BEE MANUAL. .'277 



the larva to the perfect insect. The bee-keeper, in blissful 

 ignorance of the fact, opened the hive, and before he could 

 prevent it some of the moths took flight, and thus it was that 

 this terrible enemy came to be introduced into Queensland. 

 It is easy to understand that in so favourable a climate it 

 would take but a very short time for the country to be over- 

 run with the pest, and it is quite likely that ere this the moth 

 has spread over the greater part of the warm districts of 

 Australia. 



Such a circumstance nearly occurred to myself. Some of 

 the boxes containing queens imported direct from Italy, that 

 came to Matamata in the latter part of 1884, were crowded 

 with eggs and larvae of an enormous bee-moth, as well as the 

 perfect insect. Some of the larvae measured over an inch in 

 length. As soon as I made the discovery that the boxes con- 

 tained such unwelcome intruders, I opened them very cau- 

 tiously, shifted the queens and bees to clean boxes, and burnt 

 the others, with their combs, without delay. The boxes were 

 opened in a room, so that if any moths had flown, they could 

 have been easily captured. 



I would therefore warn all who may hereafter import bees 

 to be very cautious in opening hives or boxes, and to see that 

 no insects escape, and to examine the combs, or what is better, 

 put the bees into a clean hive, on clean combs, and make a fire 

 with those they came in. 



FUMIGATING COMBS. 



I have previously referred to fumigating combs to destroy 

 the bee-moth larva?, or any other insects that may have har- 

 boured in them. The following is the method : — Hang them 

 in a small close room (or if only a few, a large close box will 

 -do as well), burn one pound of sulphur to every one hundred 

 cubic feet contained in the room or box. To burn it, get an 

 iron pot, put some ashes in the bottom, with hot embers, and 

 pour on the sulphur ; shut the door of the room, or close up 

 the box, for two or three days. 



When combs are stowed away during the winter months, 

 they should be looked over occasionally, and if necessary fumi- 

 gated again as above described. Combs containing honey 

 stowed away should also be fumigated, if eggs or worms of 

 bee-moth are detected in them. 



