130 



Texas Department op Agriculture. 



moth, and that they do the damage to the combs in their larval stage. 

 The moths are very quick in their flight and movements. They will 

 enter any colony that is not able to defend itself, and are often found 

 in fairly strong colonies of black bees. They also lay their eggs in 

 openings and crevices of hives of the colonies, and when the larvae 

 emerge, they find their way into the hives. Strong colonies will keep 

 them from doing any harm, however, while they may gain ready head- 

 way in weak colonies and destroy all of the combs within a short 

 time. The combs upon which they work are very rapidly reduced to 

 a mass of webbs and cocoons, and are thus completely ruined. 



All combs not in use should be protected by giving them to the 

 care of strong colonies of bees. If this is not possible they should be 

 placed in tight hive bodies and stacked up in piles, leaving an empty 



hive, or any sort of tight 

 box, below, from which 

 the combs can be fumi- 

 gated with sulphur fumes. 

 A more satisfactory way 

 of fumigating these is by 

 the use of bisulphide of 

 carbon, a liquid, which 

 may be obtained at any 

 drug store. Care should 

 be taken, however, in 

 handling this, as it is high- 

 ly inflammable, and the 

 vapor from it should not 

 be allowed to come near a 

 flame. The combs to be 

 fumigated should be 

 put in a tight box, and the 

 liquid placed in it above 

 them in a shallow saucer, 

 and the fumes, which are 

 heavier than air, will find 

 their way down through 

 the combs. Where combs 

 are badly infested with wax-moth larvae they may be treated in the 

 manner shown in the illustrations on pp. 130 and 131. After dig- 

 ging a shallow trench, the length and width of the hives, in the 

 yard, and laying down a few newspapers, the stack of hives with 

 the combs is set on these. Water is then poured around the hives to 

 make these air tight. An empty hive is set over the top into which 

 a saucer full of bisulphide of carbon is placed. Wet newspapers are 

 then laid over the top as shown, and the whole is then covered over 

 tightly with a large wagon sheet, or a tarpaulin. The lower edges 

 of this are tucked snugly against the pile of hives about the ground 

 and left for the fumes to do their deadly work. 



The beekeeper should refrain from leaving any particles of wax 

 or combs lying about the apiary, the honey house or shop, as these 

 afi'ord breeding places for the moths, and furnish a supply of moths 

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