BEE MANUAL. 



273 



brood begin to appear towards the end of April or early in May — 

 earlier or later, according to climate and season. Those of the second 

 brood are most abundant in August ; but some may be found between 

 these periods, and even much later." 



The bee-moth I have seen here in New Zealand does not 

 exceed a quarter of an inch in length, and, as far as my expe- 

 rience teaches me, is identical with the clothes moth, and will 

 be easily recognised by most of my readers. 



Fig. 187— MALE AND FEMALE BEE-MOTH. 



The engravings shown in this chapter represent the bee-motii 

 and its ravages described by Langstroth ; but as its habits are 

 the same as those in Australasia, they convey all the informa- 

 tion necessary to put the apiarist on his guard. 



DAMAGE TO COMBS. 



In warm evenings the female moth may be often seen about 

 the hives, seeking for a place to deposit eggs, which she usually 

 does in any cracks or crevices about it. These eggs are white, 

 round, and very small. In a short time they hatch into dirty 

 grey-looking caterpillars, and it is in this stage they commit 

 their ravages by destroying the combs. 



Fig. 128.— SILKEN TUBE OF BEE-MOTH LARVA. 



As a defence from the attacks of the bees, each of the larvae 

 envelopes itself in a silken tube (Fig. 128), which they extend 



T 



