132 Texas Department op Aqeiculturb. 



over these, jump right into the trap. Poison should never be used 

 about bee hives, or where honey is kept, as it is too dangerous. 



Ants. Many inquiries are received asking for information about 

 destroying ants, which are a considerable bother in the apiary at 

 times. As a rule, not much harm is done by them, but they are 

 annoying about the hives. Of these there are several kinds, mostly 

 the smaller ones, that try to get some of the honey, but do not attack 

 the bees. It is only in rare cases that some of the larger varieties 

 are destructive to bees. They can easily be killed with bisulphide of 

 carbon after hunting up their nests. ' A deep hole is made in the nest 

 with a crow-bar and a tea-cup full of bisulphide of carbon is poured 

 into it, and then covered up and packed tightly with earth. For the 

 smaller kinds it is only necessary to make a hole with a small stick 

 for the bisulphide of carbon, and it may often be poured right on 

 the nests and earth firmly packed over it, as the fumes penetrate into 

 the soil and go downward. It is a mistake to set fire to the bisulphide 

 of carbon in treating ant nests, as many persons do, because the 

 fumes are then burnt up and the effectiveness of the remedy lost. 

 Common gasoline, kerosene, or even hot water, may be used effectively 

 in some cases. 



It is not advisable to use poisons to kill ants about the apiary or in 

 the honey house, and should never be attempted. 



Skunks. The depredations of this, little animal are sometimes quite 

 serious. They scratch on the front of the hives, and devour the bees 

 as they come out to investigate the cause of the disturbance. When 

 hives are found, in front of which the grass, weeds and soil are 

 scratched away, and quantities of partly chewed masses of bees are 

 foimd, it is a sure sign that skunks are bothering the hives. 



As these marauders repeat their visits continuously the colonies are 

 weakened considerably, so that some colonies may succumb entirely 

 on account of their weakened condition. They may be best destroyed 

 by trapping them. By partly burying an egg in the ground near the 

 apiary where the skunks depredate and setting a spring steel trap 

 over this they may be easily caught. A little strychnine stirred in 

 an egg will poison them, but great care should be taken to prevent 

 undesirable results that may be caused by using poisons. 



Birds. Birds are often accused of doing more damage than is per- 

 haps committed by them. Usually reports of their depredations are 

 greatly exaggerated, and frequently are entirely false. In queen- 

 rearing yards the damage may be enhanced by the birds catching the 

 queens while they are out to mate. Occasionally a bird of the in- 

 sectivorous kind may acquire the habit of eating bees. The king-bird 

 is reported as doing most of such damage. Therefore, it does not be- 

 come necessary to make a general warfare against all the birds if only 

 a few individuals are the guilty ones. Whenever it is certain that 

 a bird persists in this habit he should be promptly killed. On the 

 whole, however, birds should receive the beekeeper's protection, as 

 their services in destroying harmful insects are far more valuable 

 than the little damage done by a few birds eating a small number of 

 bees. 



Spiders. There are a number of varieties of spiders that build 

 their nests about hives, and the bees becoming entangled in the webs, 



