CORNELL UNIVERSITY LIBRARY TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS BULLETIN NO. 158 JUNE, 1913 Investigations Pertaining to ~ Texas Beekeeping EXPERIMENTS IN ARTIFICIAL DIVISION AND SWARM-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 UP a, pert, Sas iW POSTOFFICE: COLLEGE STATION, BRAZOS COUNTY, TEXAS tae VON BOECKMANN4JONES CO., PRINTERS AusTIN, TEXAS “yi13 és TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. GOVERNING BOARD. Board of Direetors, A. and M. College. f ‘ E. B. Cusnina, President....... 0.000 e ce eee eee tte Houston “Joun J. Guton, Vice President............-- 000 eee ects Pee Ballinger The: ie EAR Ds isizenstinns sein * siidlatac dakdg PRRRESRERES A RETR pene San Antonio Jigs GASAGTEN TVD bn cepacia gu ie earns doin 9 oes, Abou Guanine gate elas God. cen eee Cee Houston WATTON PEPEOT 6 oscciesig cen ay PORTE READS REM RE TAGE Aro eee es Fort Worth Tei: ois, JB BENIN BEET reotecxetecve: covers sir siatha hater hob edndely dhleuoaia acdcuhan leeeaiea a GRD PMT OR es Oe Paris Ep: Ris ISON We a.c.a5.5 2 teed Sean seas Se Austin President of the College. RE. MTNERY, i escoct eine tew ames Hic seepenne lesidgukes gamncees College Station Station Staff. és . B: YGUNGBLOOD;. Mi cSiijeicd cicadas Guid saree eo Oe Bes Ree eee ee Director IM, SHRAINCTS 5: Die Wear (Ghsp ice asescanvcriyacrateasinven tetra aca tcdmenes MeDaiih lech ned Sade Roi Veterinarian G; 8: Peeps; Pa: Dyyssnes ex emercc etn veraeenss ee ee Ce Ce ee Chemist FFE ENG Sy AMIE AS as oxsconSeatihe tuiattvaiate ther oorpwhes a9 Garand wsdasaluenelenertnecedagussoonss: Horticulturist oe, ‘Cs ABURINS DBs IS i arcmin. t.anenain sen foeernnin Gece Salcorm aa een mien tata Animal Husbandman Wiuamon Newett, My S.cc. cecac. oe. cer egnes seeeteaee rere sen Entomologist PRs ABBE COMIN ER y CEG, YS taedsccctl stat 5ads atest cb abi echwptacblh ea lal oH ap Reena stern aed Agronomist F. H. Bropcert, Px. D.. 2. oe eee, Plant Pathologist and Physiologist Rex E. Wittarp, M. S............... shoncasse Sepals Sires Farm Management Expert Nos aLd, SONATE acs cuicaty ceeded chit pra olan sen RAB er nTA a Re os State Feed Inspector J. B. Raruer, M.S8........ apa n eg Fis tts nad green hue cine tact Assistant Chemist By By. (BRADDOCK, Bi. 28. iinsicncsinces cuntin e ciee Biak beacantaton eomceatn Assistant Entomologist ED, A DOBSON, Bis Sis ccceerotna steawnidinaaenien BAchandnnaeenneea aeoniegg Assistant Agronomist Wipuraw Devin; As. Bi sqrys genus e288 ooo FB hte ececeuain Dinan Assistant Chemist H.. .By SPAULDING), Biri Sicy scenic ncsntuarsrscad oa .seclo'n wbcnmayies Wsianipien toh Assistant Chemist TY, S@ENEID Ty WD). Vis, Min c.csnnsse nieinanere a nin gine Ripon enieeeen oie ort Assistant Veterinarian Cras: Ay. TUBGRER oss nce sons saat os Gos so GR Re Wermund bt viedo duared-dwamecr Chief Clerk BAG GIS: VV RACIEIE cess isntvensy ie ganiion Adeadeaunt aes Mtctnot aa temidlvanecarseh Seltenes Measteeeb eS eiaeteens Secretary J. Mi S@HAEDED i ccccv can mccnnsrparesmewng es. De Nae ot en ete Stenographer Cie diy, OUNSE corse tearmtmetes west en ete. saa saat SJ tabasco deb ceteiteh xeae Stenographer SP Mien BST Ra ss’h aes semaneh nseeon atl ito elec ett ted han sepa etme ta Mailing Clerk STATE AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Governing Board. His Excertency, Governor O. B. ConQuitT...........0.. 0.0. c cece eae Austin LisuTenant Governor Witt H. Mayes........................04 Brownwood COMMISSIONER OF AGRICULTURE Ep R. Kong........................-0. Austin Director of Experiment Stations. B. Younestoopn, M. §8.............0.00. BP ileserctil Aine esitiftiy bia eben ae ha College Station Superintendents of Sub-Stations. E, E, Brinvorb, Beeville Sub-Station...................... Beeville, Bee County W. 8. Horexiss, Troup Sub-Station.......0.00.....000... Troup, Smith County E. M, JOHNSON, Co-operative Rice Station......... Beaumont, Jefferson County R. W. Epwarps, Supt. Co-operative Forage Crops Station................. -Accetteiost fo atone a ceardeneie de Dest eeeeseeeeuees ee... Chillicothe, Hardeman County J. S. YorK, Spur Sub-Station........................... Spur, Dickens er A. K. SHor?, Temple-Belton Sub-Station................... Temple, Bell County T. W. Buerr, Denton Sub-Station.......0.............. Denton, Denton County V. L. Cory, Lubbock Sub-Station..................... Lubbock, Lubbock County dubeuie cont lrenies RAMON Boho dace, cosayes Pecos, Reeves C t N. E, Winters, Angleton Sub-Station............... Angleton repaie County G, T. McNEss, Nacogdoches Sub-Station,..._.. Nacodoches, Nacogdoches County *C. S. ScHarrr, Feeding and Breeding Station. .College Station, Brazos Nore.—The main station is located on the q i - ; grounds of the Agricultural and aoe ea eae county. The postoffice address is Cillege Station,. xas. Neports and bulletins are sent upon application to tl i r postal card will bring these publications, E Se Se ee. 2 County *Acting. CONTENTS. ra Experiments in Artificial Division and Swarm-Control: Introduction......... Sonera VRE S AES Coy a ERS ORES EAS GE BD Be eee Nature of the apecenents, Jer ewie when dave Pars eS Marea ae aes eu aR The: Seasons. seco 6 eseds esivac digit gies Aas Gaels dae gal giaust a ads « pceondaa sealed adds Swarm-Control Experiments........0...0.00 00000 c cece cee eee n eens Artificial: Division sc iss-sisseodee eens sonia t Give Wek oe Reto us oh Ae Baan lee aes Increasing Size of Brood-Chamber.. ..............0c cece eeeeee aa Increasing Super-Room..... iy 2 heaton Gg da austen 2 18 tN goto don BP aveen Reba eae ce Daas Shaking onto Foundation.........0.0 000.0000 cece cee cece eee ene eces Comparative Honey Production of Italians and Carniolans............. The Life ‘History and Gonteel of the Bee-Moth or Wax-Worm: TMEROGUCHION : a)261 2 Rale Sh vntgoe niacin bag Wes CON yet meee's Saad eM pee euage Sia HConomic: Importance 33s). area gan Ga ed weed ode eae as waa Loss Caused by, in Texas....... 0... ccc ccc cece teen e seen veeunuee Origin-and Distribution: «si. .: 255 ceca e vida Pee wee eee Eee ee The Life: Cycles 24 :c sors wee eindoaseres seesy slink eek ne die CRIS 28 The Adult Moth................. eer Sere Oe er rer reer The Pupa.............. ire gre tase ng ie pane Rl oclnge AA Shetek Cedar oe Ibife History. eens so) bes ys Bienes as hes Gi ae Ree eae Natural Enemies................ Heke cnn Sow ivacta's gees bert nai at tl be aera kus 4 2 Artificial Control... 000.0 ccc dwipenaes topee ees Fumigation.............. ecuta sh 358 sec ap BRATS cao ERS AS aa Baa vad ERs Sulfur Dioxide........ Hisaasiore vie teeta. di 5 Faapen ana og kia deem oie tarane, Sbuinb nae te teed sake Carbon Bisulfide........... 0.0.00 ccc eee a eaccite atin yh flo aastoe: chore Directions for Fumigating...........0.0. 0-000: c eee e ee eee ee sigue A Statistical Study of Texas Beekeeping: Introduction. 0c sb aga cers es cued Se wa ey an eed Stays oe yams es Ge ed eres Number and Value of Colonies, by Counties...............-000 0: ee eee Honey Production by Colonies, Season OF IGT eesiurtei seers oedaees Average Prices Received for Honey, Different Localities. ............. : -Production of Wax by Counties, 1911...................- aaodvetase dmecaiveas Professional Beekeeping vs. Beekeeping as a Side Issue................ Queens: Produced; 1910s wicca cc eeer eee e eas ene eae ee eee a SumMaryin ovncos asaed cede: Case ye ee ters hears te Sees dead a nti Ae Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924062872290 _ ERRATA, Explanation of Plate III, below should read “larva” instead of “larve.” Page 21, line 23, should: read “Plate V, below” instead of “Plate V, 0.’ Page 21, line 25, ‘should read “Plate VI, right” instead of “Plate VI, a.” Page 21, line 36, should read “Plate III, below” instead of “Plate ITI, ¢. Page 21, line 36, should read “Plate VI, left” instead of “Plate VI.” * > ’ i ‘ (yeu8uQ) “sexey, ‘yuN0D sozeIg UI pazyZooT “ysIBopouroyu 8787S OG] Jo AreIdy [eyueullsedxy— J 2381d INVESTIGATION PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. _ EXPERIMENTS IN ARTIFICIAL DIVISION AND SWARM- CONTROL. By WILMon NEWELL. So far as his other duties permit, the State Entomologist conducts experiments with honey-bees with a view to perfecting or improving prac- tical methods of handling them under Texas conditions. The experiments described herein were made during the season of 1912 in the writer’s apiary of sixty colonies, located on 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 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 THE EXPERIMENTS. The apiary contained for the most part three-banded Italians, several Carniolan 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. : The second line of observation was that of determining the comparative production of honey by both Halian and Carniolan 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 Texas beekeepers. The production of colonies, as given below, has reference in every case to extracted honey, and particular pains were taken to determine the vield 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 Texas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS, extracted and each 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 extracted honey taken from it. THE SEASON. A general knowledge of the season, the time and duration of honey- flows, 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 beekeeper 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 produced 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: “February 28.—Weather still cold, temperature 32°; nothing in bloom. March 3.—Warmer; plum and peach beginning to bloom. March 15.—-Cold 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 oe Supply of nectar about equal to amount being consumed by the ees. é March 31.—Swarming fever coming on. Wild grape beginning to loom. April 3.—Some honey being deposited in supers. Placed supers on strongest. colonies. Avril 5-9.—Rain. 4 : April 9.—Youpon beginning to bloom. Swarming impulse strong. April 11.—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.—Haw done blooming; no honey-flow. Bees inclined to rob. May 1-12.—No honey-flow. Robbing bad. May 16.—Prickly pear coming into bloom. First horsemint bloom of the season discovered. May 23.