THE BEB-KEEPERS» REVIEW 



119 



Pickled brood, due to Aspergillus 

 polliuis — a specific fungus. 



Black brood, due to />adlltis viilli, 

 modified, perhaps, by H.uillus t/ionuis, 

 specific bacteria. 



Hlack brood may be introduced into a 

 healthy colour through infected food or 

 infected combs — combs from which the 

 diseised brood has been removed, or in 

 which particles remain. The food for the 

 young larviL'. either from its chemical 

 reaction or from its lack of nitrogenous 

 substances, is not a suitable medium 

 for immediate growth of the germs; but 

 when the chyle-like food is furnished the 

 older larviu, a chemical change in the 

 food produces a change in the liquids of 

 the bee, which become a suitable nutrient 

 medium for their rapid development' and 

 dissemination. It would appear that in 

 some cases. Bacillus l/ioraris was the 

 cau.se of death, as the spiracles, or open- 

 ings admitting air to the respiratory appa- 

 ratus, were closed by the products of de- 

 composition or the result of it. In such 

 cases it is usually nearly matured bees 

 that are choked for want of air. These 

 did not show the discoloration or shape- 

 less mass vvhich always obtains when 

 Bacillus »iilli is foinid in the abdomen. 

 This latter germ, multiplying rapidiy in 

 the rich nutrient mediiun of the alimen- 

 tary tract, may destroy younger brood 

 than the former. It is often found in 

 other parts, and is certainly the cause of 

 dark masses of rotten brood. Both germs 

 are found in the same comb, and often 

 in the same bee, thus insuring a mixed 

 infection. 



Brood is usually attacked late in the 

 larval life, and dies during pupation, or 

 later when nearly mature and ready to 

 come forth through the chrysalis capping. 

 P^ven after leaving the cell they are so 

 feeble that they fall from the combs help- 

 less. Most of the brood dies after it is 

 sealed. In this it is much like pickled 

 brood, except that as much or more 

 brood dies in the late larval stage than 

 in the pupa. In foul brood, while brood 

 of all ages dies, yet more dies "at the 

 ages of 6, 7, S and 9 davsthan at at any 

 other age" (author's I'oul brood, page 

 46 U even before the rich chyle-like food 

 mixed with pollen is given, which is such 

 a necessary envirotitnent for pickled 

 brood and l>lack hrood. 



When the larvee show the first signs of 

 this disease, there appears a brownish 

 spot on the body, about the size of a pin- 

 head. The larvte may yet receive nour- 

 ishment for a dav or two; but as the fer- 

 mentation increases the brownish spot en- 



larges, the larva dies, stands out, swollen 

 and sharp at the ends. In this thev are 

 like pickled brood, except that the brown 

 spot is not pre.sent in pickled brood, but 

 pickled brood sometimes becomes brown 

 after death. Foul brood turns brown 

 only after the action of putrefactive germs 

 have brought about decomposition. No 

 decomposition from putrefactive germs 

 takes place in pickled brood. In black 

 brood the dark and rotten masses, in time, 

 break down and settle to the lower side 

 of the cells, in a watery, syrupy, granu- 

 lar liquid — not the sticks-, ropv, balsam 

 or glue like semi-fluid substance of foul- 

 brood. It does not adhere to the cell 

 walls like that of foul brood: has not the 

 characteristic foul odor which attracts 

 carrion-flies, but a sour, rotten-apple 

 smell, and not even a house-fly will set 

 her foot upon it. Cappings in foul brood 

 are sunken in the center when broken, 

 sometimes pufi^ed out by internal gases. 

 In black brood, the cap is disturbed from 

 without, sometimes uncapped, and cell 

 contents removed by the bees; not so in 

 foul brood. The cap in pickled brood is 

 usually imdisturbed. The decayed brood 

 masses do not adhere to the cell walls like 

 either of the others. 



During a good honey flow, of a few 

 week's duration, if the colonies are strong, 

 black brood and pickled brood entirely 

 disapear so far as appearances go; and 

 even in foul brood, colonies seem for the 

 time to improve. The most common 

 causes for this apparent improvement are 

 that in black brood and foul brood the old 

 foul combs are filled with honey instead 

 of brood; and eggs are laid in cells hither- 

 to not used for brood, and in new combs 

 when comb building is going on; or \\here 

 comb-foundation is used, the queen takes 

 advantage of this and deposits her eggs 

 before the cell's are drawn out and fill- 

 ed with honey. Again, proportionately, 

 there is less brood-rearing and more comb 

 building during a heavy honey-flow in 

 strong colonies than in weak ones. In 

 weaker colonies these diseases do not dis- 

 appear, as more brood is reared and less 

 comb is built, in proportion to the mature 

 bees, than in strong ones In pickled 

 brood the infection is in bad pollen: nice 

 new pollen always causes it to disappear. 

 Why these diseases should recur Avhen 

 there is a dearth of honey in the field, 

 woidd be of interest to many. 



In strong colonies, as we have seen, 

 proportionately less brood was reared 

 during the honey flow, and now we have 

 fewer bees to keep up the strength of the 

 colonies against the normal death-rate. 



