The Rugby gazette and east Tennessee news. (Rugby, Morgan Co., Tenn.) 1884-188?, 1886-05-01
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Official Report of U. S. Entomologist.
BEES vs. FRUIT-EXPERIMENTS
N. W. Mc'LAIN.
For the purpose of testing the cara-
city Of bees, under exceptional circum-
stances, to III ure fruit, | built a house
Is feet long by 10 feet wide, and s fest
high at the corners. Large doors were
hung in each end, and a part Of the sid
ing OH each side Was adapted to be rails
ed up on hinges Screen doors we're hung
on the inside of the outer doors, aud
wire cloth covered the openings on the
side where the siding was raised TIE
house is entirely bse-proof When the
sides are raised up, and the doors'open-
ed, the temperature and light in the
house is substantially the same as 'out-
aide. Along the sides of the house
built shelves upon which fruit was plac-
ed 50 that the rays of the sun might
strike the different varieties la dilfcrenI
Stages of ripeness from green to (sai
r 70. Plates Of ripe peaches, psars, 'uma
grapes, Nc, we're placed on the shelves;
clusters VI different Au.d. of grapes.
green and rire, sound and imperfect,
and such AS had been stuug by insects,
were suspended from the raltsrs and
CT ties Of he house.
On Septeinbel |, | removed three CO.
lonies OF bses from their hives, carefully
and quickly, So that they would carry
very little money with them hen trans
fcrrcd from one hive to another. Two Of
the colonies were hybrid bees. ami one
Italian These cYlonlas We're hi,ed on
enpt, COMBS, and placed in the house
with ,ne fruit. 4 woui-stove was put iii
tns nou,e, and far number of hours
Sach day y high temperature VAS main
taiued. iue physical conditions winch
would ordinarily prevail in nature dur
ins Il protracted aud severe drought
were ar,Iticiaily produced aLd syesdiIy
maintained.
The bees were brought to tbs atsses
OF hunger thirst and starvation. Tie
house saa kept locked and | carried
TIE KAY.
Every inducement and opportunity
was afforded the bses to satisfy THEN
hunger and thirst by attacking the
ilsliJ exposed. They daily visited the
fruit in great numbers, and labored di
lscutly 10 improve the only remaining
source of subsistence. They inspected
and took what advantage they could VI
every opening at the stem or crask in
the cpidermis or pmcture made by Iii.
sects which deposit their eggs i'll the
skin efgrspes. They regarded the cpl
dernis of the peaches, pears, plums and
other fruits having thick covering
simply as subjects for enquiry and in
vestigation, and not objects for attack
If the skin be broken or removed the,
will, in case OF need, lap and suck til,
juices exposed. The same was also tru'
of the grapes il the skin was broken b,
violence or burst on account of the frui
becoming overripe; the bees Tapped an,
sucked the juices rom the exposed part
sfgrapes and stored it in their cells 70
food. They made no attempt to grail
tho cuticle of grapes with their mandi
bliss or with their claws If the grape
we're cut open or burst from oyerripe
ness the bees would lap and suck tn
juice from the exposed ssgments {
the grape until they came to the flr
separating the exposed and broken seg
ments from the unbroken segmeuts
Through and beyond ths6lm separating
the segments they appear to be unabl
to psnstrate. | removed the outer ski
from many grapes Of different kinds
taking care not to rupture the film sur
rounding tie pulp. When these wer,
exposed to the bees they continued t
lap and suck the juices from the cute
film uutil it was dry and smooth a
was the film between broken and III
broken segments. They SHOWED no dis
position to use their jaws or claws, AM
the outer film as well as the film be
tween broken segments remained Who'll
until the pulp decayed and dried up.
After continuing the test for thirt.
days, using such varieties OF fruits a