—Considerable horsemint in bloom, but weather dry. Honey- flow very light. ee a May 28.—Heavy rain. May 31.—Horsemint in full bloom. Honey-flow increasing rapidly. *Monarda punctata. INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. v4 June 3.—More rain. Flow very heavy. June 15.—Horsemint still in full bloom but honey-flow slackening on account of no rain. June 1?%.—Good rain, with cool norther. June 19.—Honey-flow improved slightly. June 20.—First honey extracted from supers. June 24.—Horsemint flow failing. July 4—Horsemint flow entirely over; seeds ripe. Ror 12.—All horsemint dead. Cotton honey beginning to come in slowly. 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 !7.—Bees getting a little dark honey, source unknown. September 19.—Weather has been very hot to the present time. First fall in temperature today—60° night temperature. 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 27%.—First frost.” SWARM-CONTROL EXPERIMENTS. The term “swarm-control” should not, in this instance, be construed too literally, for the experiments under 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. 8. 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 which the writer 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 8 Texas AGRICULTURAL 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-flow. = = In the attempt to answer this question for the conditions prevailing in Brazos county, the writer undertook the experiments described below. | Five strong colonies were divided 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 in the same yard which did not swarm and which were not divided. All of the colo- nies involved in this experiment were typical three-banded Italians. Colony No, 106—On March 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 sufficient number of frames with full sheets of foundation to fill out the ten-frame hives. The total surplus production of No. 106 for the season was 32 pounds and of No. 206 was 49 pounds. Colony No, 107.—This colony was divided 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 “No. 20%.” ; The surplus produced by No. 107 during the entire season amounted to 36 pounds extracted honey, while No. 20% produced 81 pounds. Colony No. 31%7.—This 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 10%. The queen and five frames of brood and bees, removed to the new stand, were subsequently designated as “Colony No. 417.” The surplus production of No. 317 for the season was 33 pounds, and of No. 417 was 115 pounds. Colony No. 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 tc a new stand and designated as “No. 419.” No, 319 produced 75 pounds surplus honey, and No. 419 produced 54 pounds by the end of the season. Colony No. 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. 51% 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 deprived of the laying 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. INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. 9 The results of these five divisions are more readily compared by con- sulting the following table: Divided Into Colonies. Original With Ripe Queen-cell With Laying Total Production of the Colony 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 1 107 107 36 207 81 117 317 317 33 417 115 148 319 319 73 419 is 129 517 B17 32 613 63 96 TOMAS os aleciade ane oe 208 Nxiveedwsanie 362 570 Averages. .|........... 42 erties Welds veh aratspeed 72 ‘ 114 The most apparent fact shown by 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 at 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 profitable, 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 purchasing 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. In 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 average 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 col&nies,.had they not been divided, would have produced an average of i127 pounds of honey each, as against the average of 114 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 experiment, at any price for honey, may be readily computed from the data given. 10 Tpxas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. divided, as compared to those which were divided. However, the fact that the division 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. The honey produced by the two colonies, made by division of one, averaged 114 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 divided into two at beginning of the season : 114 pounds surplus honey, at 7 cents............. 0c eee $ 7 98 1 additional colony of bees, net......... 6... e ce eee eee 3 00 Total“ inC Oma eae vie sus ween ea eee a She eg Se er $10 98 Average income from one colony not divided: 127 pounds surplus honey, at 7 cents........... 0.0.2.2 e eee 8 89 Difference in favor of division, per colony.............. $ 2 09 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, 819 and 51%, which received ripe queen-cells at 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....... 02... eee $10 08 iL adeatromal seoleny Of Nei iy ied ave seecnne vane carers aes 3 00 ; 13 08 Aees COGt OF ONE QUEEN is ora sweey en ay wees, Aveo buowes : 1 00 NEt: ineome;. averdoess <0 swswry wag edulennaeny anders $12 08 INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. 11 s Average income from colony not divided: 127 pounds surplus, at 7 cents.......... ccc cece eee eee ees $ 8 89 Differenes In, favor af Givisi0n. si 5.64 4. Shaking Onto Foundation. A common method of swarm control in vogue among Texas beekeepers is that known as “shaking.” When the colony shows symptoms of swarm- ing and is building queen-cells, another hive is prepared, containing frames filled with foundation, preferably full sheets. The colony 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 them 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-chamber 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 sufficient workers to care for the unsealed brood, is placed on a new stand and the entrance contracted somewhat to prevent robbing, and left there. In course of time a young queen issues, mates, commences laying, and, with the hatching workers, constitutes a new colony.* In the case of several of our colonies this shaking treatment was given as a preventive of swarming. ; Five colonies, 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, 175, 117, 103, 174 and 118 pounds of surplus during the season, an average of 137 pounds each. Twelve colonies in the yard, *Rough shaking of combs bearing sealed queen-cells will, in nearly all cases, kill the queens within. For this reason the bees should be gently brushed from the comb which contains the queen-cell fhat is to be preserved for hatching. 14 Trxas 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 PRODUCTION OF CARNIOLAN AND ITALIANS COMPARED. We had in this vard four Carniolan colonies which were up to full strength at the beginning of the honey-flow. They produced, respectively, %9, 98, 115 and 121 pounds of surplus during the season, 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 an average of 121 pounds per colony. It also happened that the average production of the Carniolan colonies, 103 pounds per colony, was exactly the average production of all colonies, Carniolans, Italians and hybrids, in the apiary. In fairness to the Carniolans, 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 Carniclans 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. Cyeuriug) -aednd ‘p teary ‘9 !quioo uo s8ao ‘9 SyOUL ‘p :YQOUuI-vaq ay} Jo AIOYsIY Of JT— IT 318I1d THE LIFE HISTORY AND CONTROL OF THE BEE-MOTH OR WAX-WORM. By F. B. Pappocx. A serious hindrance to the beekeeping industry in the State of Texas, as well as in many other States, is the bee-moth (Galleria mellonelia). Under the name of “webh-worm” this pest is known to every beekeeper, -but it is not as generally known that these web-worms develop, after maturity, into moths or “millers.” The larvee feed upon stored comb and honey, as well as on combs in the hive, and this makes it a difficult pest to fight successfully. 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, for 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 tham 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 check to a considerable extent. With 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 to 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 im 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 and 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 frequently: 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. Many more beekeepers reported the presence 16 Texas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS, of the bee-moth as “general,” indicating that they suffered no small loss. In one very well-kept apiary 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 logs is much greater, as was indicated by the reports referred to above. The census of 1910 shows 238,107 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 wax-worm, including the large losses in the poorly kept aplaries, it is seen that the annual loss amounis 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. There 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.”* ‘ The bee-moth was introduced into America about 1805, though bees had beer 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 Texas. Following is a list of counties from which the bee-moth has been reported to us by beekeepers: Anderson, Atascosa, Bandera, Bastrop, Bee, Bell, Bexar, Blanco, Bosque, Bowie, Brazoria, 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, McLennan, Mason, McMullen, Medina, Milam, Mills, Morris, Navarro, Nolan, Nueces, Panola, Parker, Polk, Rains, Red River, Robertson, Rockwell, Runnels, Rusk, Sabine, San Jacinto, Schleicher, Shackelford, Smith, Stephens, Taylor, Travis, Trinity, Tyler, Uvalde, Val Verde, Waller, Ward, 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 *“Manual of the Apiary,” A. J. Cook, p. 485. INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. 