Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-11-27
BEES TO KILL
Agricultural Department yinds
Ally In the Philippines.
Stag OF the insect saia 60 BE Poason-
ous TO the Small Aai1alseWfu
BE IntroascsA late TAta
Country.


attack upon the American field
mouse. His determination in certain
localities has been resolved upon and
the Philippine bumblsbee 10 to be
brought into service a. the execu-
toner.
This wal the statement made by
Prof. c. II. 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 wal upon
the American field mouse, q rodent
which has caused the farmers of the
country a loss OF thousands Of dol
lars.
"It IL an old saying among farm
ers," said Prof. Riley, reports a Chi
cago paper, that when there is plen-
ty of clover there are lots Of humble
bees. What the farmer really
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 ave 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 de-
stroy the field mouse, or to take
away from the rodent his supply of
winter food. Either method IL NC
cessful would result in q gain of
thousands of dollars to the farmers.
The field nous is very fond of bum
blebee honey and never loses an OPP
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 a short clover crop for
the bumblebee 10 a carrier of pollen
from one clover plant to another.
Thus when there are lots of humble
bees clover comes to perfection. II
the field mouse has destroyed the
bumbleebee there u no insect that
can do its work in the summer time
and the farmers lose accordingly.
This 10 not only true of clover, but
many other plants.
"We hold that the bumblebss II a
valuable member of insect society
and that the field mouse 10 a worth
less scamp who likes a good dinner
but does not want to work for IL.
"The Philippine bumblebee Is al
entirely different insect from hi
American cousin. He is fully an Incl
and a half long and looks like
small bird. He 10 full of business and
has no fear of such a small anima
as the field mouse He IL a harmless.
fellow when let alone, but his stini
is deadly to smaller forms of ami
ma life. He will fight for his owl
with the ~tenacity of a pugilist ant
any INSCRIPTIONS field mouse invad
ing his domain will have to fight fol
everything he gets.
"a field mouse after receiving tn
sting of a Philippine bumblebee woul'
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
at is the intention of the agricul
tural department TO introduce thi
bee into the United States If climati
conditions will permit. He will b
sent to the warmer parts of tn
, country at first, where he may grad
ually become hardened to the NOR
, sever climate. II il then hoped h
will grow and spread until he cover
the entire country. The department
has it's eye upon other insects in tn
Philippines which may prove of valu
to agricultural interests. There ar
: several varieties of honey bees whic
will be given a trial. A species {
!, tree toad, which has a deadly anti
u athy for certain kinds of citrus il
sects, will be introduced into soutl
Y California with the hope that
may be useful in the exterminatio
of the black or armored scale, whiC
n has caused so great a loss to fru
a ,rnv~fp, ;ntarast1 30 lata NAVAL