46 
This loathsome insect is suffered to enter the 
hive usually unmolested — it accomplishes its ob- 
ject, and leaves the hive to die. The moth is of 
the butterfly form, small size, of a grayish color, 
and makes its appearance about the first of May, 
and continues till autumn: usually till about the 
first of October. The eggs hatch in about two 
weeks, and produce very small worms, which in 
a well populated hive are immediately seized by 
the bees, and thrown to the bottom of the hive ; 
if this bottom be the double inclined plane, instead 
of returning to the combs, they are immediately 
discharged to the ground, from whence they can- 
not return. On the common platform, in the box 
hive, the young worm on being thrown down 
from the combs, immediately crawls up the sides 
of the hives, and continues to crawl up when 
thrown down by the bees, until it is of sufficient 
size to spin its web, when it is no longer assailed 
by the bees, but suffered to commit its nefarious 
depredations unmolested — its cocoon being im- 
penetrable by the bees. By addition of numbers, 
the brood of the bees is soon destroyed, the bees 
routed, and the victors take possession of the spoil. 
They feed on the wax and comb, devouring in 
their march the cells which contain the eggs and 
the young brood of bees, until they are wholly 
destroyed. Having, at length, attained their full 
size and maturity, the worms are changed into a 
chrysalis state, their bodies are contracted within 
their cocoon, they cease to feed, and in due time 
are transformed into a winged insect, the true bee 
moth. The length of the worm when full grown, 
is about an inch ; and I have seen them at their 
full size early in April. 
