15 



gasoline. The fumigation should not take place in any residence or 

 outbuildings which carry insurance, for fire which may result from 

 the use of carbon bisulphide will nullify the insurance policy. Carbon 

 bisulphide is not effective in average doses at temperatures below 70 

 ■degrees, and loses most all of its effectiveness below 50 degrees. Carbon 

 bisulphide is a liquid which evaporates very rapidly and the resulting 

 gas being heavier than air goes to the bottom of the container. All 

 material which is to be fumigated should be stacked in bodies or 

 supers and the bisulphide should be poured on a towel or cloth placed 

 on the top bars of the top body of the stack. A safe rule Is to use 

 one-half ounce of carbon bisulphide for each 10 frame Langstroth 

 hive body. Of course the pile should not be over eight bodies high 

 and as many of the cracks should be eliminated as possible. 



The lesser bee moth is primarily a pest of stored combs and espe- 

 cially of honey in storage. This moth works primarily on the capp'ngs. 

 All stages of this pest can be controlled by fumigation with carbon 

 bisulphide in the manner just discussed. 



Ants. There are at least three general classes of ants common to 

 the bee yard. A large black ant is sometimes found between the inner 

 and the outer cover of a colony. They apparently do not molest the 

 bees in any way, but seek these locations in order to take advantage 

 of the escaping heat from the bee hive to assist in developing their 

 young. A small black ant and a small brown ant at times enter the 

 hives in search of food, which is usually honey. These ravages are 

 not severe, but it is well to destroy the ants if they are numerous or 

 likely to prove a nuisance. 



The best method of destruction is to trace the ants to their nest. 

 The entire population can be destroyed by fumigating with carbon 

 bisulphide. Fumigation should be done late in the evening, when most 

 of the ants are normally in the nest. A sharp stick can be thrust 

 into the center of the nest and the carbon bisulphide poured into this 

 hole. The amount will depend upon the size of the nest, but two or 

 three ounces will be sufficient for the average sized nest. To make the 

 fumigation more effective it is well to place a damp sack over the 

 nest to further direct all of the fumes down into the nest. In handling 

 carbon bisulphide, use the necessary precautions to prevent fire. 



A relief measure is to construct legs for the hive stand and place 

 these legs in a small tin cup which contains a heavy oil. This pre- 

 vents the ants from gaining entrance to the hive, but of course it does 

 not reduce the supply of ants in the apiary. 



Mice. Many beekeepers do not seem to appreciate the loss which is 

 caused by mice getting into the hives. The mice cause the greater 

 portion of their damage by getting into the colonies during the fall 

 and spending the winter in the hive for whatever protection may be 

 afforded. When the mice get inside of the hive they make very care- 

 ful preparations to construct an efiicient nest for winter protection, 

 usually in one of the lower back corners of the hive. At this time 

 of the year the bees are not very vigorous in their efforts to repel the 

 invaders. The damage caused by the mice is in comb destruction,, 

 probably to secure feed. 



If supers are stored out-of-doors the mice may establish themselves in 

 these combs during the summer. Precaution should be taken to pre- 

 vent the mice from getting into the hives during the early fall. For 

 this purpose it is well to insert in the entrance of the colony a piece 

 of hardware cloth, which can be lightly tacked in place during the 

 early fall period. This will prevent the mice from getting into the 

 hive, but will provide ample facilities for the bees to fly. 



