(>00 
MOTH MILLER 
larger one, Galleria mellonella , and the 
lesser wax moth, Achroia grisella. The for¬ 
mer is much the more general, and, because 
of that, more destructive. Either species 
thrives among the ignorant and' supersti¬ 
tious beekeepers, and particularly in box 
hives of black bees. In some of the south¬ 
ern States the bee moth is a serious enemy 
in that it destroys all second, third, and 
fourth swarms, leaving only the first 
swarm. Even the parent colony goes down 
with the rest. If it were not for the bee 
moth these old-time beekeepers would prob¬ 
ably be keeping three times as many bees, 
and, of course, getting a proportionately 
larger amount of honey. Unfortunately, 
some of this class will not be the ones who 
read a work of this kind; and it is to be 
hoped that the extension wor’kers sent out 
HOW TO DETERMINE THE PRESENCE OF THE 
WAX WORMS. 
The eggs hatch, and soon the larvae begin 
their chank, chank, chan king! If one will 
listen he will be able to hear these loath¬ 
some worms eating their way thru the 
combs. Their presence can be easily deter¬ 
mined also by a sort of webwork spotted 
with their excreta just beneath the surface 
of the comb, where, evidently, they try to 
keep out of sight, and away from the bees. 
As they become more numerous they fill 
the space between the combs with web. In 
the earlier stages a few young Italians will 
keep out the worms and carry them out of 
the entrance; but black bees, unless the 
colony is a strong one, will let them go on 
.until all the spaces between the combs are 
A sample of liow the eggs and eo-coons of the hee moth are deposited on wood. Sometimes the wood is 
grooved or eaten out. The illustration fails to convey the real filthiness of the mass. 
by the United States Government will soon 
be able to teach them modern methods— - 
methods that will eliminate the bee moth 
and render possible a very fair living (see 
Box Hives). The statement was made at 
the outset that the bee moth is regarded as 
a joke bv the modern beekeeper, and so it 
is. Since the introduction of the Italian 
bee and the movable frame there is no ex¬ 
cuse for having the pest among colonies or 
combs. In the first place, the Italian bees 
themselves will eliminate it, whether it be 
in a nucleus or a strong colony. Even an 
admixture of Italian blood will keep it 
under control. A weak colony of black bees 
is easily destroyed by the bee moth. 
filled with the web and these ugly wrig¬ 
gling worms. Brood-rearing will be brought 
to a standstill, and the elimination of the 
colony will take place about the time the 
old bees begin to die off. A strong colony 
of black bees will prevent the wax worm 
from making any progress in the hive, but 
a weak one of blacks is an easy prey. Here 
comes in the advantage of movable combs, 
which the owner can inspect. When he finds 
unmistakable traces of the wax worm he can 
help out the bees by cutting out the webs 
and worm with a knife or a stick; but it will 
be very difficult for him to eliminate all the 
eggs of the moth which may be scattered 
all thru the hive in cracks and crevices be- 
