Bee-keejmig in Victoria. 91 



XX. — Enemies of the Bee. 



Tlie worst enemies to bee-keeping are the tliree brood diseases of bees 

 comprised under the general term of Foul-brood, and a disease of adult 

 bees called Bee Paralysis. These diseases and their treatment were 

 described in detail in chapter XIX, Other enemies of bees are insects 

 and birds of several species. 



Insect Enemies. 

 Bee Moths. 

 Bee or Wax Moths are great pests where common or black bees are 

 kept in a careless manner. As a rule, black bees and neglect are found 

 together. There is but little, if any, trouble from Bee Moths in a 

 well kept apiary of Italian bees. 



There are two species, the " Larger Bee Moth " (Galleria inellonella) 

 and the " Lesser Bee Moth " {Acchrceca grisella) ; both species are fre- 

 quently found in the same apiary ; and these pests are present in most 

 parts of the world where bee-keeping is carried on. The larvEe of both 

 moths are great enemies to bees, and may become very destructive. 

 They p)erforate the comb with burrows, thereby destroying the cells, 

 and often cover it with a network of silken threads. The destruction 

 of the cells and the impediments caused by the silken network partly 

 smother the larvas, and, as the adnlt bees are greatly hampered by the 

 threads in feeding them, the larvae are liable to be starved. 



The " Larger Bee Moth," which measures about 1 inch in length, 

 is of a dark brown colour, and the under wings are a light grey on the 

 margin, with a lighter colour towards the centre. When young, the 

 caterpillars are yellowish in colour, and when fully grown are a dull 

 greyish colour. 



The " Lesser Bee Moth " is a uniform coloured drab-grey moth, with 

 a yellow head. The larvse are whitish, with brown heads. They are 

 usually found in Spring, on the floor of hives, amongst the waste wax, 

 which consists chiefly of the caps of the honey cells, emptied by the 

 bees during the Winter. The floor of the hive should, therefore, be 

 scraped clean at the first examination of hives in Spring, and the debris 

 removed and burnt. When quilts or mats are used over the frames the 

 larvse and cocoons of the lesser wax moths are often found between the 

 top bars and the quilt. 



In Victoria there are at least four broods in a season ; the first, 

 appearing in early Spring from caterpillars that have passed the Winter 

 in a semi-dormant condition, is not so destructive as the others appear- 

 ing later, because the larvEe, being smaller, eat less than those of the 

 larger sort, and also because they do not spin quite so profusely. Italian 

 or Ligurian bees are not attacked to any extent. 



Prevention and Remedies. 



A good hive, filled with a strong colony of Italian bees, is the best 

 preventive against these pests. Cleanliness is of the greatest import- 

 ance, and to obtain this use frame hives. AH moths, cocoons, and larvse 

 should be destroyed when found. All hives should be made of timber 



