April, '15] 



HUNTER: ECONOMIC RESULTS OF YEAR 



235 



First, to determine whether the bees would partake of the poison at 

 all, small piles were placed on the running board of the hives. Here, 

 the bees did not go out of their way to come to the piles, but those 

 which ran against it, stopped and began to lap up the mixture quite 

 greedily, sometimes starting off, to return to lap again. Such were 

 retained, and all died within three hours. 



A number of bees were confined in a bell-jar with this poison. After 

 a time, the bees came down and sipped the mash contentedly; they 

 would then fly to the top of the jar, to return again for more of the 

 sweet mixture. All those confined in the bell-jar partook of the mash 

 and died; but on the running board of the hive, only 15 of those that 

 passed over it during an hour's observations stopped to taste it. When 

 the bran mash was scattered about a few feet from the hive, not a 

 single bee halted to taste the substance. 



Second, the bran mash was distributed in a sweet-clover patch 

 where bees were unusually abundant and not one was observed feeding, 

 or in anyway being drawn toward the mixture. It was also distributed 

 freely among rotting peaches on the ground where bees were feeding 

 in large numbers, with similar results. 



Last year, the poison was placed around in small piles among api- 

 aries of 38 stands of bees and the honey systematically, taken from the 

 stands. This usually makes bees more active in feeding. Even under 

 these conditions, but a single bee was observed feeding on the mash. 

 These attempts at feeding the poison bran mash to the bees were re- 

 peated morning, noon and night, and no evidences were observed which 

 would tend to show that there was any appreciable danger to the bees 

 from the distribution of this poison. 



Furthermore, against the insects for which this poison is used, it is 

 most effective when scattered early in the morning or late in the even- 

 ing. Before the working hours of the bees began, the poison would, 

 then, be too dry for them to feed upon. 



From this it would appear that when the poison mash confronts 

 the bees, they will partake of it and perish; but, that the use of the 

 mash in field work is not attended by danger to bees. 



Another common inquiry is the effect of this poison upon chickens. 

 One series of experiments carried on in a ten-acre truck patch, com- 

 posed of onions, rhubarb, asparagus, sweet-potatoes and tomatoes, 

 will serve as an answer. This plot, located in Gray county, near Cim- 

 meron, attracted grasshoppers from all the adjoining fields. The 

 poison bran mash was scattered over this patch two or three times 

 every week, in order to kill the hoppers as fast as they came in. The 

 owner likewise used his chickens, about 500 in number. These were 

 distributed in coops over the whole garden every morning, and no 

 chickens, whether large or small, were poisoned. 