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 ftom 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. ‘They at once seek some protected place in which to expand their wings and dry, and by the next morning they arc 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 quickly 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 of 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 moths 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 male 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 how long the males are functional has not yet been ‘determined. In some matings under artificial conditions one male fer- tilized two females at 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 STATIONS. all of the individuals to reach maturity, the males and females are about equal in number. The 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 do with the size of the adults. The last larve of the brood are always under-sized, but are most always able to pupate and reach maturity. Several matings have been made with odd-sized indi- viduals, such as large males and small females, and vice versa. The results of these matings indicate that those larvee which were forced into pupation prematurely may transform to functional adults. Mating and Oviposition. 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 yne-half hours old were killed and their ovaries examined. It was found that, at this time, fully two-thirds of the eggs were of full size and well down in the oviducts, though not packed closely, as was found to he the case in the older moths. The eggs had the appearance of being 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 coitu early in the morning, but this was no doubt an abnormal con- dition, as the female died in a short time. Another case was observed where the moths were in coitu from 7 p. m. till 10:30 p. m. 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 a 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 between 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 ovipositing as early as 7 p. m. 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 antenne vibrate continuously and perhaps are used to locate suitable crevices 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 Reet e RARAL. 3 ‘ nee uy ee ee Eee @ Ware. er, Yan ae8 ae UNA CI Plate III.—Above, cages used in studying the development of the bee-moth; at center, work of wax-worm, or larve, on comb foundation; below, mass of cocoons, one of which shows larvee repairing damaged cocoon. (Original). INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. 19 minute for a period of thirty minutes, and then, after a short rest, have continued again at the same rate. The eggs are always securely fastened to whatever object they are laid upon. The eggs are always laid in eavities. 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, 6. Only one egg is deposited at a time, although in working over the comb a female often places the eggs 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 eggs 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 was 1014. In the cages, under artificial conditions, if comb was not supplied for the female, she would deposit 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. The 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 appears to be in a great hurry, and during the last two days she oviposits during the day as well es 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 walk. .The females will deposit their eggs even when they have not had the opportunity to mate. In all cases where the sexes were not properly paired, the females would 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 unfertilized 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 by wavy lines running across it diagonally at regular intervals. If the egg is not deposited on 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 upon 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 20 Texas .AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. a dark ring inside of the shell. The 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 larve (“worms”) when first hatched are white in color and 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-wall between the cells. The entrance is extended by the larva 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 affords protection and food for the larve 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 larve 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 pass 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 larve 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. The silk is spun wherever the larve go, so that very soon the bottoms of the cells are replaced by a layer of silk thread covered with excrement of the larve and particles of chewed wax. This condition is shown in Plate IV. After the midrib has been eaten, the larve 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 the new feeding ground, and not only serve to protect the larvee, 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 tt ites, Plate IV.—Characteristic work of the wax-worm on empty comb. (Original). INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. + 21 never eaten, perhaps because this would expose them to outside influences and enemies, An example of this is shown at 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 will 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 from 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 mm.) 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, though sometimes the end of the feeding gallery may be enlarged and closed to serve as a cocoon. The cococn may also be spun in the refuse under the comb and this mass of webs affords 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, 6, 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 which 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 ITI, 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 larve observed in our cages. THE PUPA. ‘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, 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 Texas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. that by the end of the pupal period the insect is a dark brown. (Plate II, d.)The male pupe average 14 millimeters (about two-thirds of an inch) in length and the female pupe are fully 16 millimeters in length. A row of spines arises just back of the head and extends to the fifth abdominal segment; the body line is somewhat curved downward. The time from the formation of the pupa to the emergence of the moth was seven and three-fourths days in the cage experiments. The total time from the starting of the cocoon to the emergence of the moth averages two weeks. LIFE HISTORY. From the work which we have done in trying to identify the different broods, or generations, of this insect, it appears 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 larve do not 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 well-protected hives the development may continue throughout the year without interruption. Usually the winter is passed with about one- third of the insects in the pupal stage and the remainder in the larval stage. Warm spells during the winter cause some of the moths 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, during the warm spells in December and January. Their presence may be accounted for on the supposition that they have just emerged from their cocoons or they may have been in hibernation as adults and becom: 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. Moths in well-protected places cart survive an outside temperature as low as 26 degrees I’. 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 larvee and pup 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 brood of larve. Usually twelve days are required for the eggs of this brood to hatch, so by the first of May mest of the first brood of larve are out. The 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 larve of the generation are teady to pupate by the middle of June, but there is a considerable variation in the rate of growth, for some of these larvee feed for six weeks longer before attaining their full size. The pupation of the first brood takes AIK: \ ne \ \ x SSS ei xs AR i Plate V.—Above, comb and foundation flestreyed by wax-worm; below, characteristic appear- ance of cocoons inside of bee hive. (Original.) INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. 23 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 of the eggs are laid very 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 in the maturing of this brood of larvee. Normally the larval period is shorter than for the first brood and by the first of September many of the larve are full grown. Some of the larve may continue to feed for four weeks longer and then pupate. Some of the larve 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. This brood is usually small and scattered and many of the larvae which result from the eggs of these moths seldom reach full size. Some of the larvee of the second generation do not pupate during the fall, but live over the winter in the larval stage and pupate the following spring. ‘The following summary shows the stages which normally occur each month of the year at College Station, Texas: April: Moths reach maturity from the over-wintering larve and pupe. Eggs are deposited. May: Eggs hatch. Larve are about three-fourths grown. June: lLarve reaching maturity. Some pupe. July: Pupe. ; Adults of the second generation. Eggs deposited by the second generation of moths. August: lLarve of the first generation. Pupe of the first. generation. Moths of the second generation. Eggs of the second generation. Larve. of ihe second generation. September: Pupz of the first generation. Moths of the second generation. Eggs of the second generation. Larve of the second generation. Moths of the third generation. Eggs of the third generation. October: Larvae of the second generation. Pupz of the second generation. Moths of the third generation. Figgs of the third generation. Trxas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. a4 (OL “ON reTMOIID “ToNe7g Yueuedxg yr TAO M BILVITY OY} JO [orquoy,, ‘snyty, wos poydepy) ‘sexay, ‘uorzeg edal[oQ ye You-eoq 944 Jo AI0BSTY OFIT—T “SLT Yaoi? aed ny | PUHATA > > sy.0u See . podwy P>su pony Ss | o»dny en —— aynrw> sbby ‘ syed “AOU Ee Sty 220 AONL 170 4995 buuo Rye UNE Fovak dD (Plate VI.