f‘ m 3. 232-613-lOm ‘TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS I i {IQBULLIETIN NO. 15s JUNE, 191s r’! Investigations Pertaining to Texas Beekeeping EXPERIMENTS IN ARTIFICIAL DIVISION AND SWARlVI-CONTROL By Wilmon Newell, State Entomologist and Entomologist to the Experiment Stations THE LIFE HISTORY AND CONTROL OF THE BEE-MOTH OR WAX-WORM By F. B. Paddock, Assistant Entomologist A STATISTICAL STUDY OF TEXAS BEEKEEPING By William Harper Dean, Formerly Assistant Entomologist I‘ r1 I,‘ M‘: ‘I ~ ,|l I I \ I '1. , 1|' o i‘ ml‘ ‘ " “pl: .1 l‘ J1! ‘ ‘. ' i I! A ll mill l I . 11- In, 1 - I r||. t»; ‘ l’. it)‘ l ‘i a. ~ ""~‘ill"‘ ‘ ‘i "Hts: ‘ \ “might sh ll .0 ‘its ,.:___~#=*=== mi“ I ti! ~- ‘ILJII j ni M Al - illlliilléllilillllililll‘itH“ * POSTOFFICE: v COLLEGE STATION, BRAZOS COUNTY, TEXAS AUSTIN, Terms 1913 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. GOVERNING BOARD. Board of Directors, A. and M. College. < E. B. CUSHING, President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Houston JoHN I. GUIoN, Vice President . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Ballinger L. J. HART . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..San Antonio J. ALLEN KYLE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Houston WALToN PETEET . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Fort Worth R. L. BENNETT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Paris ED R. KoNE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Austin President of the College. . R. T. HILNER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..College Station ‘ Station Stafi”. B. YoUNcBLooD, H. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .'. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Director M. FRANoIs, D. V. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Veterinarian G. S. FRAPs, PH. D . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Chemist H. NEss, M. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Horticulturist J. C. BURNS, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Animal Husbandman WILMoN NEWELL, M. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Entomologist A. B. CoNNER, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Agronomist F- H- BLQDGETT, PH- D~ -- - - - - - - - - - . . . ..Plant Pathologist and Physiologist REX E. WILLARD, M. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Farm Management Expert W. L. BoYETT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..State Feed Inspector J. B. RATHER, M. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Chemist F. B. PADDOCK, B. S. E . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Entomologist H. H. JoBsoN, B. S . . . . . . . . . . .~ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Assistant Agronomist W1LLIAM LEVIN, A. B . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Chemist H, B, SPAULDING, B. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Chemist H. SCHMIDT, D. V. M . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Assistant Veterinarian CHAs. A. FELKER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Chief Clerk A. S. WARE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Secretary J. l“. SCHAEDEL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ Hstenggrapher C. A. CASE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Stenographer R. L. SPILLER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . “Mailing Clerk STATE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT ‘STATIONS. Governing Board. Hrs EXCELLENCY, GovER-NoR O. B. CoLQUITT . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Austin LIEUTENANT GovERNoR WILL H. MAYES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Brownwood COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE E1) R. KoNE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Austin Director of Experiment Stations. ' B. YoUNcBLooD, M. S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .College Station Superintendent-s of Sub-Stations. E. E. BINFoRD, Beeville Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Beeville, Bee- County W. S. HoToKIss, Troup Sub-Station . . . . . ... . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Troup, Smith County E, H, JOHNSON, Co-operative Rice Station . . . . . . . ..Beaumont, Jefferson County R. W. EDWARDS, Supt. Co-operative Forage Crops Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Chillicothe, Hardeman County I. S. YoRK, Spur Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Spur, Dickens County A. K. SHORT, Temple-Belton Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Temple, Bell County . T. \V. BUELL, 1361113011 SIlb-Sta-timl - . - - - - . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Denton, Denton County V. L. CoR-Y, Lubbock Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Lubbock, Lubbock County H, C, STEWART, Pecos Sub-Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..Pecos, Reeves County N. E. WINTERS, Angleton Sub-S'E&ti011-- . . . . . . . . . . . ..Angleton, Brazoria County G. T. RZICNESS, NEICOgdOClIGS Sub-Station _ _ _ _ _ __Na,(§()doehes, Nacogdoches County *C. S. SCHAREE, Feeding and Breeding Station. .College Station, Brazos County N0TE-—The main Station is lOcated on the grounds of the Agricultural and Mechanical College, in Brazos county. The postoffice address is College Station, Texas. Reports and bulletins are sent upon application to the Director. A postal card will bring these publications. *Acting. CONTENTS. Experiments in Artificial Division and Swarm-Control: Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Nature of the Experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 The Season . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 Swarm-Control Experiments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Artificial Division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 Increasing Size of Brood—Chamber . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Increasing Super-Room . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Shaking onto Foundation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Comparative Honey Production of Italians and Carniolans . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 The Life History and Control of the Bee-Moth or Wax-Worm: Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 15 Economic Importance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 Loss Caused by, in Texas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Origin and Distribution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Life Cycle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 The Adult Moth. . . ._ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Habits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 17 Mating and Oviposition . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 The Egg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 The Larva . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .- . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 The Pupa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 Life History . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Natural Enemies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Artificial Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .' . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Fumigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 26 Sulfur Dioxide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Carbon Bisulfide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Directions for Fumigating . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 A Statistical Study of Texas Beekeeping: Introduction. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Number and Value of Colonies, by Counties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 Honey Production by Colonies, Season of 1911 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 Average Prices Received for Honey, Different Localities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Production of Wax by Counties, 1911 . . . . . . . . . . . . . ._ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Professional Beekeeping vs. Beekeeping as a Side Issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4O Queens Produced, 1911. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . f . