The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1901-10-31
BEES TO EXTERMINATE MICE
Philippine Insects to BE Introduced
Into This Country for That
Purpose.

The agricultural department at
Washington is to make determined
attack upon the American field
mouse. His determination in certain
localities has been resolved upon and
the Philippine bumblebee is to be
brought into service as the execu-
toner.
This was the statement made by
Prof. c. H. Riley, of the department,
who passed through Chicago last
week en- route to San Francisco and
the Philippines. Prof. Riley, of the
division of entomology, will devote
a year in the Philippines to the study
of bugs and insects of the archipel-
ago. The ''humming bird" humble
bee of the Philippines will be one OF
the main objects of his inquiry. 1t
is planned to import the big bee of
the Philippines into the United
States that he may make war upon
the American field mouse, a rodent
which has caused the farmers of the
country a loss of thousands of dol
lars.
"It is an old saying among farm
ers," said Prof. Riley, reports Chi
cago paper, that when there is plen-
ty of clover there are lots of humble
bees. What the farmer really means
is that when there are lots of bum
blebees there is plenty of clover. He
might carry his logic further by say
ing that when field mice are scarce
there are plenty of bumblebees, and
that when there are plenty of cats
there are few field mice.
''In order to save the clover crops
of the country the agricultural de-
partment has the choice of two
things, to increase the number of
cats in the country, which will 10
stroy the field mouse, or to take
away from the rodent his supply of
winter food. Either method if sue
cessful would result in a gain OF
thousands of dollars to the farmers.
The field mouse is very fond of bum
blebee honey and never loses an op-
portunity to deprive the insect of the
rewards of his work. The honey
taken away from the bumblebee
causes him to perish in the winter
time. Hence n short clover crop for
the bumblebee is a carrier of pollen
from one clover plant to another.
Thus when there are lots of humble
bees clover comes to perfection. IT
the field mouse has destroyed the
bumbleebee there is no insect that
can do it's work in the summer time
and the farmers lose accordingly.
This is not only true of clover, but
many other plants.
eve hold that the bumblebee is a
valuable member of insect society
and that the field mouse is worth
less scamp who likes a good dinner
but does not want to work for it.
"The Philippine bumblebee is an
entirely different insect from his
American cousin. He is fully an inch
and half long and looks like a
small bird. He is full of business and
has no fear of such small animal
as the field mouse. He is a harmless
fellow when let alone, but his sting
is deadly to smaller forms of ami
NAL life. He will fight for his own
with the tenacity of pugilist and
any unscrupulous field mouse invad-
ing his domain will have to fight for
| everything he gets. ..
"a field mouse after receiving the
sting of Philippine bumblebee would
much resemble the wrecked appear
ance of some of our college boys aft
| er the Thanksgiving football game.
He would have to lay up for repairs.
"It is the. intention of the agricul-
| tural department to introduce this
| bee into the United States if climatic
conditions will permit. He will be
sent to the warmer parts of the
country at first, where he may grad.
severe climate. It is then hoped he
will grow and spread until he covers
the entire country. The department
has its eye upon other insects in the
Philippines which may prove of value
to agricultural interests. There are
several varieties of honey bees which
will be given trial. species OF
tree toad, which has deadly antip.
| athy for certain kinds of citrus in.
sects, will be introduced into south
ern California with the hope that il
may be useful in the determination
| of the black or armored scale, which
has caused SO great loss to frui
growing interests of late years"
II SAnda Are niaf I'd