Mistaken Conclusions
Categories:
DESTRUCTION OF WORMS.
Bee Keeping:
Mysteries Of Bee-keeping Explained
It is supposed by many, when these worms are found on the board, they
get there by accident, having dropped from the combs above. They seem
not to understand that the worm generally travels on safe principles;
that is, he attaches a thread to whatever he travels over. To be
satisfied on this point, I have many times carefully detached his
foot-hold, when on the side of the hive or other place, where he would
fall a few
inches, and always found him with a thread fast at the place
he left, to enable him to regain his position if he chose. Is it not
probable, then, that whenever he leaves the combs for the bottom-board,
he can readily ascend again? No doubt he often does, to be driven down
again by the bees. Now, what I wish to get at by all this preamble, is
simply this: that all our trouble and worrying to prevent the worms
from again ascending to the combs--by wire hooks, wire pins, screws,
nails, turned pins, clam-shells, blocks of wood, &c., is perfect
nonsense, when half or more of them would not harm the bees any more if
they did, and might as well go there as any where else. Besides, these
useless "fixins" are very often a positive injury to the bees.