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 BLANK PAGE IN ORIGINAL ERRATA. Explaidation 0f Plate III, below should read “larva” instead of “larvae.” Page 21, line 23, should read “Plate V, below’; instead of “Plate V, Z2.” Page 21, line should read “Plate Vi, Tight”, instead 0f “Plate m w Page 21, line 36,_should Tead “Plate III, below” instead of “Plate III, ca” Page 21, line 3e, ShOuld read “Plate v1, left” instead e1? “Plate VI.” QmEmEOV .2869 $35.0 wouwkm E wopmooq Afiwazofiowqmwowwpm 23 mo F551» Rwcofiionxmlaq ofifim INVESTIGATION PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. EXPERIMENTS IN ARTIFICIAL» DIVISION AND SWARM- CONTROL. Bx WVrrnirox NmvnLL. So far as his other duties permit, the State Entomologist conducts- experiments with honey-bees with a. view to laer-fecting or improving prac- tical methods of handling them under Texas conditions. The experiments described herein were made during the season of 1912f in the writer’s apiary of sixty colonies, located an the Brazos river in Brazos county. Unfortunately, the number of colonies included in each experiment was smaller than desirable, but owing to- the fact that the writer has to conduct other research work for the Experiment Station, has charge of the foul brood eradication for the State of Texas and in addition is obliged to handle a. large correspondence throughout the entire year, it has been impossible for him to maintain and care for" a larger apiary. For the same reason, the experiments here mentioned . y are relatively simple ones. The fact that very little in the way of experi~ mental work with bees has ever been done in Texas is our only justifi- cation and excuse for publishing these results. The reader may rest assured, however, that the experiments, as far as they go, have been made with painstaking care, the records are precise and accurate, and the yields of honey given are exact to the pound. NATURE OF TI-IE EXPERIMENTS. The apiary contained for the most part three-banded Italians, several Oarniolan colonies and a few hybrid colonies. The first line of experimentation was to test different manipulations in their effect in discouraging or retarding swarming. In connection with this the honey production of the colonies treated by the different methods was also determined and compared. i The second line of observation was that of determining the comparative production of honey by both Italian and Oarniolan colonies, kept in the same yard and under the same conditions. All the colonies were domiciled in the standard ten-frame dovetailed hives, with Hoffman style brood-frames, the combs being in nearly all cases built from full sheets of foundation. The supers used were all of the shallow extracting type, frequently referred to as the “Ideal” by many 'l‘exas beekeepers. The production of colonies, as given below, has reference in every case to extracted honey, and particular pains were taken to determine the yield of each colony with accuracy. When the full supers were taken from the hives, the hive number was. marked on the super with chalk. When carried into the extracting room the super was weighed and its number and gross weight set down in the record. The honey was then 6 "Farms AGR.ICUI.TL'IL-\L EXPERIMENT STATIONS. extracted and cach empty comb returned to the super from which it was taken. The super with its empty combs was then Weighed, the weight recorded, and the difference between its weight when full and when empty set down as the net weight of evtracted honey taken from it. ' THE SEASON. A general knowledge of the season, the time and duration of honey- fiows, the available honey-plants, -etc., is _quite necessary to a proper understanding of the experiments and their results. Upon the whole, the season was what the laeekeeper would consider “fair.” The experimental apiary is located upon a sandy ridge less than one-half mile from the Brazos river. On this ridge horsemint* grows in abundance, as well as in waste places in the river bottom across the river from the apiary. A considerable area of cotton, in the Brazos bottoms proper and in a wide creek bottom near at hand, is within easy reach of the bees. However, the principal source of honey was the horsemint, fully 80 per cent of the surplus being secured from this plant. The amount of honey producc-rd by the cotton was relatively small and would not, of itself, have constituted a surplus of any importance. The follow- ing data, taken from the writer’s notes, will convey to the experienced beekeeper a fair idea of the season and of the bees’ activities at different times: “l*‘ebruary* 28.~—Weather still cold, temperature 32° : nothing in bloom. March 3.—Warmer; plum and peach beginning to bloom. March 15.—-C0ld spell; freezing. March 16.—First adult drones hatching in the hives. March 20.——Dewberries in bloom; first oak blooms. March 30.—Bluebonnet, wild vetch, wild pea and post oaks now in bloom. Supply of nectar about equal to amount being consumed by the bees. March 31.—Swarming fever coming on. Wild grape beginning to_ bloom. April 3.—Some honey being deposited in supers. Placed supers ou strongest colonies. April 5-9.—Rain. - April 9.—-Youpon beginning to bloom. Swarming impulse strong. April ]1.—Youpon blooming well. More rain. April 22.—Youpon flow over with; red haw and black haw in full bloom. Swarming fever still strong. The colonies have put in an average of about 15 pounds surplus up to this time. May 1.—Ha\v done blooming; no honey-flour. Bees inclined to rob. May 1-12.—No honey-flow. Bobbing bad. May 16.—Prickly pear coming into bloom. First horsemint bloom of the season discovered. May 23.—-C‘onsiderable horsemint in bloom, but weather dry. Honey- flow very light. May 28.—Heavy rain. May 31.—Horsemint in full bloom. Honey-flow increasing rapidly. *Monarda punctata. INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPIXG. ~11 June 3.—M ore rain. Flow very heavy. June 15.—IIorsemint still in full bloom but honey-flow slackening on account of no rain. June 17.——Good rain, with cool norther. June ISL-Honey-flowr improved slightly. June 20.—I*»‘irst honey extracted from supers. June 24;.—-Horse1nint flow failing. July 4.—Horsemint flow entirely’ over; seeds ripe. July12.-—All horsemint dead. (‘otton honey beginning t0 come in sloyvly’. i July 20.—Very hot and dry. No honey-flow at all. August 8.~—Still no rain. Amount of honey from cotton hardly’ suf- ficient to be perceptible in supers. September 16.—First light shower since June 17th. September l7.—Bees getting a little dark honey, source ll11l{110\V11. September ]9.——Weather has been very hot to the present time. First fall in temperature today—60° night telnperature. October 15.—A little honey has been coming in from broomweed and cotton since September 17th, but of little importance. Weather cooler. Reduced entrances of weakest colonies. October 16-17.—First autumn rain of importance. October 18.——First norther, temperature 58°. - October 20-November 25.—Light flow from cotton and broomweed con- tinued. A small amount of honey placed in the supers. but averaging less than 10 pounds per colony. November 2'7.—First frost.” SIVARBI-CONTROL EXPERIMENTS. The term “swarm-control” should not, in this instance, be construed too literally, for the experiments UIlClGl‘ this head had as their object» the prevention, anticipation or delay of swarming in order that natural swarms would not be lost in the out-apiary Where the colonies were located. The methods used for this purpose may be grouped as follows: 1. Artificial division of colonies. 2. Increasing size of brood chamber: (a) Before queen-cells were started. (b) After queen-cells were started. Increasing super-space. but without increasing size of brood- chamber. 4. Shaking colonies onto foundation. 1. Artificial Division. The question is often asked: “Which is the most profitable, to prevent a colony from swarming and thus conserve its strength, or to divide it into two colonies early in the season and have both of them gather honey?” The question is an interesting one as well as an important one and, from conversations ivnich the ivriter has had with various bee- keepers, the consensus of opinion seems to be that the one colony, if increase is prevented, will give the most profitable returns. It must be conceded that various factors have a bearing on this question, and this S TEXAS iXGRICU-LTURAI. EXPERIMENT STATIONS. is particularly true of the time and duration of the honey-flow as well as upon how much time elapses between the time of division and the‘ beginning of the main honey-flown - In the attempt t0 answer this question for the conditions prevailing in Brazos county, the Writer undertook the experiments described below. Five strong colonies were (lividetl early in the season, making ten colonies in all. The production of these ten colonies was determined and com- pared With the average production of other strong colonies i11 the same yard which did not swarm and which were not divided. All of the colo- nies involved in this experiment were tyrpical three-banded Italians. Colony No. 106.