16 Texas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS, 
of the bee-moth as “general,” indicating that they suffered no small loss. 
In one very well-kept apiary that has come under the observation of the 
writer there is an annual loss of 3 per cent due to the bee-moth. It is 
safe to say that in many of the larger apiaries throughout the State this 
loss is not uncommon, while in the smaller apiaries and in box-hive 
apiaries the logs is much greater, as was indicated by the reports referred 
to above. 
The census of 1910 shows 238,107 colonies of bees in the State, and 
it is generally conceded that these figures are much below the actual 
number. Assuming that 3 per cent is the average annual loss of colonies 
due to the wax-worm, including the large losses in the poorly kept 
aplaries, it is seen that the annual loss amounis to at least 7000 colonies. 
At an average valuation of $3 per colony, this amounts to $21,000 a year, 
a very considerable tax on the beekeeping industry of the State. 
ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION. 
There is some dispute and no little uncertainty about the origin of the 
bee-moth. Dr. A. J. Cook has this to say in regard to its origin: “These 
moths were known to writers of antiquity, as even Aristotle tells of their 
injury. They are wholly of Oriental origin, and are often referred to by 
European writers as a terrible pest.”* ‘ 
The bee-moth was introduced into America about 1805, though bees 
had beer introduced some time prior to this. The time of the intro- 
duction of the bee-moth into Texas is not known. The insect is now 
found in Italy, Germany, France, England, Ireland, India, Australia and 
in most of the beekeeping sections of the United States. This insect is 
distributed practically all over Texas. Following is a list of counties 
from which the bee-moth has been reported to us by beekeepers: 
Anderson, Atascosa, Bandera, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, 
Bosque, Bowie, Brazoria, Brazos, Brooks, Brown, Burleson ,Burnet, Cald- 
well, Callahan, Cass, Cherokee, Coleman, Collin, Colorado, Comanche, 
Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Crockett, Dallas, Delta, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Fan- 
nin, Fayette, Franklin, Freestone, Gonzales, Gregg, Grimes, Guadalupe, 
Hamilton, Harrison, Hays, Henderson, Hill, Houston, Hunt, Jasper, 
Jefferson, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Lamar, Lampasas, 
Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Llano, Madison, McCulloch, 
McLennan, Mason, McMullen, Medina, Milam, Mills, Morris, Navarro, 
Nolan, Nueces, Panola, Parker, Polk, Rains, Red River, Robertson, 
Rockwell, Runnels, Rusk, Sabine, San Jacinto, Schleicher, Shackelford, 
Smith, Stephens, Taylor, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Uvalde, Val Verde, 
Waller, Ward, Washington, Wood, Wilson and Williamson. 
The above list includes nearly all of the important beekeeping counties 
of the State. That the bee-moth is present in many more counties than 
are shown by our records is beyond doubt. , 
The larva (“web-worm”), upon reaching maturity, constructs a cocoon 
by means of silken threads which it is able to spin. After the cocoon is 
completed the larva changes to the pupal stage. This is the stage in 
which the form of the larva is reconstructed to make the moth which 
will emerge later from the cocoon. The moths mate and the females 
*“Manual of the Apiary,” A. J. Cook, p. 485. 
