BUREAU OF ENTOMOLOGY. 341 



information which will prove valiial)le to the beekeeper. This phase 

 of the problem is l)einfr undertaken l)v Lloyd R. Watson, and he will 

 as rapidly as possible fjet the data into shape for presentation. In all 

 probability it will be necessary to repeat the work on other colonies 

 another year before present in*!: it in bulletin form. 



The loss of bees during the winter of 1919-20 was excessive, owing 

 })artly to the fact that beekeepers did not give the attention to this 

 work which it demands, but largely to the fact that in some regions 

 there was a shortage of nectar in the fall ; and, as sugar was not 

 available for the feeding of bees, many beekeei)ers were compelled 

 to put their bees into winter quarters with insufficient stores or with 

 lionej' of poor quality. The losses of the winter, which was a most 

 severe one for bees, will scarcely be made up by the increase made 

 by beekeepers during the present summer. Because of this great 

 loss, every effort is Iieing made to spread the information regarding; 

 the methods to be used to prevent a recurrence of the loss another 

 winter, but it is realized that it will take many years to get even the 

 commercial beekeepers of the country fully to realize what can be 

 done l\y the use of better methods. The wintering problem in bee- 

 keeping has now become largely a problem in education. 



Diseases of bees. — This project has been continued without inter- 

 ruption. During the year a Farmers' Bulletin (No. 1084) was is- 

 sued irivintr the i)cst-known methods for the treatment and control 

 of American foulbrood. Two papers, one on American toulbrood 

 (Department Bulletin 809) and one on European foulbrood (De- 

 partment Bulletin 810), were issued during the year giving the 

 results of investigations on these diseases, which were completed 

 several years ago but which were delayed in presentation. A 

 most important contribution of the year on the subject of bee dis- 

 eases was a paper detailing the activities of bees in cleaning out 

 European foulbrood (Department Bulletin 804). it now being clear 

 that the control of this disease lies in getting the bees into such con- 

 dition that they are able of themselves to clear out every trace of 

 the infection. During the year 700 samples of brood were examined 

 for beekeepers and apiary inspectors. 



Considerable work lias been done on the factors influencing the 

 <listribution of European foulbrood. It has been found that this 

 disease can not continue in regions where there is an early heavy honey 

 flow, and from the records of the office for the last 14 years it is pos- 

 sible to indicate ([uite clearly those regions where there is reason 

 to take preventive measures against the disease. Combined with 

 this work must go a study of the beekeeping resources of the va- 

 rious parts of each State. This work is lieing continued, and it is 

 hoped that in the near futuiv a bulletin may be prepared showing the 

 present distribution of the disease according to the records, and also 

 ]iointing out in each region the factors which reduce or increase the 

 «lanirer from this serious disease. This work will show where it is 

 most necessary to :il)ply tho metliods already discussetl in previous 

 publications of the department. 



Beekfjm'Ixg aiteh the war. — In jirevious reports mention has 

 been made of the effects of the war on beekeeping, and it may be well 

 to point out the trend of the industry sim o the armistice. Tlie stimu- 

 lus to b('(>keei)ing which icsuIIcmI from the war has become even more 