-—On lllarch 31st this colony was very’ strong and building queen-cells. On April 2nd it was divided, the queen and five frames of brood and bees being placed on a new stand and thereafter known as “Colony No. 206.” On the old stand, No. 106, were left the other five frames of bees and brood and a ripe queen-cell. Both colonies were given a sufiicient number of frames with full sheets of foundation to fill out the ten-frame hives. ‘ The total surplus laroduction of No. 106 for the season was 32 pounds and of No. 206 was 49 pounds. Colony N0. ]07.—This colony was (livided in the same manner as No. 106, the division being made on March 31st, when the colony was very strong‘ and had plenty of sealed queen-cells. In this case the queen and five frames of bees and brood were removed to a new stand known as “N o. 207.” The surplus produced by No. 107 during the entire season amounted to 36 pounds extracted honey, while No. 207 produced 81 pounds. Colony N0. 317.—Th'is colony was also very strong and had sealed queen-cells on March 31st, so was divided on that date in the same manner as Nos. 106 and 107. The queen and five frames of brood and bees, removed to the new stand, were subsequently designated as “Colony No. 417.” The stirplus production of No. 317 for the season was 33 pounds, and of No. 417 was 115 pounds. Colony N0. 319.——On April 2nd this colony was very strong and had about a half dozen sealed queen-cells. On this date it was divided in the manner above described, the queen and five frames of brood and bees being moved to a new stand and (lesignzitetl as “No. 419.” No. 319 produced 75 pounds stirplus honey, and No. 419 produced 54 pounds by the end of the season. - Colony N0, 517.—On March 31st this colony was very strong and had plenty of queen-cells. Division was made as in the case of the preceding colonies, and the new colony, composed of the queen and five frames of bees and brood, was called “No. 613.” The season’s surplus production‘ by No. 517 was 32 pounds and by No. 613 was 63 pounds. In all of these divisions it should be noted that the portion of the colony (leprivetl of the layiing queen was left upon the original stand, so that it had the advantage of all “field bees” belonging to the original colony. In other words, the part moved to a new stand had the advan- tage of a laying queen and the part remaining on the old stand, having only a ripe queen-cell, had advantage of all fielders, as the latter all re- turned to the location of the old colony. s Invnsrresxrroxs PERTAINING TO Texas BEEKEEPING. S) The results of these five divisions are more readily compared by con- sulting the following table: Divided Into Colonies. Ori inal NVith Ripe Queen-cell With Laying Total Production of the Co ony and Field Bees. Queen. Two Colonies Made No. by Division, Colony Surplus Colony Surplus Pounds No. Produced, No. Produced, Pounds. Pounds. 106 106 32 206 49 81 107 107 36 . 207 81 117 317 317 33 417 115 148 319 319 75 419 54 129 517 517 32 613 63 95 Totals. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 20s . . . . . . . . . ..l 362 570 Averages. . . . . . . . . . .. 42 72 114 The most apparent fact shown bf; the above table is that the colonies which had a laying queen from the start produced an average of 30 pounds more per colony than the others, even though they were handi- capped at the beginning by being deprived of all fielders. It seems a safe conclusion that, had the ones which were provided with a ripe queen-cell at the time of division (Nos. 106, 107, 317, 319 and 517) been provided With a laying queen instead, their production would have been at least as great as the others, especially as they had the advantage of retaining all fielders a.t the time the division was made; The conclusion is justified that the purchase of queens for these colonies, even at a price of $1 each, would have been 1Jrofitable, inasmuch as this would have increased the average production of these colonies by 30 pounds of ex- tracted honey, worth, at a net price of 7 cents, $2.10?“ The average profit from put-chasing queens "for these five colonies would have been $1.10 per colony. ' The outcome of this experiment should also be viewed in another way ; whether the production of the two divided colonies would have equaled the production of the original five had they not been divided and had their swarming been prevented. 1n the apiary there were sixteen colonies which did not swarm during the season, or which were prevented from swarming by the manipulations which they received. These sixteen colonies produced on ttverage surplus of 127 pounds per colony. From the above table it is seen that the average production of each two colonies made by division was 114 pounds, or 13 pounds less than that of the colonies which did not swarm. Stated in another way, it may be safely assumed that the five original colonies, had they not been divided, would have produced an average of 127 pounds of honey each, as against the average of 1111 pounds actually) made by the two colonies which resulted from each division. This would appear at. first sight. to indicate a slightly larger production (13 pounds ‘per colony) in the case of colonies not *For the purpose of estimating the'value of these productions we have arbi- trarily assumed a_wholesale price of 8 cents per pound for extracted honey, to the beekeeper, and have deducted therefrom 1 cent per pound for cost of cans, leaving the net value of the honey 7 cents per pound. The profit or loss from the expel-invent, at any price for honey, may be readily computed from the data given. 10 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. divided, as compared to those which were divided. However, the fact that the diyrision resulted. in a net increase of one colony of bees must also be taken into consideration in determining the profit or loss from the experiment. In the case of the colonies which were not divided, we had one colony at the end of the experiment, the same as at the beginning, and an average honey production of 127 pounds, worth, at 7 cents per pound, $8.89. In the case of the colonies which were divided, on the other hand, we obtained not only the surplus honey, but also one addi- tional colony of bees. he honey produced by the two colonies, made by division of one, averaged 1111- pounds, worth, at 7 cents, $7.98. The additional colony, without the frames or hives to contain it, may safely be estimated as worth, with its queen, $3 more, making the season’s net income from dividing‘ one colony amount to the total of $7.98 and $3, or $10.98 in all. This comparison may be more readily made in the following manner: Average income from one colony (ili-vided into two at beginning of the season: ' i 114 pounds surplus honey,.at 7 cents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ _7 98 ladditional colony of bees, net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3 00 Total income . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..$10 98 Average income from one colony not divided: 127 pounds surplus honey, at 7 cents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 89 Difference in favor of division, per colony . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 2 O9 In considering this difference in favor of dividing the colonies, as compared to keeping them intact and preventing increase, one should not lose sight of the fact that these colonies were divided between March 31st and April 4th, fully six weeks before the main honey-flow from horse- mint, which commenced between May 15th and 20th. Had the divisions been made later, there would have been less time for the divided colonies to build up in strength and their production would have been correspond- ingly smaller. Had the divided colonies 106, 107, 317, 319 and 517, which received ripe queen-cells a.t the time of division, been furnished with laying queens instead, their production would, as already shown, doubtless have been as great as that of the colonies (206, 207, 417, 419 and 613) which did have a laying queen, or 30 pounds more per colony than was actually obtained. In this case the outcome would have been substantially as follows: Average income from one colony divided into two at the beginning of the season ; each divided portion. being furnished with laying queen: 144 pounds surplus, at 7 cents net . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$10 08 1 additional colony of bees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. 3 00 . $13 08 Less cost of one queen . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 00 Net income, average . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$12 08 INv1zs'r[s.-xr1o.\'s PEPJLZXIXIXG TO Texas BEEKEEPING. 11 Piverage income from colony} not divided: 127 pounds surplus, at '7 cents . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..$ 8 89 Difference in favor of division . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .$ 8 19 2. Increasing 1362c of Brood-Ohlamber. While swarming is but the natural response to an instinct calling for an increase in communities, just as brood-rearing is the response to the instinct for increasing the number of individuals Within the colony, it has, nevertheless, long been recognized by beekeepers that a crowded condition of the hive is one of the conditions which induces the swarming fever and precipitates swarming. Many of the methods in vogue for delaying swarming, or preventing it entirely, are based upon giving the colony an abundance of room in which to store honey and to rear brood. Some of our experiments were conducted to determine the eitect, in discouraging swarming, of giving additional room within the hive, either by increasing the size of the brood chamber or of the super-room. In some instances this additional room was given before the first queen-cells were started; in other cases, afterwards. ln thecase of Colonies 102, 103, 101-, 320 and 321, the space in which the queen could lay was increased, prior to the appearance of the first (lueen-cells, by adding a super of empty combs above the brood-nest, with no queen-excluding honey-board between. As is readily seen, this in- creased the size of the brood-chamber by about 50 per cent. The details of these experiments follow: Colony N0. 102.—On March 31st, with the colony strong, the super of empty’ combs was added. "By April 11th eggs had been laid in the super-combs and some honey stored in them, but no cells had been built. On April 21st the colony cast a swarm. Colony No. 103.--O.n March 31st the colony was strong and the super of empty combs was given. By April 11th thesuper was well filled with brood and honey and on April 22nd another super was given. The colony did not build any queen-cells during the season, and its total production of honey was 154 pounds. Uolony 1V0. 10-1.-—On March 31st, the colony being very; strong, a super of empty combs was given. A second super was given on April 11th. after the first one had been well filled with brood and honey. The colony did not build queen-cells or swarm during the season. The honey yield, however, was but 69 pounds. Ciolong/ No. 320.-Received the super of empty combs on March 31st. On April 22nd the colony was building queen-cells and these were de- stroyed, another empty super bein g given at the same time. The building of queen-cells was abandoned by the bees until about May 12th, when they built cells again, and swarmed about May 16th or 17th. Colony No. 321.—This colony received its super of empty combs on Mairch 31st and a second super on April 22nd. No queen-cells were built until early in May, and the colon_v cast a swarm about May 5th or 6th. Thus, of the five colonies, the queens of which were furnished with 50 per cent more room for egg-laying prior to the appearance of the swarming fever, two did not swarm and three cast swarms. 12 “farms AGRICULTURAL Exrnunrnnr STATIONS. A similar treatment was given colonies 322, 324, 325, 515 and 516; that is, the brood-chamber was increased 50 per cent in size, prior to the advent of the swarming fever, but in addition a super was also added above the enlarged brood-chamber. Colony N0. 322.—On April 2nd the colony was strong and no queen- cells had been started. Two shallow extracting supers, both containing drawn-out empty combs, were placed above the brood-chamber. A Wood and wire queen-excluding honey-board was placed between the two supers. The lower super served to increase the size of the brood-chamber by one- hall’, as the queen could lay in it at pleasure. The upper super was intended for storage of honey. At this time the light l101]G_\~'—flOW was about equal to the daily consumption for brood-rearing. On April 12th it was found that the queen had not laid in the lower super and, instead, the bees had nearly filled it with honey, leaving the upper super still empty. The supers were accordingly reversed, bringing the empty super next to the brood-nest. and the partially filled one above it, with the honey- board still between the two supers. On April 23rd it was found that the super next to the brood-nest contained honey, but no brood, while the upper super xvas again empty. Tllhe supers were accordingly reversed again. Up to this time no queen-cells had been built. The colony cast a swarm during‘ the first week in May. Colony No. 324-.—VeryI strong on April 3rd; no queen-cells. Two supers were given as in the case of Nos. 322 and 3211. By April 12th many queen-cells had been built and the colony was ready to swarm. It was then used for another experiment. (folony/ N0. 515.—'.l‘reated, on April 3rd, in the same manner as de- scribed tor Nos. 322, 324 and 325. No queen-cells were built prior to April 23ml, but cells were built and the colony swarmed about April 28th. Colony 1Y0. 516.—Ver_v' strong on April 3rd ; no queen-cells. Treated. in the same manner as Nos. 322, 324, and 515. On April 12th the lower super contained honey’, while the upper one was empty. The supers were reversed, so as to bring the empty one next to the larood-chamber. On April 22nd the colony had plenty of queen-cells and was ready to swarm. - Thus, out 0t the five colonies that received .50 per cent additional roonr in the l)I'OOCl-Cl1£1111l3€1‘ and an equivalent amount in super-room, four (leveloped. the» swarming fever and one did not. A similar addition of two supers of empty] combs was made to Oolonies 323, 503, 512, 5H and 518, but in the case of these the supers were added (zfter queen-cells had been started and the latter were torn down at the time. In the case of all five colonies queen-cells were built again imme- rliately and the treatment had no apparent effect on the swarming ‘ impulse. In the case of the ten colonies (102, 103, 104, 320, 321, 322, 3241-, 325, 515 and 516) which received the increase of 50 per cent in the capacity of the brood-chamber prior to the development of the swarming impulse, three did not swarm at all and in the case of the other seven swarming was apparently delayed for from two to three weeks. Strong colonies not treated in this manner swarmed, in most cases, during the first week in April, whereas most of the treated ones did not swarm until between April 20th and May 5th. For the seven colonies the treatment did no INVESTIGATIONS Piairraiiviivc ro Texas BEEKEEPING. 13 more than delay the time of swarming. This was a decided disadvantage under the conditions existing, for in. the ease of the colonies Wl11Cll swarmed early, both new swarm and old colony had ample time t0 build up in strength before the main honev-tloiv commenced between the 15th - and 20th of May. ’.l"he late swarms were, of course, weak at the laeginning of the honeyfloiv and, without exception, their surplus production was very' low, as they did not store any honey to speak of until the honcywiliav: was more than half over. 'l.‘his loss was not compensated for by the rather ht-avy production of the three that did not swarm. As stated in a preceding paragraph, these experiments should be con- strued in the light of a clear understanding of the conditions existing in this locality. Where the swarming season comes on from six to seven weeks in advance of the main l]O11G_\_’-IflO\\', as in this instance, the delay of swarming, by giving additional room or by ilestroyiing tiueenicells, seems inadvisable. An artificial (livision of the colonies, or their treat- ment by the “shaking”Jnethod, appears to bring much better retui-nz-i. 3. Zizcrc-czsiizg l_.i’tli7)8)"R00”l. Many experiments were tried in which a large amount of super-room was furnished the colonies, both prior to the (levelopment of the s\i'ai'miiig fever and afterivards. It is unnecessary to take space for (lescribing these experiments, as in no case did the addition of abundant super-room have any perceptible effect upon the sxvarining tendency. 