—At left, cocoons_of wax-worm and interior of hive after destruction of a colony of bees by wax-worm; at right, characteristic location of cocoons on the ends of brood frames. (Original.) INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. 25 November: Larve of the second generation. Pupe of the second generation. Larve of the third generation. December: Same stages as during November. January: Same stages as during November. February: Same stages as during November. March: Pupe. NATURAL ENEMIES. Of the natural enemies of the bee-moth, the most important is the honey-bee itself. It is a well-established fact that if the colony be kept strong, healthy and with a vigorous queen, it will defend itself against the bee-moth. This is particularly true in the case of “Italian” bees. “In the Ohio Cultivator for 1849, page 185, Micajah T. Johnson says+ ‘One thing is certain: if the bees, from any cause, should lose their queen, and not have the means in their power of raising another, the miller and the worms soon take possession. I believe no hive is destroyed by worms while an efficient queen remains in it.’ This seems to be the earliest published notice of this important fact by an American ob- server.”* This fact is of vital importance in the fight against the bee-moth, for if the pest can be kept from its favorite food, control measures are made much easier. The fact that the bees under natural conditions are able to defend themselves should leave the problem of control to such means as will destrov the pest in places other than the hives. Recently it has been found advantageous to introduce Italian blood into the colony, as the workers of this race seem to be more efficient fighters of the bee-moth. In most cases this is sufficient for the control of the pest in the colonies, but it must be remembered that the colony cannot be kept under close observation and maintained at full strength unless domiciled in a frame hive. A smal] red ant, Solenopsis sp.,+ has been found to be an enemy of the bee-moth, as many of our cage experiments were destroyed by this ant killing the moths and larve. The attack is made on the moths during the day or when they are at rest. Usually the ants crawl under the wings of the moth and begin the attack upon the abdomen. There is no ap- parent struggle on the part of the moth, for close examination is neces- sary to determine that the moth is dead and not resting. The abdomen seems to be all that is desired, and this is carried away in small pieces to the nest of the ants. This same species of ant also destroyed moths which had recently been prepared for exhibits. At such times only the abdomen was taken by the ants. In their attacks on the larve the ants entered the cages and crawled over the comb and wax in search of their prey and if any larvee were expesed they were attacked. The larger larve are more frequently attacked, as they are less active and usually feed in more exposed places than do the smaller ones. Unless the larve were well protected by webs in the refuse, they were destroyed by the ants. Appar- *Langstroth on the Hive and Honey Bee, by Chas. Dadant, p. 469. Determined by Mr. Wilmon Newell. 26 Trxas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS, ently there are days and even parts of days when the ants are most active in their destruction. Never were the ants present in sufficient numbers to attempt tracing them to their nests. No observations have been made upon this ant in or about the apiary, and, while it proved very destructive. under artificial. conditions, the moths and larve might be better able to protect themselves under natural conditions. Three hymenopterous parasites have been recorded from the bee-moth. One is a chalcid, Hupelmus cereanus, found by Roudani in Italy ; another is Bracon brevicornis, which was found by Marshall in France, and a third species, Apenteles lateralis, was recently found by A. Conté in France.* This last species was found near Lyons, where it spread very rapidly. It is apparently of considerable importance since it has also been reported to attack the larve of several other moths in England and Germany. The adult parasite is about one-sixth of an inch (4mm.) in leugth, very lively, and avoids light; the body is black and the wings are transparent, with black specks. The larve of the bee-moth are attacked while quite young and never attain a large size. A single parasite develops in each larva. The bees are said to pay no attention to the presence of the parasite, so that it can easily enter the hive in search of the bee-moth larve. It was artificially introduced into hives by Conté with very satis- factory results. ARTIFICIAL CONTROL. Unfortunately, the only natural enemy of the bee-moth that is present to any great extent in Texas is the honey-hee itself. In the absence of any other natural enemies of importance, the measures of artificial con- trol must be made all the more effective if the beekeeper is to free his apiary of the pest. If the moths are driven from the hives by strong colonies of Italianized bees, they will surely seek scraps of comb and wax about the ground and stored comb and honey in the honey house. It seems quite likely that in such cases the eggs are deposited as near to the comb as possible, as along the cracks between the supers, and the larve, after hatching, find their way to the comb through crevices much smaller than the moth could enter. One of the hest methods of artificial control, and one upon which many beekeepers depend, is fumigation of combs and honey. Gas is able to penetrate material that it is not possible to treat in any other manner. The fumigation process is not difficult, for, when once started, no further attention is necessary until the treatment is complete. It is not necessary to watch the entire process. Stored material, such as comb honey and empty combs, should be examined from time to time, and at the first evidence of the wax-worm they should he fumigated. Stored material of this kind should be examincd at least once every week during the summer and once every month during the winter season, so as to detect the infestation at the start. FUMIGATION, In the present investigation two materials have heen used in the fumi- _ gating experiments. These were selected because most every beekeeper *“4 Hymenopterous Parasite of the Bee- ? Aaea Nae Pare Ge Be i. he Bee-Moth,” A Conté (Compt. Rend. Plate VII.—Appearance of infested hive with cover removed, showing cocoons broken open and the larve inside of them. (Original. INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING To TExAs BEEKEEPING. 27 is acquainted with them and they can be obtained in practically every locality at a reasonable price. They are sulfur and carbon bisulfide, or “high-life.” Sulfur. Dry powdered sulfur, or “flowers of sulfur,” is a light yellowish powder, with which every one is familiar. When sulfur is burned it unites with the oxygen of the air and forms a poisonous gas known as “sulfur dioxide.” This gas is quite effective in killing some kinds of insects, including the wax-worm. A common method of burning the sulfur is to place it on a pan of red-hot coals and immediately tier up the infested supers over the burning sulfur. The bottom super should not contain any infested material and the pile should be covered as quickly as pos- sible. A number of experiments were made with sulfur for fumigating combs containing the wax-worms. The results of these experiments are given in the following table: Table I—-Results of Fumigating Infested Combs with Sulfur Dioxide. Amount of Sulphur Stage of Time the Comhs Were Effect. Bee-moth. | Used per Cubic Foot. | Confined in Fumes. i Larvae............ | One-fourth ounce........ One hour............... Killed. TOF) oicsycuevsneinusencits One-half ounce.......... One hour.,............. Killed.* ere * Two-thirds ounce’....... One hour oe ven ccias cia ee Killed. * t \ The larve which were used for these experiments were ten to twenty ne old and in every case they were well protected by the webs and refuse. From the experiments with sulfur ‘dioxide it is evident that only ex- tremely large doses will affect the eggs of the bee-moth—so large, in fact, that such fumigation would not be practical. The larvee which were used in the experiments were of different ages and some were better protected than others. When the larve are not very well protected they are quite susceptible to the gas, but the larger larve, which are often enclosed in a mass of webs, are not killed except when extremely large doses of sulfur are used. , These results seem to indicate that the sulfur fumes are not ordinarilv penetrating enough to affect the eggs, and only when the larvae are young and not well protected will the gas affect them. -While the method is simple, there are minor details upon which the success of the operation depends. The sulfur must be burned at a high temperature in order to generate the most effective gas. While the method is generally effective under proper conditions, it cannot be recommended in preference to fumi- gation with carbon bisulfide. Carbon Bisulfide (“High Ltfe’). The commercial bisulfide is an oily liquid, very volatile and exceedingly foul-smelling. It is cold to the toucli and because of its rapid evaporation it produces a freezing sensation when dropped on the skin. When ex- posed to air at ordinary temperatures the bisulfide changes to a gas quite *Eggs which were present on these combs were not killed by the sulfur dioxide as larve were found hatching a few days after the fumigation. 