The Mabyland Fabm Bubeait Fedebation 7 



plished through personal talks to beekeepers. This is a subject of Tital 

 importance to beekeepers in general, and one in which all are interested 

 whether they have had experience with disease or not. As a consequence, 

 considerable time was usually spent in describing the disease, its manner 

 of spread and control measures, to beekeepers on personal visits. Two 

 talks were given at meetings on American foulbrood at which time diseased 

 material was exhibited. 



Pests 



An increased number of inquiries were received this year in regard to 

 the Greater Wax Moth, a pest inhabiting bee hives. Help was given 

 when requested and two talks at beekeepers meetings were given explain- 

 ing the life history and control of the moth. 



Another serious pest of honeybees, the bee louse, Braula coeca, was dis- 

 covered and investigated in Montgomery County, and was also located in 

 Washington County. 'This pest was found to be doing considerable dam- 

 age to comb honey, rendering sections unfit for sale. Thirty-nine (39) 

 visits, were made to Montgomery County apiaries in an attempt to deter- 

 mine the extent of the infestation. The infested area appears to lie be- 

 tween the Frederick pike and the Potomac river in that area north of 

 Eockville as far as Sugarloaf Mountain. Six widely scattered apiaries in 

 this region were found to be definitely infested, and others are suspected. 



Work With the Maryland State Beekeepers' Association 



Further progress was made during 1935 in organizing new county 

 groups of beekeepers into chapters of the Maryland State Beekeepers' 

 Association. Particular success was experienced in Washington, Fred- 

 erick and Montgomery counties. In these three counties are located a 

 large percentage of the Maryland beekeepers. 



In Washington County, two meetings were held and the group formally 

 organized themselves into a chapter of the State Association. This group 

 plans to meet once a month with the extension worker. As a group, they 

 cooperated on the Hagerstown Honey Week exhibit as their initial group 

 venture. They also plan an exhibit at the local Food Show and have 

 made the necessary overtures to the county fair oflacials to obtain a 

 premium list for bee products. 



This group is interested in having the extension worker hold regular bee 

 culture classes In Hagerstown, which will be done in 1986. 



The Frederick and Montgomery county groups have not formally or- 

 ganized and elected officers) but will do so at their first 1936 meeting. The 

 beekeepers in both of these counties have nearly all been contacted by 

 the extension worker in personal visits and through meetings, and are 

 ready to organize and are desirous of obtaining instructions through bee 

 culture classes. 