4. Slialiviivig Oizto FOUi'Il(Z(lt1:.O7l/. ' A common method of swarm control in vogue among Texas beekeepers is that known as “shaking.” When the colony shows syunptoms of swarin- ing and is building queen-cells, another hive is prepared, containing frames filled with foundation, preferably full sheets. "llhecoloiry is placed to one side and the hive, containing the foundation, placed on the old stand. The combs are then taken from the old hive and the bees and queen shaken from thiam onto the ground in front of the new hive. In this Way the colony is transferred, with rather rough handling and much excitement, to a brood-cha.mbei' containing nothing but foundation. The super, if one has been on the old hive. is transferred to the new one. The hive containing the brood and one or more queen-cells, with sutficient workers to care for the unsealed brood, is placed on a new stand and the CDJETQHCC contracted somewhat to prevent robbing, and left there. In course of time a young queen issues, mates, commences layiing, and, with the hatching ivorkers, constitutes a new colonv.* In the ease of several of our colonies this shaking treatment was given as a preventive of swarming. - Five colonitf-s, all of which were very strong at the time, and were building queen-cells, were shaken onto foundation on April 21st and 22nd. The swarming impulse was checked entirely and these five colonies pro- duced, respectively, 1'75, 117, 108, 1'74. and 118 pounds of surplus during the season, an average of 13'?‘ pounds each. Twielve colonies in the yard, “Rough shaking of combs hearing sealed queen-cells will. in nearly all eases. kill the queens within. For this reason the bees should be gently IJPIISIIIVI» from the comb which contains the queen-c-ell that is to be preserved for hatching. 14 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. which did not swarm and which were not manipulated in any way to prevent swarming, produced an average of 120 pounds per colony, hence it does not appear that the shaking treatment materially reduced the honey production of these colonies. One might be inclined, from a con- sideration of these figures, to suppose that the shaking treatment had actually increased the production, but such a conclusion would not be correct. The fact that the five “shaken” colonies made a higher average yield than the twelve which did not swarm is doubtless accounted for by the fact that these five colonies were exceptionally strong. Had it been possible to prevent them from swarming and still retain all their brood, their production would have been even higher than it was following the shaking treatment. HONEY PRODITCTION OF OARNIOLAN AND ITALIANS COMPARED. We had in this yard tour Carniolan colonies which were up to full strength at the beginning of the honey-flow._ They produced, respectively, 79, 98, 115 and 121 pounds oi“. surplus during theseason, or an average of 103 pounds per colony. Twenty Italian colonies, also in good con- dition and strong at the opening of the honey season, made a.n average of 121 pounds per colony. It also happened that the average production of the Oarniolan colonies, 103 pounds per _eolony, was exactly the average production of all colonies, Carniolans, Italians and hybrids, in the apiary. 1n fairness to the Oarniolans, it should be said, however, that four colonies is too small a number to give an accurate index of producing capacity. It is never possible to get even ‘two colonies at exactly the same strength or in the same condition, hence reliable conclusions from experiments in which honey production is involved can be arrived at only by a large number of experiments and by taking the average production of a large number of colonies. We offer the above figures for what they are worth and they show that the Oarniolans at least equaled the average of the yard. It is expected that more complete data on relative production by the Carniolans and Italians will be available at the end of the coming season, as the result of experiments which are now under way and which include a larger number of colonies. BLANK PAGE IN ORIGINAL 6353.28 .855 i Hugh“: 6 mnEoo so wmwv s 33E é "nwofiloon 23 we @035 PHWHIQH opfim THE LIFE HISTORY AND CONTROL OF THE BEE-MOTH OR WAX-WORM. BY F. B. PAnnocK. A serious hindrance to the beekeeping industry in the State of Texas, as well as in many other States, is the bee-moth (Galleria. mellonella). Under the name of “ureb-vrorm” this pest is known t0 every beekeeper,. but it is not as generally known that these web-worms develop, after- maturity, into moths or “millers.” The larvae feed upon stored comb and honey, as well as on combs in the hive, and this makes it a difficult pest to fight sticcessfullv. When and how this pest was introduced into Texas is not known, nor has the location of the first infestation been determined. It is evident that. the dissemination has been complete, fo-r there are few counties in the State where bees are kept that are free from the pest today. The climate of the State, with its long, hot summers and short, mild winters, greatly favors the increase of the insect and it is much harder to fight here than in many other States. In Colorado the high altitude is apparently a check on its development and in the Northeastern States the long, cold winters act as a natural checlz to a considerable extent. W ith some beekeepers this insect is no longer considered a serious pest, for they realize that if the colony is provided with a vigorous queen and is kept strong the bee-moth cannot enter the hive to deposit the eggs which hatch into the worms. The insect has become very largely an enemy of bees in box hives and a destroyer of stored comb and honey, found often around the honey house and in piles of unused supers of comb. In large apiaries the wax and comb that is often carelessly left lying around affords sufficient food in which the insect breeds, ready toj infest any weak colony in the vicinity. With many beekeepers the bee- moth is a source of continuous trouble, for if the bees are not closely watched and become queenless, the colony is sure to become infested in a very short time. If the bee-moth becomes established in a locality it is very hard to exterminate. At present the beekeepers are not able to more than check the pest, but it is hoped. that a more thorough knowledge of ‘the habits and life history will result in better control of this enemy andl a reduction of the loss now suffered from its ravages. ECONOMIC IMPORTANCE. What this pest is costing the beekeepers of the State is hard to deter- mine. The price of bees, honey and wax varies in the different sections of the State. Often the loss of colonies is attributed to other causes and itrequently the presence of the bee-moth is not detected. In the reports which have been received from beekeepers, no mention has been made of the loss of stored comb, but this must certainly be considerable. The loss in some cases is very heavy. In reporting for the year 1911, 136 beekeepers reported losses varying from 5 per cent of their colonies to as high as 95 per cent. lVIany more beekeepers reported the presence 1.6 Texas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. of the laee-moth as “general,” indicating that they suffered no small loss. In one very "svell-kept apiaryr that has come under the observation of the writer there is an annual loss of 3 per cent due to. the bee-moth. It is safe to say that in many of the larger apiaries throughout the State this loss is not uncommon, while in the smaller apiaries and in box-hive apiaries the loss is much greater, as was indicated by the reports referred to above. The census of 1910 shows 233,10’? colonies of bees in the State, and it is generally conceded that these figures are much below the actual number. Assuming that 3 per cent is the average annual loss of colonies due to the ivax-tvorm, including the large losses in the poorly kept apiaries, it is seen that the annual loss amounts to at least 7000 colonies. At an average valuation of $3 per colony, this amounts to $21,000 a year, a very considerable tax on the beekeeping industry of the State. ORIGIN AND DISTRIBUTION. “llherc is some dispute and no little uncertainty about the origin of the bee-moth. Dr. A. J. Cook has this to say in regard to its origin: “These moths were known to writers of antiquity’, as even Aristotle tells of their injury. They are wholly of Oriental origin, and are often referred to by European writers as a terrible pest.”"