25 Texas AGRICULTURAI. EXPERIMENT STATIONS. apidly, and this gas, or vapor, is a little more than two and one-half times as heavy as air. This is a point to be remembered in its use, since it goes first to the bottom of whatever it is confined in. When mixed with air it becomes highly inflammable and sometimes explosive. Such a mixture of air and bisulfide gas may be exploded by even a spark, such as might be made by hitting a nail with a hammer. The liquid, on evavoration, leaves a residue of impurities. Its rate of evaporation is In proportion to the temperature and the area of the exposed surface. Its efficiency is greatest with rapid evaporation, and this is secured in rela- tively warm weather, but artificial heat must never be used to hasten its change into gas. Carbon bisulfide is obtainable from practically every druggist. When carbon bisulfide is to be used for fumigation of infested material, the greatest precaution should be used to keep all fire, such as lights, ‘cigarettes, etc., away from the liquid and where it is being used. For this reason it is well to take the material that is to be fumigated to.some place out of doors and at least a liundred feet away from any building. The infested material should be placed in supers or hive-bodies if possible. These are piled as high as is convenient and all cracks between the supers made as nearly gas-proof as possible. Especially should the bottom be tight. A good plan is to place an inverted hive cover on the ground, lay a piece of canvas over it, and then tier up the supers on this. After the pile has been completed, an emptv super should be put on top. In this should be placed a large shallow pan into which the bisulfide is to be poured. ‘When all is in readiness, pour the bisulfide into the pan and immediately put a hive cover on the top of the tier to confine the gas. This operation is best performed in the evening and the pile of supers should be left intact until the following morning. When the supers are taken down the confined gas will escape from them immediately, even before they can be carried, separately, into a building. The results of fumigating infested material with carbon bisulfide is shown in the following table: Plate VIII.—The process of fumigating hive-bodies of infested combs with carbon bisulfide: a, tiering up the bodies; b, placing an empty super on the top of the tier; c, pouring out the bisulfide; d, putting on the cover to confine the gas (Original.) INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. 29 Table II.—Results of Fumigating Infested Combs with Carbon Bisulfide. Amount of Liquid Stage of Carbon Bisulfide Time of Effect. Remarks. Bee-moth. Used ey Gabic Confinement. ‘oot. Moth....... One-half ounce....... 15 minutes... .;Killed..... Moth ‘T'wo-thirds ounce... .|20 minutes.“ ./Killed...//,The moth was unable to : pe partes = sl ig r r er being confined. Moth....... Three-eighths ounce |20 minutes... ./Killed..... The moth Was unable to walk within 10 minutes. Not ill ane bisulfide evaporated. Matias cay One-fourth ounce... .. 20 minutes... ./Killed..... The moth was dead before all the bisulfide evap- . orated. Pupae....... One-sixth ounce...... 24 hours....... Killed..... Several larvae in cocoons were also killed. Pupae....... One-fourth ounce..... 24 hours....... Killed..... Several larvae in cocoons 2 were also killed. Pupae....... Three-eighths ounce. .{24 hours....... Killed..... Several larvae: in cocoons were also killed. Pupae....... One-half ounce....... 24 hours....... Killed..... Several larvae in cocoons , were also killed. Larvae...... One-eighth ounce..... 24 hours....... Killed..... Some died in 1 hour, in the (in cocoons) cocoon. MVOC nc 25. One-fourth ounce..... 24 hours....... Killed..... Some died in 134 hours in Gin cocoons) | the cocoon. Larvae...... Five-eighths ounce... ./24 hours ...... Killed..... (in cocoons) arvae...... One-sixth ounce...... 24 hours....... Killed..... Larvae were 10 days old (exposed) * : and well protected. arvae...... One-eighth ounce..... OA TOURS ey gx Killed..... These were 5 days old and (exposed) * . well protected in webs. arvae...... One-eighth ounce..... 24 hours....... Killed..... These were 25 days old and (exposed) * protected. arvae...... One-fourth ounce..... 24 hours....... Killed..... These were 20 days old and (exposed) * i fairly well protected. arvae...... One-fourth ounce..... 24 hours....... Killed..... These were 20 days old and (exposed) * exposed. arvae...... One-fourth ounce..... 24 hours....... Killed..... These were 12 days old and (exposed) * exposed. arvae...... One-half ounce....... 24 hours....... Killed..... These were 15 days old and (exposed) * fairly well protected. | arvae...... Three-fourths ounce. ./24 hours....... Killed..... Eggs were present which (exposed) * atched afterwards. Larvae...... Three-fourths ounce. ./24 hours....... Killed..... Eggs were present; hatched (exposed) * afterwards. arvae...... One ounce........... 24 hours....... Killed..... Eggs were present; hatched (exposed) * afterwards. ; arvae...... One ounce........... 24 hours....... Killed..... Eggs were present; hatched (exposed) * afterwards. arvae...... One ounce........... 24 hours....... Killed..... : (exposed) * In all the experiments conducted, the eggs of the bee-moth were un- injured by the fumes of carbon bisulfide. It is possible that in cases of extremely large doses the eggs may be injured. : A number of experiments were conducted to determine the effect of the fumes of carbon bisulfide upon the larve. Comb containing larve of various ages and different degrees of protection were fumigated. Many experiments were made with the larve in cocoons, and these showed that carbon bisulfide is very effective. The larve which are hardest to kill are those about three-fourths grown and well protected in a mass of webs and refuse. Ordinarily the larve succumb to the average dose of carbon bisulfide in a comparatively short time. The outcome of the experiments demonstrated the effectiveness of carbon bisulfide for the destruction of the larve. Several experiments were conducted to determine the effect of carbon *These larve were feeding in empty combs. 30 Texas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. bisulfide upon the pupe. It was found that they are quite susceptible, but a long exposure to the fumes is necessary, as the pup do not consume air very fast. . : From the experiments conducted with the moths it was found that they are very susceptible to the fumes of carbon bisulfide. With the average dose the moths were overcome in ten to fifteen minutes and were killed in fifteen to twenty minutes after being confined. All funigation should be allowed to continue for at least twelve hours, for those larva which are best protected by webs and refuse will not be killed unless plenty of time is given for the gas to penetrate the material. The liquid will evaporate in a few hours, but the resulting gas will be effective for several hours. The following table has been prepared to show at a glance how much liquid carbon bisulfide is required for the effective fumigation of supers and hive-bodies containing infested material. Table II1I—Amount of Carbon Bisulfide to Use in Fumigating Supers for the Wax-Worm. Shallow Extracting (‘‘Ideal’’) Supers, 10-Frame Size, Depth, 5 3-8 Inches. Number of Supers Cubic Feet Contained Amount of Liquid Bisulfide in the Tier. in Tier. Required. 2 1.74 One-third ounce. 3 2.61 | One-half ounce. 4 3.48 Three-fourths ounce. 5 4.35 One ounce. 6 5.22 One and one-fourth ounces. 7 6.09 One and one-half ounces. 8 6.96 One and three-fourths ounces. 9 7.83 Two ounces. 10 8.70 Two and one-fourth ounces. 11 9.57 Two and one-half ounces. 12 10.44 Two and three-fourths ounces. Table IV.—Amount of Carbon Bisulfide to Use in Fumigating Hive Bodies for the Wax-Worm. Hive Bodies (10-Frame), Depth 934 Inches. Number of Bodies Cubic Feet Contained | Amount of Liquid Bisulphide -in the Tier. ta Tier. ! equired. 2 2.90 Two-thirds ounce. 3 4.35 One ounce. 4 5.80 One and one-third ounces. 5 7.25 One and two-thirds ounces. 6 8.70 Two ounces. 7 10.15 Two and one-third ounces. 8 11.60 Two and two-thirds ounces. For 8-frame supers and hive-bodies use 80 per cent as much bisulfide as is given above for the corresponding number of supers or bodies. Example: We will suppose that the beekeeper has six 10-frame shallow extracting supers containing combs which he wishes to fumigate. All are tiered up as previously directed and an empty super is placed on top. This makes seven supers 1n all. Reference to the above table shows that this tier of seven supers contains 6.09 cubic feet of space and that for the destruction of all of the wax-worms in it, one and one-half ounces of the liquid bisulfide are required. A STATISTICAL STUDY OF TEXAS BEEKEEPING. | By Witi1am Harper DEAN, Recognizing the importance of the role played by beekeeping in the development of Texas’ natural resources, and the growth of this industry during recent years, the State Entomological Department has undertaken to gather such statistics as would give a clear insight to the present status of apiculture in the State. In studying the figures and summaries which follow on succeeding pages, the reader should bear in mind the fact that while these figures are authentic and accurate as far as they go, they do not represent the status of the industry in its entirety. They are incomplete. There is hardly a system of ‘mail canvass for statistics that is not faulty and that fails to get complete returns. The personal equation is a factor to be reckoned with; there are many bee- keepers who do not consider their operations of sufficient scope to war- rant their making out a report; many forget to send them; many are lost in the mails. However, the fact remains that with detailed reports. from upwards of _ 8000 active beekeepers situated in every part of the State, figures are sufficient for deducting some valuable conclusions and establishing im- portant facts. ‘ In the beginning, this department built up a list of 5788 presumably active beekeepers. T'o each of these was sent a letter asking for a detailed report of the status of his business for the year 1911. Report blanks and return stamped envelopes were included with these requests for infor- mation. In an effort to curtail the number of delinquent correspondents in this canvass, follow-up letters were mailed to all those who had failed to respond to the initial request for reports. These letters brought in a great many reports. Finally post cards were mailed to all who still had not responded, and after the returns from this final effort were all in, the remaining names not heard from were eliminated from the “active list.” The result, as stated above, was that the original 5788 names were reduced to 2733, the figures from whose reports for the year 1911 con- stitute the basis for this digest. TABLE I.