When examining an apiary for disease the prime consideration is to avoid 

 robbing. The best time is during a good honey flow as early as possible in the 

 season. 



It is necessary to have a good smoker, a hive tool for taking out combs, and 

 a supply of wooden toothpicks for testing the brood. 



In opening the hive just enough smoke should be used to keep the bees in sub- 

 jection. Eemove each comb in turn from the brood-chamber and examine the 

 brood. It is best to sit on a box close to the hive with your back to the sun, and 

 hold the comb so that it will shine into the cells, and throw a strong light directly 

 on the lower sides and bottoms of the cells. If there is no disease, the empty cells 

 will be bright and clean, and the uncapped larvae will be plump in form and of 

 a pearly white color. At first a number of cells of capped brood should be opened 

 with the pick, until you are ouite familiar with the outward appearance of healthy 

 capped brood. Cappings which to any but the ibest-trained eye appear quite healthy 

 often cover dead larvae. When diseased cells are present they are quite frequently 

 found around the lower edge of the comb. If any of the brood cappings appear 

 darker than the rest, or are flat, sunken, or perforated, they should be opened to 

 see whether the brood they cover is dead. Healthy brood is sometimes found under 

 flat, or perforated cappings; but there is a difference in appearance which experi- ' 

 ence soon teaches one to detect. Brood sometimes develops without ever being 

 fully capped. This is no indication of disease. When each hive is finished the 

 pick used there should be left in the hive, and if any honey is daubed on hands or 

 tools they must be washed thoroughly (before opening the next hive. 



There are three brood diseases prevalent in the apiaries of Ontario ; American 

 Foul Brood, European Foul Brood, and Sacbrood, formerly called Starved or 

 Pickled Brood. All three are infectious. The first two will spread and do great 

 damage if not checked; the last does no serious harm in Ontario apiaries. 



Distribution. 



American Foul Brood is pretty evenly distributed all over that portion of 

 Ontario lying south and west of the Trent Valley. European Foul Brood is spread- 

 ing rapidly from three main centres of infection, so that the following counties are 

 now more or less diseased: Carleton, Russell, Prescott, Renfrew, Lanark, North- 

 umberland, Hastings, Prince Edward and Welland, with a few cases in Peterboro 

 and Lincoln. 



These two diseases are costing the Province of Ontario hundreds of thousands 

 of dollars annually, not only in loss of bees and honey and of fruit, clover seed and 

 buckwheat, but also in their disheartening effect on the men engaged in the indus- 

 tries concerned. 



Much, however, is being done by the Department of Agriculture towards re- 

 storing a well-grounded confidence in beekeeping as a business by various methods 

 of instruction. To be effectual this government work must be supplemented by an 

 earnest effort on the part of beekeepers themselves to keep their bees in a healthy 

 condition. American Foul Brood must be reported and treated whenever discovered. 

 So far as is known the race of bees does not affect the virulence of this disease. It 

 is different with European Foul Brood, which simply cannot be cured in common 

 black bees. Those who introduce Italian queens to their colonies ahead of the 

 disease, or even at the time of treating, are saved heavy loss and are able to build 

 lip a good business. It is no more possible to check the spread of European Foul 

 Brood among black bees than it is to stop a fire that is sweeping over a town of dry 