‘ fl‘he bee-moth was introduced into America about 1805, though bees had been introduced some time prior to this. The time of the intro- » duction of the bee-moth into Texas is not known. The insect is now found in Italy, Germany, France, England, Ireland, India, Australia and in most of the beekeeping sections of the United States. This insect is distributed practically all over Tllexas. Follouring is a list of counties from which the bee-moth has been reported to us by beekeepers-z Anderson, Atascoszi, Bandera, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, BeXar, Blanco, Bosque, Bowie, Brazo-ria, Brazos, Brooks, Brown, Burleson ,Burnet, Cald- well, Callahan, Cass, Cherokee, Coleman, Collin, Colorado, Comanche, Concho, Cooke, Coryell, Crockett, Dallas, Delta, Ellis, Erath, Falls, Fan- nin, Fayette, Franklin, Freestone, Gonzales, Gregg, Grimes, Guadalupe, Hamilton, Harrison, Hays, Henderson, Hill, Houston, Hunt, Jasper, Jefferson, Karnes, Kaufman, Kendall, Kerr, Kimble, Lamar, Lampasas, Lavaca, Lee, Leon, Liberty, Limestone, Llano, Madison, McCulloch, “NIcLennan, Mason, McMullen, Medina, Milam, Mills, Morris, Navarro, Nolan, Nueces, Panola, Parker, Polk, Rains, Red River, Robertson, Rockwell, Runnels, Rusk, Sabine, San J acinto, Schleicher, Shackelford, Smith, Stephens, Taylor, Travis, ’I‘rinity, Tyler, Uvalde, Val Verde, Waller, lVard, Washington, Wood, Wilson and Williamson. The above list includes nearly all of the important beekeeping counties of the State. That the bee-moth is present in many more counties than , are shown by our records is beyond doubt. The larva (“web-worm”), upon reaching maturity, constructs a cocoon by means of silken threads which it is able to spin. After the cocoon is completed the larva changes to the pupal stage. This is the stage in which the form of the larva. is reconstructed to make the moth which will emerge later from the cocoon. The moths mate and the females “B/Iannal of the Apiary,” A. J. Cook, p. 4S5. lNvnsrrezirroxs PERTAINING TO TEXAS Bnnxnnrrxe. 17 deposit the eggs which hatch into the larva. This is called the “life cycle.” . THE ADULT MOTH. The adult bee-moth (Plate II, a) is about five-eighths of an inch (15 millimeters) in length, With a wing expanse of about one and one-quarter inches (30 to 32 mm.). The moth with its wings folded appears ashy- gray in color, but the back third of each front wing is bronze colored, and this wing is thickly covered with fine scales which rub off easily when the moth is touched. On the outer and rear margins of the fore wing is a scanty row of short hairs. The hind wings are uniform in color, usually gray, with traces of a few black lines extending from the outer margin inward toward the base; on the outer and rear margins is a thick fringe of hairs on which is a dark line running parallel with the border of the wing. The body is brown, the shade varying, with a cover- ing of scales. These scales rub off easily and are not always present on the older moths. The male is slightly smaller than the female. A differ- ence between the sexes is noticed in the fore wing, which, in the case "of the male, is deeply scalloped on its outer margin. This scallop carries a heavy fringe of hairs, almost black in color. Another difference is in the mouth parts, the palpi of the male being rudimentary. Habits. The moths emerge entirely at night, and in the cages observed no moths emerged after 9 p. m. 'I.‘hey at once seek some protected place in * which to expand their wings and dry, and by the next morning they are able to fly. During the day the moths seek a sheltered place away from light and enemies, where they apparently settle down and draw their wings around them, remaining very still and quiet. Usually they are well protected by their color, which resembles weather-beaten wood. If dis- turbed during the day, the moths will make a dart or short flight, acting as though blinded by the light. When an object is met, the moth quicklyr settles down and seems very anxious to avoid flight. That they are hard to disturb in the daytime is shown by the fact that in several o-f the cages used in the experiments small ants attacked the moths and killed them without any apparent struggle on the part of the moths. Only by close examination could it be detected that the moth.s were dead and not rest- ing in the usual manner. It is only during the latter part of the ovipo- sition period that the females are active during the daytime. The ma.le moths emerge a few days earlier than the females and are much longer lived. In several cages, closely observed, the males lived an average of twenty-six days, which was fourteen days longer than the average life of the females. The male moths are very active throughout their existence. Just bow long the mal.es are functional has not yet been determined. In some matings under artificial conditions one male fer- tilized two females ant an interval of ten days. During the first part of the emergence period the males are in excess of the females, since the males emerge first as a general thing. Later on, the number of males and females reaching maturity at the same time is about equal. During the latter part of the emergence period the females predominate. How- ever, for the brood as a whole, taking sometimes as long as a month for 18 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIQNs. a.ll of the individuals to reach 1na‘turit_y_, the males and females are about equal in number. ' Zllhe first and the last emerging individuals of the brood are smaller in size than the average, regardless of the sex. The quality of the food has a great deal to d0 with the size of the adults. The last larvae of the brood are always under-sized, but are most alivayts able t0 pupate and reach maturity Several matings have been made with odd-sized indi- viduals, such as large males and small females, and vice verse. The results of these matings indicate that those larvae which were forced into pupation yirematiirel)’ may transform to functional adults. ZI/[cttzing (and OIJtZJOStZiZlO7Z. During the mating period the males are more active than the females and at this time can be noticed “drumming” with their wings, the vibra- tions of which are, at times, sufficient to produce a low hum. The moths probably mate very soon after emergence, though no direct observations have been made upon this point. However, females only one and one-half hours old were killed and their ovaries examined. It was found that, a.t ‘this time, fully two-thirds of the eggs were of full size and well down in the oviduets, though not packed closely, as was found to be the case in the older moths. The eggs had the appearance of lacing‘ ready for deposition. Mating takes place at night, as would naturally be expected from the nocturnal habits of the species. In one cage a pair of moths was observed "in coiiu early in the morning, but this was no doubt an abnormal co11- dition, as the female died in a short time. Another case was observed where. the moths were in coit/u. from '7 p. 1n. till 1O :30 p. 1n. The next morning no eggs" had been deposited, but the following night the female began ovipositing. This was an exceptional case, as the female had been confined for week after emergence before having the opportunity to mate. It would seem that the female commences to oviposit in a compara- tively short time after emergence. However, in the cages, an average of six days elapsed betxtreen the time of emergence and the first egg laying. This period varies with the different. broods of the year. Oviposition usually takes place at night and the moths generally’ start laying the eggs soon after dark. In the cages they have been observed busily engaged in a ovipositing as early as '7 p. 1n. While depositing eggs the female seems mindful only of the task she is performing and is not easily disturbed, though she is active, seemingly nervous, darting in and around the comb. While thus engaged the antennae vibrate continuously and perhaps are used to locate suitable crevice-s in which to place the eggs. The ovi- positor is long‘, equal in length to the last two abdominal segments, and is very slender. It is constantly moving over‘ the comb to detect a rough- ened spot wherein to deposit the egg. It thus has the appearance.