188 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



Apr. 1 



that some do good, as, for example, in bringing to decay the re- 

 mains of dead animals and plants, while other species do harm 

 by their ability to produce disease or death in the animals in 

 which they are able to gain entrance. The disease American 

 foul brood, which causes the greatest loss to the bee-keeping in- 

 dustry, has been demonstrated to be caused by bacteria. Above 

 all, you should understand that the death of the brood is due to 

 one species of bacteria growing in the larvs. 



Under micro-organisms the author mentions 

 protozoa and fungi; but as neither of these has so 

 far been found to be the exciting cause of any 

 bee disease he passes on to the infectious and non- 

 infectious diseases. Under the first mentioned 

 may be included American and European foul 

 brood. 



Befoie a disease can be treated rationally, says 

 Dr. White, diagnosis must be m.ade to determine 

 what disease is prevalent. "Too many believe 

 the treatment of bee diseases consists in the con- 

 trol or eradication of a disease after it has found 

 its way into an apiary. This is only the minor 

 part of treatment. The treatment which is of 

 major importance is a preventive treatment. . . 

 To prevent disease in the apiary is to keep it out. 

 To keep it out is to keep out the exciting cause. " 



In referring to American foul brood — that is, 

 the old-fashioned foul brood that is most com- 

 monly known, the exciting cause of which has 

 been found, he says: 



In American foul brood the exciting cause. Bacillus larva, is 

 found in immense numbers in the bodies of diseased and dead 

 larvje. These dead larvae, for the most part, are allowed by the 

 bees to remain in the brood cell as a scale. The honey also has 

 been demonstrated to contain the bacteria which produce this 

 disease. The pollen may be contaminated with the spores of 

 this disease-producing organism. The combs from an apiary af- 

 fected with American foul brood are a fruitful source of infection. 

 The inside of the hives which have contained colonies suffering 

 with American foul brood may be contaminated with the germs 

 which cause the disease. Honey-extractors, honey-tanks, and 

 wax-extractors which have been used in infected apiaries are 

 also a fruitful source of infection. Therefore if you are to keep 

 the disease-producing bacteria out of your apiary, and thereby 

 keep out disease, you must not feed honey unless you are posi- 

 tive that it did not come from an infected apiary or that it has 

 been thoroughly boiled. Neither must you use old combs unless 

 you are positive that they have not been in an infected apiary. 

 Use no bee-supplies from an infected apiary unless they are 

 thoroughly disinfected. 



In separating the disease-producing germs from the colony all 

 the combs are removed. This removes the principal sources 

 from which the brood is infected — foul-brood larvje and honey. 

 It is always safer to allow the bees to go into a new hive or a 

 hive which has been thoroughly disinfected. The greatest care 

 should be exercised in protecting all infectious material which 

 has been removed, that it may not be robbed by the bees. 



In the last paragraph quoted we draw attention 

 to the fact that he says it is always safer to allow 

 the bees to go into a new hive or a hive which 

 has been thoroughly disinfected. Too much 

 emphasis can not be placed on this point. While 

 we know our friend McEvoy, in Canada, claims 

 that the disinfection of a hive is unnecessary, our 

 own experience has demonstrated that foul brood 

 could be (and has been) communicated by the 

 hive alone. We have had reports from Canada, 

 also, as well as elsewhere, showing the reappear- 

 ance of the disease when the hive itself was not 

 disinfected. While, 99 times out of 100, merely 

 shaking on to foundation is perhaps sufficient, 

 yet if there is one casein a hundred where disease 

 is transmitted through the hive (and we have am- 

 ple proof that there is), all hives should be disin- 

 fected. We are glad to note that our government 

 officials stand out square and clear on this propo- 

 sition. So much for digression. 



Referring to Bacillus law a, the cause of Amer- 

 ican (or old-fashioned) foul brood, Dr. White 

 says the spores of this bacillus are very resistant 



of heat and other disinfections. They resist the 

 temperature of boiling water for fifteen minutes; 

 a five-per-cent solution of carbolic acid for two 

 months; the action of mercuric chloride (corrosi\ e 

 sublimate, 1:1000) for the same length of time. 



With regard to the use of drugs in general, he 

 says the results do not indicate that they have the 

 vaJue claimed by some of our English writers. 

 That has been our experience, and, in fact, the 

 experience of practically all foul-brood inspectors 

 in this country. 



Of the European foul brood (black brood), 

 Cheshire and Cheyne found Bacillus al-uei to be 

 the exciting cause. Dr. White, in his early in- 

 vestigations, found this species, not in the ordi- 

 nary foul brood, but in black brood. After yeais 

 of work, during which he proved his way time 

 and time again, he found the Bacillus lawa was 

 the exciting cause of foul brood, and Bacillus al- 

 Hjei present in black brood. But during the past 

 year he found something else which may possibly 

 be the real exciting cause; but like a true scien- 

 tist he is looking for more proof. Regarding 

 this disease known as European foul brood (black 

 brood) he says: 



A number of organisms have been found in the larva; dead 

 from this disease, and some of them have been described. One 

 species has been encountered in our investigations of the disease 

 which is of special interest. The individuals of this species are 

 quite small, apparently non-spore-producing, and have so far 

 failed to grow when sown on out artificial media. Until we 

 know more about this species it will be referred to as Bacillus 

 "F." Since the cause is not positively known, the amount of 

 heat and chemical disinfectants to destroy the virus has not been 

 demonstrated. If, later, Bacillus " Y" is demonstrated to be the 

 cause, we shall expect very much less heat will be sufficient to 

 kill it than is necessary to kill Bacillus larva, the cause of 

 American foul brood. Likewise we shall expect that chemical 

 disinfectants will be much more readily effective. Until we 

 know more about ihe etiology of European foul brood we can do 

 no better than to suggest the application of the same principles 

 which are found advisable in American foul brood. 



Some of our European bacteriologists may be 

 inclined to discredit the work of Dr. White; but 

 they should lemember that, while they have 

 made investigations covering only short periods 

 of time in reference to bee diseases, he has been 

 giving his whole time to such diseases in particu- 

 lar, paying special attention to American and 

 European foul brood. We have every reason to 

 believe that time will vindicate him in the special 

 work he is doing. 



Referring to pickled brood and paralysis he says 

 very little is known about either. These will 

 doubtless receive his attention as soon as he can 

 prove his way as to the cause of European foul 

 brood. 



Copies of this bulletin can be obtained by send- 

 ing five cents to the Superintendent of Documents, 

 Government Printing-office, Washington, D. C. 

 Always remember that stamps will not be accept- 

 ed. Inclose the coin in a small envelope or piece 

 of cardboard. 



THE STATUS OF APICULTURE IN THE UNITED 

 STATES;" AN INTERESTING ARRAY OF FACTS 

 AND FIGURES. 



For years there has been an urgent call for 

 some book or pamphlet giving the statistics re- 

 lating to apiculture in the United States; but un- 

 til recently no complete set of figures has been 

 prepared; but, thanks to the Department of Ag-- 

 riculture, Washington, D. C.,we have now Bul- 

 letin 75, part 6, by Dr. E. F. Phillips, that con- 



