630 Journal of Agriculture, Victoria. \ 10 Oct., 1916. 



Queens and their escorts of worker bees from colonies proved to be 

 affected witb Nosema were introduced to several colonies at the Burn- 

 ley apiary. Xo symptoms of disease developed, and iSTosema was not 

 found in bees from these colonies, examined by Mr. Laidlaw at inter- 

 vals of tAvo and thi-ee months. 



To ascertain whether affe.cted bees would recover on removal to a 

 locality favorable to reproduction, an opportunity presented itself 

 when, in October, 1914, the spring examination of the writer's apiary 

 at Tooborac showed that, owing to the severe drought of the previous 

 season, all the colonies were much weaker than is usual at this time 

 of year, and that out of 180 colonies, 40 were in such poor condition 

 that their ultimate recovery appeared to be very doubtful. 



On 8th October, 1914, fourteen of the smallest of the dwindling 

 colonies were removed to the Burnley Gardens. At the end of Decem- 

 ber they had recovered to normal strength, while of the twenty-six 

 declining colonies left at Tooborac none had progressed appreciably, 

 some had further declined, and two had been lost. 



In view of the encouraging result obtained, the Chief Veterinary 

 Officer directed that a further and larger experiment, with periodical 

 microscopical examinations of bees from all the hives, should be made. 

 Of the twenty-four affected colonies reuiaining at the Tooborac apiarj^ 

 nineteen were transferred to the Burnley Gardens, five being left at 

 Tooborac as controls. 



The first microscopical examinations after the arrival of the bees 

 at Burnley were made by Mr. Laidlaw in February, 1915, when the 

 whole of the nineteen stocks were found to be infected with Nosema 

 in various degrees. Bees from the five control hives at Tooborac were 

 also examined and found to be similarly affected. 



. At the second examination made in May, 1915, only three showed 

 Nosema, fifteen were free from it, and one had succumbed to starva- 

 tion, while the five control colonies at Tooborac still showed ISTosema 

 infection, but of a lesser degree. 



Owing to an unusual scarcity of nectar during March and April, it 

 became necessary to feed the eighteen experimental colonies. This 

 was done early in May, sugar syrup being given to fourteen and honey 

 of unknown origin to four (Nos. 181, 186, 195, and 227). During 

 August two colonies (N'os. 2 and 116) were lost through robbing started 

 by the overturning of a hive. 



Mr. Laidlaw made the third examination of bees from the sixteen 

 remaining colonies, when it was found that twelve were free from 

 Nosema, and four (JSTos. 59, 186, 195, and 227) showed infection. 

 Reference to the table A shows that three of these (Nos. 59, 186, and 

 227) were free from infection in May, and there is at least strong 

 suspicion that they became re-infected through the honey fed (the 

 infection of No. 59 being probably due to robbing from one of the 

 honey- fed hives). 



When the third examination of bees from the control hives at 

 Tooborac was made in September, 1915, two of the five colonies had 

 disappeared, but the surviving three were free from N'osema and in a 

 thriving condition. 