- of being dragged after the female in her travels over the comb. Having found a. suitable place for the egg, the ovipositor is spread at the tip, the female braces herself as though pushing backward to force the ovipositor into the comb, and then, after a quick jerk of the abdomen, an egg-is forced down the ovipositor to its destination. In many instances females have been observed depositing their eggs at the rate of one every Plate III.——Above, cages used in studying the development of the bee-moth; at center, work 0f WQX-WOITII, 0r larvae, on comb foundation; below, mass of cocoons, one of which shows larvae repairing damaged cocoon. (Original). BLANK PAGE IN ORIGINAL -. “mi . 431$ m,- lnviizsrieatrioxs Pnntrirrxixe 'ro TEXAS BEEKEEPING. 19 "minute for a period of thirty minutes, and then, after a. short rest, have continued again at the same rate. ’.l‘he are alw-ays securely ‘fastened to Whatever object- they are laid. upon. The eggs are always laid in reavities. In the cage experiments this was on the side of the comb, often where the walls of a cell had been turned in. An example of this is shown at Plate II, b. Only one egg is deposited at a time, although in "working over the comb a. female often places the close together. On the smaller pieces of comb, furnished to moths confined in cages, as many as seven eggs were found in a single cavity. The number of actually deposited by one female has not been determined, but females which had not deposited eggs were killed and the eggs in their ovaries were counted. The largest number of eggs found in ovaries of a single female was 1128 and the average number xvas 10H. In the cages, under artificial conditions, if comb was not supplied for the female, she would (leposit her eggs in any rough place detected by her ovipositor. In many instances the females would refuse to oviposit on cappings which were furnished in some of the cages, but would go around the base of the lamp globe in which they were confined and fill every crevice with eggs. Sometimes these eggs would be fastend on the outside of the glass, and in such cases the globe would be fastened to its resting place. T he average time consumed in depositing the full quota of eggs varies with the brood. In the "first brood it is nine days, but in the second only seven days. During the last part of. the egg-laying period the female a1)1)ea1's to be in a. great hurry, and (luring-the last ‘two days she oviposits during the day as well as during the night, at times stopping to rest. If disturbed during the resting periods, she vigorously resumes her egg- laying. The females usually die while ovipositing and the last three or four eggs are barely extruded from the ovipositor. If a female is being killed or injured, she will attempt to oviposit even after she is unable to rvalk. The females will deposit. their eggs even xvhen they have 11ot had the opportunity to mate. In all. cases where the sexes were not properly paired, the females W011l(l finally oviposit, the period of oviposition being, however, much shorter than the natural one. Although many’ females which did not mate were confined in cages and although they deposited eggs, none of these tinfertilized eggs ever hatched. It seems a fairly safe conclusion ‘that parthenogensis does not occur with this species. THE EGG. The egg (Plate II, b) is elliptical, measuring about one-fiftieth of an inch (.48 mm.) in length and .43 mm. in width. The shell is pearly white in color and slightly roughened lay wavy lines ifunning across it diagonally at regular intervals. If the egg is not deposited 011 dark comb it is very difficult to see and even then experience is necessary to detect all of the eggs present. The embryonic development of the egg has not been studied, but a. few observations have been made tipon the incubation period. Throughout this period the egg gradually changes from a. white to a yellow color. About four days before hatching, the developing larva becomes visible as- 2O TEXAS Atanrcorxrcnxr EXPERIMEXT ‘STATIONS. a dark ring inside of the shell. "he perfectly formed larva can be dis- tinctly seen for at least twelve hours before the shell bursts. During this time the larva is engaged in cutting an opening in the shell and its final emergence from the egg is made through a ragged hole in the top. After the larva is out of the shell it appears White and clear. The egg stage of the first brood averages twelve days and of the second only ten days. THE LARVA. The larvae (“storms”) VVl1€l1 first hatched are white in color a.nd very small, only one-eighth of an inch (3 mm.) in length. After emerging from the shell they are quiet for a. short time While they are apparently drying and stretching in preparation for their Work of destruction. Soon they become very active, but only upon close examination can they be seen hurrying over the comb in their attempt to gain an entrance before being detected by the bees. During this short period of one or two hours they are at the: mercy of their enemies. Within a short time after hatch- ing the first meal is taken and this consists of scales of wax which they loosen from the comb in their attempts to gain an entrance. The en- trance is made at the ‘top of the cell-xvall between the cells. The entrance is extended by the larvae into tunnels directed toward the bottom of the cells. Their presence is now noticeable, for in their work the bits of chewed wax not used for food are pushed back of them and out of“the tunnel, making the surface of the comb appear rough and poorly kept. This tunnel afiords protection and food for the larvae and also leads to their desired feeding place, the center of the comb. Usually four days are consumed in reaching this point. When the center of the comb is reached, the larvae leave their tunnels and wander over the bottom of the cells or, in the case of comb containing honey, tunnel along the midrib from cell to cell. If disturbed, they seek their tunnels for protection. At first only small holes are eaten. through the bottoms of the cells, thus affording a passageway from cell to cell through the center of the comb, so that, if disturbed, they can p-ass into another cell or through several cells in their attempt to escape. In two. or three days these openings are enlarged and outlined by threads of silk spun by the larvae in their travels from cell to cell. These threads soon ' become numerous enough to form a. silken gallery, which gives almost complete protection from‘ the bees or other enemies. From this central gallery the feeding is extended out along the bottoms of the cells or the middle of the comb. Thesilk is spun wherever the larvm go, so that very‘ soon ‘the bottoms of the cells a.re- replaced by a layer of silk thread coveredfwrith excrement of the larvae and particles of chewed wax. This condition is shown in Plate IV. . After the midrib has been eaten, the larvae start on the walls of the cells, the ones farthest away from ‘the light being; the first that are de- stroyed. As this feeding continues out along the cell-walls, the threads of silk are extended to cover thenew feeding ground, and not only serve to protect the larvae, but also act as a scaffold to support the damaged cells. Soon the center of the comb appears as a mass of tangled refuse and discarded wax. This condition is also shown at Plate IV. The feed- ing continues until the walls are entirely eaten, but the top of the cells is '\AV\Aa~/¢¢v-<~nrov¢\v\/. .. H“ =MV_(_I_~_~VI/> m ‘ V; Plate IV.—Characteristic work of the wax-worm on empty comb. (Original). BLANK PAGE IN ORIGINAL INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO "Texas Bnnxnnrrxe. 