident 

 that it is sometimes not less than one-fourth or one-third. 

 These remarks are with reference to the black bees. The 

 Italians take care of themselves so well that much trouble 

 in this respect is unnecessary. 



SELDOM ENTIRELY EXEMPT IN OKDINABT M^USAGEMENT. 



But hives in which bees are wintered in the usual way, 

 are seldom or never exempt. It is prohably impossible to 

 winter bees without preserving some eggs, or a few worms, 

 at the same time. The perfect moth probably never sur- 

 vives the winter; the only place in which the chrysalis 

 would be safe, I think must be in the vicinity of the bees, 

 and a good stock will never allow it there, — but eggs it 

 would appear are suffered to remain. In the fall, at the 

 approach of cold weather, the bees are apt to leave the 

 ends of the combs exposed. The moth can enter, and de- 

 posit her eggs directly upon them; these together with 

 what are carried in by means before suggested, will insure 

 a good supply for the coming season. 



The warmth generated by the bees will keep these eggs 

 from freezing. When warm weather approaches in the 

 spring, those nearest the bees probably hatch first, com- 

 mence their depredations, and are removed by the bees. 

 As the bees increase and occupy more comb, more worms 

 are hatched. In this way, even a small family will hatch 

 and get rid of all the eggs that happen to be in their 

 combs, and not be destroyed. This is the time that the 

 apiarian may be of service iii destroying the worms, as 

 they are thrown on the floor by the bees. 



In July or August a single moth may enter an exposed 

 hive, and deposit her burden of several hundred eggs as in 

 the other case, but the heat from the bees is now unneces- 

 sary to hatch them. The weather at this season will make 