—NUMBER AND VALUE OF COLONIES REPORTED, BY COUNTIES. The following tabulation of hives and their value by counties is based upon actual reports received, the valuation of $5 apiece for colonies in movable frame hives and $1 apiece for colonies in box hives, or “gums,” being placed by this Department. Such valuations, especially in the case of colonies in movable frame hives, are low—conservative, to say the least, in view of the fact that in recent years full colonies in movable frame hives have brought in Texas from $7.50 to even as high as $10 apiece. 32 Trxas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS, No, Box No. Frame Total Total County. Hives. Value. Hives. Value. Hives. Value. Anderson............. 48/$ 48.00 61/$ - 305.00 109/$ 353 .0! Atascosa. .......+.+5- 76 76.00 3,430) 17,150.00 3,506) 17,226. AUISH Die 28 5.5: ste ventas 19 19.00) 492 »460 .00) 511 2,479 Bandera..........2655, 4.00 6 340 .00 72 34. Bastrop. .........-45- 73 73.00 190 950 .00) 263 1,023 DOE os ecscscow ik auipermeai nail teu eexiee alademd code 4 20.00)........ FOG avd cd Sestiapbtadeva heauuacteuentans 125 125 .00 4,962) 24,810.00 5,087| 24,935 BS dda cetacean dae butte 117 117.00 1,169) (5,545.00 1,268 5,662 BONETS com nau anes eaenies 42.00 3,872| 19,360.00! 3,914; 19,402 Blane eiccsereelo aay eeacd 22 22.00 3 655 .00' 15 i BOSCUC... 0 ea eee ees 94 94.00 588 2,940 .00 682 3,034. Brewster............- 41; - 41.00 21 105 .00 62 146. OWIG satis iomaieain ea eae 3 3.00) 54 273 .00 57 276 Brazoria....... 26 26 .00 1,300 6,500 .0! 1,326 6,526 Brazos 39 39.00 729 3,645 .00 68) 3, IBLOOKS 5-5 ossnssectuess/ Sass tahl orauatotebue oxtllttatgcaystcee 308 1,540.00 308 1,540 Brown 12 12.00 260 1,300.00 272 1,312 Burleson 18 18 .00 453 2,265.00 471 2,283 Burnet. 125 125 .00 160 800 .00) 285 925 Caldwell. bleu 110 110.00 423 2,115.00 533 2,225 Galllahans.si:.-i2iiiseies sins 105 105 .00 205 1,025 .00 310 ,135. Cameron...........-- 9 9.00 665 3,325.00 674 3,334. Cc 285 1,425.00 285 1,425 26 130.00 49 153 61 305 .00 105 349 45 .00 18 5. 237 1,185 .00 363 1,275 141 05 .00 150 7 75 75.00 393 646 3,230 .00] - 699 3,283 148 0.00 300 2, 466 2,330.00 517 2,381 118 90 00 120 59 688 2,440.00 774 3,526 56 280 .00 63 2 376 1,880.00 414 1,918 379 1,895.00 392 6 22 10.00 22 42 210.00 43 211 693 3,465 .00 693 3,465 40 200 .00 47 7 151 755 .00| 151 755 874 4,370.00 923 4,419 880} 4400.00 885) 4405 42 210.00 112 28! 533 2,665 .00 559 2,691 330 1,650.00 332 652 405 2,025 .00 489 2,109 13 65 .00 18 70. Fort Bend........ as icant casserole teakeitrccueidseen 52 260 .00 52! 260. Franklin... : 3 3.00 39 195.00 42 198 Freestone 93 93 .00 34 1,730.00) 4. 1,823 B08 ys ces 67 67.00 2,947) 14,735.00} 3,014} 14,802 Galveston: s.ce4 7 2g siecven fewara e esnall ween aces 80. Gillespie 12 12.0 145 .00 1 174 Oliad «serosa te 92) 92.00 1,958 9,790.00 2,050 9,882 Gonzales..........--- 68 68.0 04 2,020 .00 472 2,088 GLY 8 chiens des SERS 2:00 | ecau orem sudlten spent cie GYAYSON sc. soe sok ese PER 4 eed eer es 139 695 .00' 139 695 TOR isn nnisnostnsye aiccade 1 DO AO) penises |e edge emis 1 19. Grimes.......6.-0005- 205 205 .00 451 2,255 .00 656 2,460. Guadalupe........... 69 69 .00 330 1,650.00 399 1,719. Hamilton............-- 31 31.00 163 810.00) 194 841. FA Ariss: ssessesieteteredeiwiss cob 2 2.00 15 75 .00 17 77.00 PA APrisO Die )eochaetinivtses 50: deal] havalgityeree wll wcotieayayone iis 60) 300 .00 60 300. PRA oom qa gemeea ows 47 47.00 406) 2,030.00 453} 2,077. Henderson............ 72 72.00 86 430 .00 158 02 . 0 Hidalgo ‘ 1 1.00 2,769] 13,845.00] 2,770) 13,846. 96 +320. 187 302. 514 2,554. 5.0 3 15. ee oe ; 5 5. Jefferson... ....c eee 1 1.00 53 159.00 54 160. aim: WOM SS or cerissiesssisiecesfavclllerag gravensnacg hs: Sease- Beers onsae 353 1,765.00 353 1,765. KEAN ies ie wincmoaravecnes 16 16.00) 932 4,660.00 948 4,676. Kaufman...........-. 47 47.00 278 1,390.00 325 1,437. Kendall... os cacys~ es 70 70.00 113 565 .00 183 63. WOR satenerncee wernuores cts: 54 54.00 44 220 .00 98 274 Kimble... os... 43 43.00 269] 1,345.00 312] 1,388 Kinney, .aa.ciessceaes 3 00 897 » 485.00 900 »487 INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. 33 No. Box No. Frame Total Total County. Hives. Value. Hives. Value. Hives. |- Value. ; : Lamar: insceanccsneks 10/$ 10.00|$ 683!$ 3,415 .00/§ 693/$ 3,425.00 Lampasas............ 20) 20 .00} - 623| 3,115.00 643} 3,135.00 Wed SAN Gai. eek a Bs 1 1.00 79 395.00 80 396. Lavaca...........-405 34 34.00 244 1,220 .00 278 1,254.00 Tce sirccarccsivsnio we Wie bea Aa 22 22.00 95 475 .00 117 TIBOR EY. 3 aya actsedit a.4.0'|/< tudnauverepehongess ances 895| 4,475.00 895) 4,475.00 Limestone............ 97 97.00 299 1,495.00 396 1,592.00 Live Oak............. 57 57.00 1,842) 9,210.00 1,899) 9,267.00 WUE ccanatinnmiae ars g tier 4o 55 55.00 1,629] | 8,145.00 1,684] 8,200.00 Lubbock: i sage caos ce axils ee 4 9 tema dessa ce « 12 60.00 12 IMSCISON 5 oa wean ba a 24 24.00 3. 31 Mason. ..........000 67 67.00 141 705 .00 208 772.00 Matagordas «2 cicietcc dale 20% 0 tae] scavace acres 2 10.00) : MCGUUGEH § biisiccdee dec Wedce, waa teal] oi soteeers acd 186 930 .00' 186 930 .00 McLenn att... cesacncmsns a 50 50.00) 742) 3,710.00 792| 3,760.00 McMullen Back a 17 17.00 1,865.00 390 1,882.00 edina 61 61.00 2,634! 13,170.00) 2,695} 13,231.00 Menard 00 67} 4,835.00 9 ’ Milam 66 66.00 634 3,170.00 700 3,870.00 Mills. . 10 10.00 146 730.00 156) 00 Mitchell. 1200122222 .0.., Biaaell Saks cst 53 265 .00 53 265 .00 Montgomery . ne 25 25.00 7 35.00 32) 60.00 MOUUNS 6 ich ede ged ohn 1 1.00 25 125 .00 26 126 .00 Nacogdoches.......... 12 12.00 1 00 13 17.00 Navarro.............. 62: 62.00 759 3,795 .00 82 3,857.00 OUT shes: Suas/ozrerbgentountin' 12 12.00 153 765 .00 165 777 .0O0 NUECES 1202s 5 biesiionincaiea 11 11.00 552 2,760.00) 563 2,771.00 OERHEG oo ee a cnn ween 00 46 230.00 55 00 Palo Pinto......... ar 6 00 83 415.00 89 421.00 ANON. 6.2 ¥ bin a saaremununnn 16 16.00 69 345 .01 85 361.00 Parker's... 5 ais esas. 19 19.00 113 565 .00) 132 584.00 PRCOS ecu hs os tees QO I ies easge x semen esas ja fad Be 2.00 POMS. ise 25 5 eae 105 105 .00 399 1,995 .00 504 2,100.00 RANG 623.222 os scents 00 33 165.00 36 168 .00 Red River............ 1 1.00 187 935 .00 188 936 .00 FREON 08 05. 8.2.5. oop achsans tinerares| ORESgo%. 6 duared soon aehanteanses 32 160.0 32 160.00 Refugio. . 6 6.00 59 295 .00' 65 301.00 Robertson 42 42.00 444 2,220 .00) 486 2,262 .00 Rockwall 12 12.00) 116 580.00; 128 592 .00 Runnels 11 11.00 62 310.00 73 321.00 Rusk. . 16 16 .00' 122 610.00 138 626 .00 Sabine... 26 26.00) 159 795 .00 185 821 .00 San Jacinto.. seh 25 25 .00 677| 3,385.00 702| 3,410.00: San Augustine beet eee ipo ai ose Sa pS domed 6 36 .00) 6 36.00 Men PAWiClOe« anenerermnee er enminens) Deceenrgr arate Cs Denracn tes 187 935 .00 187 935 .00 ‘Walker : : 69 345.00 88 364.00: Waller 4 225 .00 47 227 .00 Es eg 134 geo 5/9 auirenteens 247 1 eae on a 1,245 .00 ‘Washington 123 . W. Harton 312 1,560.00 321 1,569.00 ‘Williamson 1,762 8,810.00 1,880) 9,828 .00 ison 4,306) 21,530.00 4,346) 21,570.00 WiSe soces 44 5 a Svceacs. 1 75.00 Wood............. ee 89 445 .00) 101 457 .00 Yoakum. 2 10.00 Young... (8) 4 20 .00|" 9 » 25.00 3,750! 18,750.00} 3,750) 18,750.00 Zavala.... tee Dota, ctw x cameos 5, 275/$5,275 .00 85,495/$428, 849.00) 90,770/$434,124.00 x 34 TrExas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS, TABLE II..—HONEY PRODUCTION BY COUNTIES, SEASON oF 1911. In the following tabulation of the production of section, extracted and “chunk” (bulk comb) honey, it must still be borne in mind that these figures represent only such productions as were reported to this Depart- ment. They do not represent the total amounts of honeys actually har- vested in the counties listed. Pounds Pounds Pounds County. Section | Extracted |Bulk Comb Total, Honey. Honey. Honey. Production. ANdersONiengscn sah aA H See 475 100 1,070 1,645 Austin... 53. 24,927 Atascosa. 150,360 Banderas vier i oy scat Ao 600 BeGir: agers seca Melek tthe pecan oa at Bk ete 128,760 Be Mein tinetav ts a tb tates Beth Och cued PIS, ha »201 ROX A is accica Nei fei sarteercteegre hae dees sit svaeae NE Coe 148,620 BIANCO oss secspigsizjsus eo sactbatws dita Ss dassipcubasdeunatedry: aeeees ,430 BOSQUC 8 jpupssiri seta akehudvtse london slenonentud Mama avensig 12,824, ROWE cochscsieseajericeh tos Gesedatys ieubelivac hs sespinantn feels twtr Saeccge 656 BEA Z OBL 62 ica cca apatectyas Gece Ra Aulgdtra gt osha Ga 15,330 TCS SO8 . Gieaed. 4 SuGuaddlanoiace amen + as winaden 31,580 PE seta cet messi ee pte HV earn Ue 2,000 BROWN catsin edianniiannrdeses a pawekutienteay. 5Fsaek 1,929 BroOkSicieagisesieccn Srentseatnsn nev soars a ene geeks 4,390 Burleson...... 31,040 Burnet... 84 Caldwell. 21,293 Callahan. »723 Cameron. 28,061 Cass..... 22 Cherokee 1,945 ONS GF ss calayiuiensaslceveis). uaeiap tlds Eicadieh cd avspecheb tiscali’ 250 Goleta Ba sje chs: shaped loaned Sree aoe aise abled epee 4,897 Golliing 4 sesicns bch A iene dB tharacuione tim, Shibae eens 2,542 EON OV AMO saczivesisst eeequcarsifsste alate tt cdc en bee BUGS Asina tees 1,805 SOT als sess. acseteatueatev pone iebia dslbaiess catia 28,441 Comanche 2,394 CONN’, az co cece ey recess ttnicnn ges a bok RARER BRO 4,705 Cooke... oc.en peas. yoenar ny 9 720 Coryell: sse5c0 2. 2 aeons eae eatengliy ho WS 4,785 Grocketts x 24c5 easiaenh £5 sey Re Ei oe SS 600 Dallas 1,132 Delta icswes sos utes 2 18,881 Denton 576 DeWitt 1,270 Dimmit 9,675 Eastlan 300 Edwards 4,630 His . 25,935 E] Paso 86,857 FE eat i acsee din 2s: tr ba ebeaan en Se astden a ae Nese ee me BEATS 521 Pal Ss setsauiieoeer vg wrtemancenye ea nancies exe a aia rset 16,510 Fannin: gomacywre 5 Sihae sinless ve genn amon ney he 5,504 Pavettesy: qcase 4 vnc eaentinn oo) ame ga 7,566 TEE x Gb Ae KV LER FARES AP SDS 200 Fort Bend 860 Pra nso) iiss ner Spesecee DSN So eA SRS iceas 610 Freestone 6,730 FETA Osan acaciesess026, b4y doodle yeesitys ahi idnimen ads aed oman 83,804 Galveston 220 Gilles Pie ages tito swucertaslenisng ds hick coitoneadve hk teers 730 Goliad. .......... 80,062 Gonzales. 12,178 Grayson 1,115 Gregg 250 Grimes... 9,012 Guadalup: 25,803 Hamilton. 