TREATMENT OF BEE DISEASES. ia 
the base of the cell (fig. 5, f, 2), or a shapeless mass on the lower side 
wall if the larva did not retain its normal position (fig. 5, n, 0). 
Very few scales are black. The scales are not adhesive, but are easily 
removed, and the bees carry out a great many in their efforts to clean 
house. 
Decaying larve which have died of this disease are usually not 
ropy as in American foul brood, but a slight ropiness is sometimes 
observed. There is usually little odor in European foul brood, but 
sometimes a sour odor is present, which reminds one of yeast fer- 
mentation. This disease attacks drone and queen larve1 almost as 
quickly as those of the workers. 
Fig. 5.—European foul brood: a, j, k, normal sealed cells; 
b, c, d, e, g, i, l, m, p, gq, larve affected by disease; r, nar- 
mal larva at age attacked by disease; f, h, n, 0, dried-down 
larvee or scales. Three times natural size. (Original.) 
European foul brood is more destructive during the spring and 
early summer than at other times, often entirely disappearing during 
late summer and autumn, or during a heavy honey flow. Italian bees 
seem to be better able to resist the ravages of this disease than any 
other race. The disease at times spreads with startling rapidity and 
is most destructive. Where it is prevalent a considerably larger per- 
centage of colonies is affected than is usual for American foul brood. 
This disease is very variable in its symptoms and other manifesta- 
tions and is often a puzzle to the beekeeper. 
1The tendency of this disease to attack queen larvye is a serious drawback in treat- 
ment. Frequently the bees of a diseased colony attempt to supersede their queen, but 
the larve in the queen cells often die, leaving the colony hopelessly queenless. The 
eolony is thus depleted very rapidly. 
442 
