HUMBLE BEE AND HONEY BEE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1978, 14 January 1907, Page 1

HUMBLE BEE AND HONEY BEE.

WAS BOM BUS LAPIDAHIUS BEQUIItED. The efforts of Canterbury Agricultural and Pastoral Association to secure the more regular fertilisation of the red clover by - introducing another kind of humble-bee are regarded wit] 1 disfavor by some of the beekeepers of the colony. It is contended that tho gathering of honey by humble-bees leaves less to ho brought into tho apiary, and that tho Italian honey bee, which is now kept by all up-to-date bee-masters, lias a tongue quito long enough to work on tlio red clover, and may actually bo seen doing so. Mr Isaac Hopkins, the Government Bee Expert, docs not share tlicso" views. In conversation with a Truth reporter, he stated that his own experience at Matamata, where he had a large apiary of Italian bees some years ago, and watched their habits very closely, was that they only worked to any extent on red clover about one season in three. Even then they were only seen on tho flowers of the second crop, which always have shorter corollas than those of the first. Mr Hopkins wont on to state that ho introduced the, first humble-bees (Bombus Terrestris) that were liberated alive in New Zealand. That was in 1885, and they wore only two in number, being the solo survivors of about 500, which were caught in Scotland, and sent out in four consignments. Ho believed that sufficient care, had not been taken to see that they were, actually hibernating when packed for the voyage. Mr Hopkins could not say whether tho numerous humble-bees, which may ho soon in the Waikato during tho summer arc the descendants of tlioso which he introduced, or of some which were afterwards lihoratotd in other parts of New Zealand. Ho mentioned that there was an impression in some quarters that a lady at Timaru liberated the first humblebees in tho colony, whereas tho fact was that a shipment, consigned to her, j-eached the colony shortly before his, hut the bees wore forwarded to her by post, she being then visiting ill Otago, and they died on the way. Mr Hopkins added that some longtongued Italian hoes, which have lately boon produced in America, are credited with working more or less on red clover in all seasons. Tliev are the progeny of the famous insect known to the apiarian world as Boot’s Two Hundred Dollar Queen. - l- Hopkins imported some of the daughters of this quean about 8 years ago, but, not being in a red clover district, lie had no opportunity of discovering whether they were of any use for the purpose for which Bombus lapidarius has now been introduced. He did not think that the arrival of these bees should cause any i| neasincss in the minds of beekeepers.