2,373 Co ee 400 IEE ARTIS OF) iho) sais 3) 4. saanttaoivadaict: was yluaruign nine drinicne 260 AY Si. phot ht oho niacin esvalanad Seinen 16,245 Henderson 1 1,475 1,625 SIs alice nsec a eae atea ted ahs oe Seeieaans Jatsele Anus 180 17,200 45,050 62,430 c | hare eee ee te ee oe eee ere 3,572 19,470 091 ,132 [Ls eC eee ee ee eee P2\0) eee ene 58 830 HOUStO Naik S Reo GER GEE DOO ps sisisnee-c sean 2,000 2,550 jt ee eee ren ron weetree err rer 809 6,400 6,431 13,641 INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. 85 Pounds | Pounds | Pounds County. Section | Extracted [Bulk Comb} _ Total, Honey. Honey. Honey. | Production. Jackson. 30 30 Jasper. . 60 60 Jefferson 705 1,253 Jim Wells. 24 9,386 4,560 13}970 Ohmson............ 00000 D090 siccsceaie acts 680 ,770 Karnes Best sulcegiathd Meth Ge cetacean oat Ane CNES 43 9,585 11,351 20,979 Kaufman Sail an tes aay eal R ah ceesinhoo Saat eet as 1,576 210 ,099 6,885 ONAN ac csenwd orntiaccie SAlsetehepeaste spsaetelates 2 943 710 2,673 aa iuiceineunttin seer ean un ed anlmacgancemntarens oe are aes 150) osama sage) eeneeneest. 150 ty Se ere ea ere ee ee ee 50 310 1,600 1,960 ee Cieeeoaie tite tet does Bi Shan oe tem aay. Jee aed 355| , 2,400 4,450 7,205 EBL O Ye sored, dss a Bigs de reve dah omaha tne Sais peas alns heahsaeeaded onaee 7,740 , 200 11,940 PSEA B28 soaks Sy Sd oe Srsbuabceecaseecays Shwe aa Bycsben 3,260 14,494 2,475 20,229 pampasas i a Ciciaincaaiielag bse id. Ae homaneeadtisptvauchaee encase 280 , 000 2,495 1775 SANE, cucrscatsisi ser tert buh Luster dese ndeanitsinnaihe, bot iAieadet Wowie tovbadienet wal 908 180 1,088 4,712 1,115 6,002 2,616 396 3,172 , 500 6,680 11,874 1,200 2,644 1230 6,295 3,361 9,936 14,620 43,015 57,635 ,250 2585 15,25 100) 3 saseemacee 2,30 = Bg IMEC CM pha cyte cesernsesasesvansaesonsatathioteedieihad Mesh werovaneneens ecal aOldaiiaa sates 2622 37622 ACT ern ti tes cssiestcnca over te ive ah siceateeiae ote Ca eel 413 15,057 11,090 26,560 MeMiulle nt n.iicsissguesesaqernneirs sid dedeerediresenernare st al aiegencne 3 692 630 7322 Medinas x sce saciasannnn ae 3 4.2 Saeed eee ase 989 22,705 56,495 80,189 Menard ivs55, a navies 2 te a gen eee A a9 501 550 15,475 19,525 Milamiye.c cieicrulrannie an tht eee aonaes ave a ci aah ae fs 11,675) 7,374 19,049 VIA S icicles isteach Bea RU eID One 400 950 1,665 015 TWAT CCHS MN oi cscad-cicegainsyse, hguitadiccece ac sevohonsg Mace APESE A ON far snc ced UES 600 700 , 300 Montgomery... cee ce eee est t[enenee ee ge 85 225 310 INVOD YS 3a. osctctrel ain sahdirli nu hpih ee daskebre Wlandst dh spoungedeeei Sse 50 | swe son eau a eee 50 Naor @oc Wes ciscxcsceosi surat 2 2.cce 8 opsnicteaannautveue tare 405l| mceuaaecneyetaaa lisa s Od evatads 60 60 INAV ERO riers seks eiaetitesenastacsteos: Wait aii. Syacancenlidtiberh nivalielale 1,560 1,750 12,290 15,600 ING eitestadesen Sek neater Sime cen coors yep sabi tdtec dn dev And Seu Peet sear io 2,488 455 »943 NAD eC Since 2cecis's wrciageepnarttenicne ice si ew qyintenane aitanivan adie ae ixcdn uiecavoganes 7,410 18,422 25,832 DIANE Gis 25 dao neigh pia se ees 485 25 318 828 Palo Pinto.c3.4 Hens eee st ene asuere eels deena 50 375 425 anola...... 150 65 385 600 Parker 500 200 615 1,315 PO COS 6a 5 ose ayscaconiondoassibyitsacck oe ono WARMER ARAM ead sos St es tet te areeeraet ae 115 11 POL is seshect aed casa seioldamsnumradarglar anon meee SS 3,375 1,012 2,272 6,659 Re BU Spy acon ed atc gd at th igs da akan Sahn BWA gan ae Rese 200 375 57. Pred Fiver: ssccaicoieaeenectvactuwe th dbesctureicadvcacastne 2 Dlillest smneebunetdens 200 2,155 2,355 FREOVES eg 5 go sts we arse dernn nin Saneeiecc rants go aoe Sewer tonfie @ do d-a Re 120 120 Doe: yo acy ameter orn 6 BEALE Ea aces dw ome cada 360 600 960 Robertsoni: =< cneiatowacsn nce armeactatiseas elas Cieecneaegs 800 1,765 2,565 Rockwalle.5:c.c: 2ane cue ii wa oe Sait 50 662 274 986 PGGOE ES, occ ook BREN EY OG EO ioe 30 20 570 650 USE iorci og suai itncy cntvintisBioce Bie-8- 3a ONES RUNEvTA 951 1,200 960 3,111 G ADT G soso coas jc ovecteuctasevie Foaysecg EOE te Bees Goat ORE | Sate aatagaial nee Rare tee 580 580 Sani Augustine. ..scsaaieuss s¢oncvow pas eae CNN Fe ORNS 38 300 338 Sani Va@int0 ns soccccveankesssot Sto eb ee MOR SES | eer aReIs 240 3,155 3,395 Same P Atri ciO sisi renin sverisrasinshadi a oi av taserauduenatereye jeraliohli sea sasvowseeees 9,549 61,127 70,676 BAN Saba icv sievwiisarpeaieavint sh tea wee aenesetine 785 ,810 09 Schleicher a. <--csiecsadeorasieves eo wt ctoedesnoucaae o= 1,860 3,360 Shackelford 190 190 Shelbys. 24.552 neeeeses 150 150 Smith 1,015 1,125 Stephens 685 763 Tarrant 1,425 1,425 Taylor. .... 309 8,294 Throckmorto 900 900 Tom Green. 1,025 1,645 Travis. . 497 22,751 PE BAS Be cae oe Gh csp hwo BS 255 125 SUT OMS oostevo etcdudontecaseciged det aenltecwdeeaub lisa 710 1,070 TODSBUN s seao cic siederananeceeavens ard aanaaentsoe tere wen 2 20 WV ale incor gate Seto eerton aie drei anaes ened 153 ,007 218,745 Wall Vierde’s sacar paves nae teanannereece ies 980 655 Want Zand thine sacageveaanes emton aaanieuenea-s 500 1,500 Victoria.......... splat ei 22 ng cer Ree 8 900 »710 Walker.......... : 150 200 Waller... csmntbidtAGd sss sedeanees ye Euee 220 2,220 Wards a deivai aa cctnsraneneseriy nue? sa sren Sadi dese a BS 1,300 4,530 Washington 59 2,112 1.625 33: WW Hart onies vss citer aneuututiee nya donde aunt aanleeae 265 450 4,425 ,140 WaT A MISO Dos ccchcad boi cast chasaivnsicdsoeenmiasiende. REisc ee 781 72,194 29,570 102,545 36 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS, Pounds, Pounds, Pounds, County. Section | Extracted [Bulk Comb] Total Honey. Honey. Honey. Production, Wilson. 21,709] 92,248} 114,057 YOUNG os senstuans tient uccnidenesnesesbatipoesae aval peel oneself ecpin iytoath 8 KU Zavala. eee 28,395 88,310 116,705 MO bal St iieeedieetseteedaena ns vaenianaynes ss 75,790} 823,311] 1,510,244] 2,399,345 TABLE IJI.—AVERAGE PRICE RECEIVED FOR SECTION, EXTRACTED AND BULK COMB HONEY, SEASON OF 1911. The following figures are averages taken from all reported sales of honey in the various counties of the State during the season of 1911. It is a noteworthy fact that these figures vary greatly. Of course the sale of a car of extracted or bulk comb honey, for instance, would furnish figures lower than those from the sale of a few pounds of either honey. Yet, when in one case we find that the average price received for bulk comb honey in Bexar county was 94 cents, and this figure obtained from averaging sales of small lots as well as large lots, then, on the other hand, we find that the average price received for the same class of honey in Taylor county, for example, was 144 cents, the matter is entitled to consideration. This same variation occurs in the reported sales of wax, which is generally conceded a standard commodity and its price little affected bv local conditions. Average Price of | Average Price of | Average Price of Section Honey Extracted Honey |Bulk Comb Honey County. y Sales. y les. y Sales (Cents per lb.) (Cents per Ib.) (Cents per lb.) AT OP SO Dac) aa doctnestinc ty dit Aibeineeaist ot 13 10 12 ACASCOBAl ss suites Avie 4 sstnilctutdeadediesh a 12 81-5 10% SUIS CLINE red seten peeeciss te aicae tuted meeNS eis 143 71-5 8% BRAN ORs isa sctin eect tons asnilerdatswensie nea 113 Bastrop eri evemicines aw rvleeemens 9 8 10 1-5 CO 2 asd hanigg en 2 pie ORS 10 84 103 Belle ea x 5-ewsvae acon: ee Sssereulmune ty 14 10 2-5 10 7-10 BOX GI e. es hanes wore eee ea a 123 84 1034 BlancO\e vssiesaien 28s engine © 10 93 BOSQu Gs: f.... cian. debra a ana 14 a 9 1-10 1234 Pe os. stew ed sh prone aul 71-5 14 FRVAZ OSs ir cvccicuisssetasusi ds tran soheibesbas A pee 84 10 1-7 Brewster. aede dele 13 Brooks. a ‘ 84 84 Brown. cats 103 10 1-5 Burleso saa 8 103 Burnet... i 13 9 10 5-7 Caldwell ssccwiecancosie a disincniarsenain 103 83 8 6-7 Gallahans.; csiociw ss 45 oe esewana ss 15 10 12 1-5 Camerons occu sao ee eR ER OES « 14 103 113 Cherokee... scesci sce eee eek iat 15 114 10 COlEMAN sass 2285 FEONGANSE 35 10 12 13 1-5 0. ee oe eee seer weler eee 18 113 14} Colorado... 0.0.6... cece eee 9 94 OTA ss scicrchssniis Sansictne fast ase raeautnBabsinte 82 10 5-7 COMANCHE §s. 4.2 soascre:dovar esensnctdreubaiine & 15 13 133 GON CHO inc seeps aul dol cadscanncuttewavevn 14 1-5 10 123 chalk [ARSENE RGHeO ele SARI oan see 13 ORY. EL x ieeccccvarsona sansa avneiadodnesemecnes 9 10 Crocketticesccsiusens yg ag ea hscoy s 20) : i ae , j 124 16 15 11 13 2-7 : 12 otey al 11 8 113 203 12 13 INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO Texas BEEKEEPING. County. Average Price of Section Honey By Sales. (Cents per Ib.) Hays Henderson Hidalgo Hill Mitchell. ... Montgomery Morris... . Nolan. . Nueces. Orange... Palo Pinto 1s > ee One oan Rockwall Runnels Shackelford Ss s Schleicher. . s S 10 16 3-5 11 15 37 Average Price of |_ Average Price of Extracted Honey |Bulkk Cumb Honey By Sales. » By Sales. (Cents per lb.) (Cents per Ib.) 7k 11 teats 13 93 11 12 14% 8 9 10 10 Oa 16 9 tol tee 10 8 5-6 10 8-11 8 4-7 91-5 eR 13 “$i 83 9 3-5 . 13 13 93-5 11 gi his 10% 12 3-5 13 - 11 1¢ 144 ni 13 18 20 9 103 ee 14 84 104 10 124 9 3-5 9 5-7 104 11 1-5 9 1-10 92 84 94 123 133 8 10 6-7 10 13 9 94 8% 94 7k 10 8-9 23 134 103 113 8 10 1-7 8 9i 10 ier 10 10 9 10 ees 113 11 2-9 12 1-9 8 - 10 84 10 10 4-5 10 sai 104 10 11 1-5 10 14 9% 94 10 6-7 12 4-5. 10 1-5 11 2-9 ek 15 10 12 nen 144 seats 15 103 10 5-6 ieee 10 “94 104 13 15 13 12 10 11 isc 10 10 10 aye 94 gi 10 ‘ae 8 10 10 38 TrExaS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. County. Average Price of Section Honey By Sales. (Cents per lb.) Average Price of Extracted Honey By Sales. (Cents per Ib.) Average Price of Bulk Comb Honey By Sales. (Cents per lb.) Taylor Throckmorton Van Zandt Victoria TABLE IV.—PRODUCTION OF WAX BY COUNTIES, AVERAGE SELLING PRICE PER POUND AND TOTAL VALUE, BY SALES REPORTED, OF WAX OUTPUT FOR SEASON OF 1911. In discussing some of the points brought out by the data contained in Table III, attention was called to the fact that there appeared a great variation in the prices per pound received by beekeepers for their various grades of honey. Even a casual examination of the data in the following table will reveal the same variations for wax, and, as in the case of sales of honey, seem to warrant an inquiry into the causes making such wide differences possible with so staple a product ‘as wax. Pounds of Wax | Average Sellin; Total Value County. Produced. Price per Pound. By Sales. (Cents.) AMNGETSON, 5 6. neeieeies eee eieeeeteees 46 263 $ 12.27 Atascosa..........