21 never eaten, perhaps because this would expose them to outside influences and enemies. An example of this is shown Plate IV, lower photo. The area of feeding is gradually extended from the point of infestation to finally include the entire comb. If the comb does not furnish sufficient food for the larvae that are present, they xvill begin to feed in the refuse under the comb in which there is considerable wax in small pieces. In this they construct such a large amount of web that they are absolutely protected fro-m enemies. The length of the larval period for the first brood is forty-five days, or about six and one-half Weeks. In the second brood ‘this period is shortened to thirty-five days, or five Weeks. The full-grown larva, shown at Plate II, c, is about three-fourths of an inch (18 in length. _ The body is large and the head is small and pointed. The general color of the body is a. dirty gray, with the first segment brown on top and a broad line across it. The head is brown in color, with a light V-shaped line on top, this “V” opening towards the front of the head. Having completed its growth, the larva seeks a place in which to pupate, tho-ugh sometimes the end of the feeding gallery may be enlarged and closed to serve as a cocoon. The cocoon may also be spun in the refuse under the comb and this mass of webs afiords an excellent pro- tection to the pupa- The most common place is in some crack or corner about the hive, as shown in Plate V, b, or between the frames and the hive or in the “bee space” at the end of the top-bars, as is shown in Plate VI, a. The larva prefers to get into a place xvhicli it can chew in, order that a cavity may be constructed and. the cocoon thus be better protected. . Having prepared for the location of the cocoon, the larva begins to spin the silk thread about itself, starting just above the head and working backward more than the length of the body. A thin layer of silk is spun in the general shape of the cocoon and this framework is covered with fine silk from the inside. The larva is able to reverse itself within the cocoon, which it does many times during its construction. The outer layer, upon hardening, becomes very tough and even like parchment, ' while ‘the inner layer remains soft and fluffy. Cocoons, both whole and broken open, are shown at Plate III, c, and in Plate‘ VI. The average time consumed in the construction of the cocoon was two and one~fourth days in the case of the larvuae observed in our cages. THE PUPA. I . As the cocoon nears completion, the larva becomes very sluggish and the body shortens. The last act of the larva is to make an incision in the cocoon near the head end which provides for the easy emergence of the moth at maturity. The average time elapsing from the completion of the cocoon to the formation of the pupa was three and three-fourths days in the cages of the experiments. a The change to the pupa takes place during the night. The newly formed pupa is white. At the end of the first 'twenty—four hours it turns to a straw color, very light at first, deepening slowly. By the end of the fourth day the pupa is light brown and this color gradually deepens, so 22 ‘Fiaxas AGRICULTU 1x1 EXPERIMENT STATIONS. that by the end of the pupal period the insect is a dark brown. (hate II, cZ.)The male pupae ziverage 14 millimeters (about two-thirds of an inch) in length and the female pupae are fully 1.6 millimeters in length. A row of spines arises just back of the head and extends t0 the fifth alvdominal. segment; the laody line is somewhat curved (lownivard. The time from the formation of the pupa to the emergence of the moth was seven and three-fourths days in the cage experiments. rllhe total time from the starting of the cocoon to the emergence of the moth merages two Weeks. IiIFIL HISTORY. From the workwhich we have done in trying to identify the different broods, or generations, of this insect, it ajjjaears that there are three broods in the extreme southern part of the United States. The third brood is not nearly as large as the first two, due to the fact that some of the second brood of larvae do 11ot pupate until late fall. There is a decided. overlapping of the generations, which makes it difficult-to deter- mine the exact number of broods a year. At most any time, from early spring until December, examination of a colony of bees is likely to reveal this insect in all stages. It is often assumed that the life history is short and that there are several generations each year. In ivell-protected hives the fil€iV€lOj3lll€Illl may continue throughout the year without l11'l§€'1‘1‘11p~tiO11. Usually the winter is passed with about one- third of the insects in the jaupal stage and the remainder in the larval stage. Warm spells during the winter cause some of the smoths to emerge from their cocoons; in the laboratory many moths emerged when the temperature was maintained constantly at 60 degrees F. It is not un- usual to see moths on the windows of the honey house, trying to escape, i during the warm spells in December and January. Their presence may be accounted for on the supposition that they have just emerge-d from their cocoons or they may have been in hibernation as adults and becomr. active with the rise in temperature. Such moths do not reproduce in localities where freezing temperatures are frequent. Even the most vigor- ous moths cannot withstand a freezing temperature for more than three days. il/[oths in ivell-pro-tecte-d places can survive an outside temperature as low as 2-6 degrees F. for as long as five days. The moths are never active during the day when the temperature’ is below 50 degrees F, so at such times reproduction does not take place. For College Station, Texas, the following life history and duration of broods has been carefully‘ determined. The maximum number of moths which mature from the over-wintering larvae and jaupae appear about the first of April. These moths are active for some time before any eggs are deposited and it is the middle of April before the eggs are laid for the first larood of larval-é. Usually twelve day's are required for the eggs of this brood to hatch, so by the first of May most of the first brood of larvae are out. fllhe larval period of this brood is quite long, most of them feeding at least forty-five days before completing their growth. A majority of the larvae of the generation are ready to pupate by the middle of June, but there is a considerable variation in the rate of g'rowth, for some of these larvae. feed for six weeks longer before attaining their full size. fllhe pllpélflOIl of the first brood takes Plate V .—Above, comb and foundation _destroyed by W3X-WOI_‘I'I_l; below, characteristic appear- ance of cocoons 1ns1de of bee hlve. (Or1g1nal.) BLANK PAGE IN ORIGINAL INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING "r0 Texas BEEKEEPING. place during the last two weeks in June and by July 1st some of the moths of the second generation are to be seen. The moths of this generation emerge at about the same time and give the impression of constituting a very large brood. Most ot the eggs are laid verv soon after emergence of the moths and by the middle of July .all of the eggs of the second generation are deposited. The higher tem- perature at this time of the year shortens the egg period, only ten days being required for these eggs to hatch. There is a considerable variation i11 the maturing of this brood of larvae. Normally the larval period is shorter than for the first brood and by the first of September many ot‘ the larva: are full grown. Some of the larvae may continue to feed for four Weeks longer and then pupate. _ Some of the larvw which mature early in September may pass through a short larval stage and soon emerge as moths. This accounts for the appearance of a number of moths about the first of October. "Fhis brood is usually small and. scattered and many of the larvae xvhich result from the eggs of these moths seldom reach full size. Some of the larvae 0t. the second generation do not pupate during the fall, but live over the winter in the larval stage and inipate the following spring. The following summary shows the stages which normally occur each month of the year at College Statioinffexas: April: Moths reach maturity from the over-wintering larvae and laupaa. Eggs are deposited. May: Eggs hatch. Larvae are about three-fourths grown. June: Larvae reaching maturity: Some 13111328. July: P111033. Adults of the second generation. Eggs deposited by the second generation of moths. August: Larvae of the first generation. Pupw of the first generation. Moths of the second generation. Eggs of the second generation. Larvae of the second generation. September: Pupae of the first generation. Moths of the second generation. Eggs of the second generation. Larvae of the second generation. Moths of the third generation. Eggs of the third generation. October: Larvae of the second generation. Pirpze of the second generation. Moths of the third generation. Eggs of the third generation. 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