884 Agricultural Gazette of h\S.W. [Dec. 2, 1920. 



which the organism is produced are in a minute particle of diseased matter 

 and that the disease is contagious, the reader will appreciate the necessity 

 of prompt and correct treatment of affected colonies. It should be remem- 

 bered, too, that the spores of Bacillus larvoe can remain inactive in honey 

 and, under certain conditions, about hive material. The treatment presently 

 to be described provides for the elimination of all contagious matter. 



All beginners should endeavour to obtain a thorough knowledge of the 

 appearance of the brood and brood combs of healthy brood nests. This will 

 enable prompt detection of symptoms of disease. If foul brood is present 

 in other apiaries in the locality, particular care should be taken, even if the 

 disease cannot be discovered in one's own. The chief characteristic of the 

 disease is the ropiness of the diseased matter, and when suspicious matter 

 is found it should always be thoroughly tested for ropiness as described and 

 illustrated later. If the disease is in an advanced stage an offensive gJue- 

 pot odour will invariably be noticed. Dull and perforated cappiugs on the 

 brood are signs significant of this disease, and immediately call for further 

 investigation. It is specially noticeable that the majority of larva? attacked 

 by this disease die after being sealed in the cells. 



Symptoms. 



(1) Discoloured, Sunken, and Perfarated Cappiugs on the Brood. — These 

 three suspicious signs are considered together to save confusion and perhaps 

 wrongful suspicion. Examination of a comb containing brood affected with 

 American foul brood will show that the cappings on the cells containing the 

 remains of the larvae killed with the disease are sunken a little — in healthy 

 brood they would be slightly convex in shape — the colour of the sunken cap- 

 pings is darker in appearance than the healthy brood cappings and a large 

 percentage have a small jagged puncture, probably tox-n in by the bees in 

 their desire to investigate the abnormal condition. An apiarist with experi- 

 ence will detect the suspicious cappings in a comb which contains only a few 

 diseased larvse; the beginner will not be so keen, but if care is taken the 

 suspicious signs may be detected at a fairly early stage. When the signs 

 mentioned are found, the cappings of some of the suspected cells should be 

 removed so that the more conclusive tests can be carried out. The healthy 

 condition of what is known as " bare-headed brood " should not be mistaken 

 for a suspicious sign; the cappings on the brood in this case are apparently 

 sunken and perforated — not jagged — but the immature bee is sound and 

 white. 



(2) Discoloured Larvw. — Larva? in a healthy state are pearly white, but 

 when killed with foul brood their colour turns to coffee brown, and they 

 become shrunken and out of shape and lie on the bottom side of the cell. 



(3) Ropiness of the Diseased Matter. — The test for ropiness (or stringy 

 characteristic) is considered conclusive. If the diseased remains of 

 larvae killed with foul brood are stirred in the cell with a fine-trimmed 

 splinter of wood or piece of dry grass stalk and the instrument is withdrawn 

 slowly, it will be found that portion of the diseased matter will adhere to it 

 and " rope out " from ^ to 2 inches, as saliva would. Test for ropiness should 