-.0- 1,817 17 308 .89 Austin.... 387 244 94 .82 Bandera. 35 20 7.00 Bastrop. 207 224 46 .54 Bee. 2,129 234 7452. Bell. 650 23 149 .50 BCX Or cease ach nteanminnnikes: tecbedbaueeall 1,583 27 427.41 TBAT COs musecscerd eseiins gpincastenvesbiatseitraccauliusutvacheeecipatiis 18 234 42.30 Bosque. ....-- 0.6. c eee eee eee eens 243 23 55 .89 BO Wiles ese ag gg seman egea careestronatnionet 35 25 8.75 Brazoria as ., scueeng gaeacutagnin mararenantcawninnak 290 203 59.45 BBA ZOB seis dese SEE SEES TIO 383 274 105 .33 BROOKS os. secessce-s gousesoe ic EEDA AER TRE 77 384 29.65 BrO Wei oieie: ssieiecediatay cveten oe SO EARS BAS 63 31 19.53 Bares OM snisemonisnionecvch Guieindnictcntece tea 280 193 53.90 BUETe bia csceine Saaenrucchinid nc alecatuccwed gticsincela nests 63 17 10.71 GTA Wellispoyiveivorissutartscinntlicodinnaincuerins evicsenatie but 269 22 59.18 A] alll a AM rctesseseorcseets tes abuts de ndouisiean Shdasns 5 ee MG ATMO O Da tere pees tnt crc eet ke iOen ce oeDinsSay eae 591 29% 173 .36 CUETO RCC sc. 5 ora giscn ce orien ero ies 4 ee se Golemanss:2%.ancneoes se 73 243 19.09 Colitun...2 cee 53 25 13.25 Comal...... 306 254 78 .03 Comanche 24 244 5.88 ell. 553 21 116.13 Dallas. . 201 30 60.30 Denton.... 18 28 5.04 INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. 39 Pounds of Wax Average selbns: Total Value County. Produced. Price per Poun By Sales. (Cents.) 43 20 $ 8.60 192 274 52.80 225 25 56.25 749 28 209 .72 10 18 1.80 a 25 57.50 203 244 49.75 50 25 12.50 261 224 58.74 1,276 254 335 .38. 8 21 1.68 815 26 213 .90) 174 244 41.76: 15 28 4.20: 146 293 43 .07 236 Jik a a0 244 12.25. 186 264 49 .58- 65 214 13.09 520 28 145 .60" 241 244 14.0% 56 264 14.94 1 i 30 34.20 . 24 $1.12 523 274 143.83 73. 24 17.52 ~ 96 20 19.20 58 19 11.02: 89 eeaGy ba a Aarts 698 213 151.83: Lampasas isc eros cose ee aa ean oo heen 137 25 34.25: Moat Sal G's gio ees ane 2 ves 2 heer anne meee. Be 21 28 5.88 AV Gtte nase ees PE Ok he Sie ie 129 25 34.25 Loge peers mie 66 224 14.85 Tee 3 All 24 98 .64 Liberty 195 253 A9 .73 Limeston: 207 254 52.44 Live Oak 689 _ 2B 173 .25 Llano. 290 244 71.05 Lubbock. 12 ce ee ‘papeatals 50 22 11.00 pwakyewter ara a ingome s se eRaNe 166 213 20.75 MeCulioch 32 20 6.40 McLennan 332 26 86 .32 McMullen 125 293 36 .67 Medina | i2.05 5 vee tae det Be eee ode 1,161 26 291 .86 AMMO DAR 242 ce sagige: sb sorey's seoteacrey dg sbstoyaae seat e-emenibin, 850 273 235 .18 VE YU ina asian ob amir acannebent Ben Ged Spates oe 285 24 68 .40 DS aa ache ai tatu died vn cne nc aus Roue dena wi de ole 61 22, 13.42 IM CCE ie savant dost Sausnecisccdeen divnd sath er el oiahtel 20 35 7.00: Montgomery. . ce 18 244. 4.41 Nacogdoches...:...... suc NSvaMine dese 88) ailaiceva 5 On (eee INAV ALTO ie ienniy eee we askance an deere 225 243 55.50: Nolan segs 30 22 6.60: Nueces 544 22, 119.68: Orange 20 30 6.00 Panola 29 23 6.67 Parker 20 28 5.60: Polk. 52 17 8.84 Rains. . ‘ cas 50 ce en eS Red River. 01001221 22IDDDIIDIDIIIETT 42 25 10.50 REPU B10 2 go ce je oh scat a satan vee adoveow clita dommvcdattee 40 28 11.20 RODOTESOND 245.65 iy seeveveyiersrcarisenhder sh egedor sven 141 214 30.32 Le |, Berna cnen ee Gree ene tnerecttnnr enter 20 26 — 5.20 Runnels 40 20 8.00 PS aiseinsiensose yt onde wees een 5 H hegaden esa 71 20 14.20 Sabine 56 19 10.64 San Jacinto 141 25 35.25 * San Patricio 919 264 242 .02. Schleicher 160 24, 8.40: - Shackelford 10 25 2.50 Smith 22 224 4.95. Stephens 10 23 2.30: Tarrant 10 28 2.80: Taylor.. 262 224 59.40) Tom Green 7 tas “isha Travis.... 258 254 65.19 40 Texas AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS. Pounds of Wax | Average Selina Total Value County. Produced. asa er Poun By Sales. ents.) TELInit ys; gas ge waoemeek eos addenda 444 heennune 61 28 17.09 ies, aiaggeynun es Goatees scabs cyanate colt booeec Hane 40 19 vals aM Oe le hd. Sah cet ien ceca tiptoe BAN 12 27 , Neal VEL de seco 5 ccomnsnceatavtessenannbve Preerevsencar 56138 ae tate WAN SCAN boss. savecarsinsnus «co aeseh-areg ace wnlataenys 30 20 6.00 Victoria.......: esiaoGusinbe nana wich Senctieered 30 30 9.00 18 18 2.24 25 8.00 320 27% 87 .47 110 234 25..67 116 264 30.74 1,051 22 231 .22, 4 243 238 .63 40 20 8.00 1,630 29 492.70 36,105 $8 ,449 .62 TABLE V.—OPINIONS OF BEEKEEPERS AS TO THE MOST PROFITABLE SCALE ON WHICH APICULTURE MAY BE PURSUED. The following votes by beekeepers were cast in answer to two questions in the report blanks sent out by this department: “Ts beekeeping in your section of the State profitable (a) as a side- line; (b) as a profession, to the exclusion of other occupations?” (a) As a Sideline. (b) As a Profession. County. Voting Voting Voting Voting Yes. No. es. No. 7 2 1 5 58 3 40 10 14 ey 4 4 3, eet ma 1 14 2 4 9 2 ed ee 2 45 1 37 4 36 4 12 19 64 7 37 18 10 ae 3 6 43 hae 12 19 3 1 1 o 9 be 3 4 20 1 4 9 : 2 hi ys 2 HB LOOKS ogi e gas gctibasas Gees ae Ralandneee dels Oe Seatac ea 7 2 4 5 IBrOWD: 4.43.5 2 haa ies so etree bo Bema 12 1 1 10 6 1 3 3 11 2 4 6 24 1 8 8 15 Dee ne bes 13 15 2 i 13 4 1 sa 3 3 z 1 7 1 hg 1 ae 20 J 2 16 14 1 2 9 6 1 be 4 20 2 6 7 9 4 oe 10 cb 3 4 8 4 2 i. 3 19 4 7 14 2 eg “e 2) 12 2 3 13 20 1 6 11 2 1 ez 8 4 ey 3 5 uh 3 4 1 5 1 2 2 sap INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. 41 (a) As a Sideline. (b) Asa Profession. Votin, No. Votin, No. TIED git ga tiekeueesiniietens Ren ye hicoemantnecen? Franklin. . Guadalupe............... ips dutao si cdicbul angewadenes Hamilton..... . A saecasitsonseaee Sincestistutsi apa lvtvecbithel ste y Parris sig servers ciieaiers rena ace easton Harrisons ces winner stale aigaae eae tn a ees aces TOWMSOM 0: d lava iece, be nd ewe evar Shoe ane reconnect SOM CS sree hs ayolea cove zeta eg leith dlareabenn sivas. Dreret tee Lampasas... oe cece eee er eee tenet tee teee La Salle NUL Se enee oenn iPaeleoeenseeeeehvavistza Montgomery....-.-.- Morris......---> Nacogdoches. Navarro... - Nolan. . Reeves Refugio...... Bs acin ansehen bk BESEE DIATOM Cb meth a wownNnN - oe wry mB OBWENOAWRA wo me _ NNN OWON a ae OONT ROTO CW CONTE OO Pedacdaed . Wee Se oe Re Ot NIN ASTO00 DOORN EAT oOo m nN WR WNNIWOR N “I le wnNnN ee WNOWNR OUR > Awan: Dene! comet! wong! compe: Hol et Domt! grt cee { OWA! Be ete: = eke PeweN: eet 7 RE Ge ee 8 _ = Nwowrny ~ ow é + OWRR-: ro ro . Om B. O- D wwonnem: ¢ Doom! . vs - N&WD- " _ + Ae CON PWITRWWW AWW: F w . + PROoOh hor: 10 10 De New Bp Bee _ . ad DANIUUIN HOO: QWRENMNONNEO ian N PPNWONIW Pana’ ANwWrH- mie NO WHEN: = me wo WR Ree N eR SI ay ee . e Wehbe: WWwom Ge or: cup & . wm ONO: 42 TEXAS AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATIONS, (a) As a Sideline. (b) As a Profession. County. Votin Votin iene Voting ves No. - Yes. ‘ No. Robertson 3 4 3 12 FROCK WANs rssiisve ses waned dos 2 1 2 as a pe a i A 1 | ae pre ene eee S ADIN Gotcha cinta dicarty odlucigrvit Cae alee enapsvensnne rad 5 2 3 4 San Jacinto 4 ase 2 2 Sam: Patricioiics:..« ay saniveisniw vigaremmqn ceases ae : iy 1 2 aa 2 1 3 ee 1 a 2 oa ee 2 7 2 5 6 9 1 ss 9 1 2 iP 3 17 i 3 #16 2 1 1 a 5 ie a 3 5 _ 3 2 4 7 1 7 ae 1 sei 1 81 4 52 29 8- 1 1 6 1 1 1 2% 3 2 1 a 4 re ee 2 1 1 se 1 5 2 ee 2 12 Be 4 7 WA OM a 55-3) ascuseisisig Richa San osebtinpindeubad dec Saha sbcameeesan ie 7 2 ae 8 Williamson 34 8 10 27 Wilson 52 2 34 12 Wise 1 sie rm 1 Young. : A a 5 oung. ae Zavala. ‘ 28 5 18 7 Totals 1,750 225 705 | 947 QUEEN BREEDING IN TEXAS, This Department has secured a list of upwards of fifty active queen breeders in the State whose output of queens for the season of 1911 was approximately 9000. A nominal value placed on these at $7000 is nomi- nal in the strictest sense of the word. For, in cases when no value was reported to us by the breeder, we have placed this at 75 cents apiece. To any beekeeper, such a valuation immediatel¥ suggests the common run of queens; such a figure would not justly represent the value of queens of the higher grades. It appears that the rank and file of Texas queen breeders produce the Italian. Yet there are breeders of the Carniolan, Banat and Cyprian. The three-banded Italian seems to have the preference, then the Golden. GENERAL SUMMARY. From our reports, as well as from actual observations in the field, we know that the past three or four years in Texas have been unfavorable to highly successful honey production in a number of localities. The proportion of box hives, or “oums,’ to movable frame hives in Texas is gratifyingly small. The average production of honey, all grades, per colony in Texas for the season:1911 as secured from reports of 2733 beekeepers was 26 pounds. Were the productions from box hives eliminated from this INVESTIGATIONS PERTAINING TO TEXAS BEEKEEPING. 43 estimate, the average would be much higher, in spite of adverse seasonal influences, Bulk comb honey (“chunk honey”) is the chief production of the Texas aplary. Follows extracted honey and sections, the latter form being com- paratively scarce. ! In the data expressing the views of Texas beekeepers as to whether apiculture is profitable as a side line rather than as a profession, it is interesting to note that the most extensive beekeepers: maintain that the industry is unprofitable unless conducted on a large scale,’ and that those who claim the industry is profitable only as a side line are almost invari- ably beekeepers who follow the calling on the corresponding scale. In nearly every case it appears that the small beekeeper finds a good market locally for his honey. The large beekeeper does not and is forced to ship. Of course, such conditions are directly governed by the law of supply and demand, the small town_near a small apiary or apiaries con- suming their output, while an excessive honey crop would find no market there. Those who ship their honey find Fort Worth, Dallas, Floresville and San Antonio to be excellent Texas markets, and it appears that most of the shipments within the State reach these, Those shipping out of the State find a good and ready market in Oklahoma. But it is again worth stopping to note that the greater bulk of Texas honeys never get out of the State. Unquestionably Texas could consume yet a larger quantity than is annually produced by her own apiaries.