BEE MANUAL. 269 
Cae Ae ee VT: 
ENEMIES OF BEES. 
THE Australasian colonies are certainly favoured with an 
exemption from many of the natural enemies of the bee, which 
are very troublesome in some of the older bee-keeping countries. 
AUSTRALASIAN EXEMPTIONS. 
There is here a total absence of wasps, hornets, and toads ; 
and I can answer for it that in New Zealand at least the ants 
are harmless, and the wax-moth not of a very formidable 
character. The principal enemies here are spiders, mice, the 
bee-hawk (libelluda), and the bee or wax moth. There are also 
other insects which occasionally enter weak hives, viz., wood- 
lice, earwigs, ants, and beetles; but it is thought these latter 
only enter the hives for shelter rather than plunder. Iam not 
aware that there are any birds here that attack bees, although 
I have been keeping a sharp look-out, and I have come to the 
conclusion that we have little to fear from that quarter. 
SPIDERS. 
These insects, if opportunity offers, spread their webs in front 
and around the hives to capture unwary bees; therefore the 
fewer corners or angles about them the better. Porches to 
hives, so much admired by some amateur bee-keepers, are not 
only useless, but make a very convenient place for spiders to 
carry on their work of destruction. The same may be said of 
bee-sheds and other unnecessary fixings.* 
* In the American Bee Journal for August, 1885, there is an interesting 
communication from the Rev. L. Langstroth, showing that in his experience 
he has found ‘spiders one of the bee-keeper’s best friends, to preserve 
empty combs from the ravages of the bee-moth.” He evenrecommends rear- 
ing spiders; that is, to place the so-called ‘“‘spider bags,” or webs, full of 
eggs, in the boxes in which the empty combs are kept over winter. This 
