Gleanings in Bee Culture 



l)ressed. It appears of abnormal size, and 

 drags as if too heavy to be fully supported. 

 In this advanced stage of the disease the in- 

 terior of the hive, if examined, shows a sor- 

 ry spectacle. The bees display none of the 

 well-known energy so markedly symi)tomat- 

 ic of a colony in full health during the ac- 

 tive season. Ikeeding is, however, encour- 

 aged to a late period; but with the decreas- 

 ing numbers it wanes until at last queens 

 are entirely neglected and cease to lay. Then 

 the rapid dimunition of the numbers is most 

 marked. 



Examining a diseased bee, even with the 

 naked eye, the abdomen appears abnormal- 

 ly distended. The bee seems unable to sup- 

 port the heavy burden caused by the excess 

 of fivcal matter. This, under the microscope, 

 is found to consist largely of undigested pol- 

 len-grains, particles of wax, and the usual 

 excrementary matter; and here we have a 

 very large number of bacteria. On remov- 

 ing the digestive organs the colon is found 

 abnormally distended, and the contents are 

 very varied in color, smell, and substance, 

 these features differing very considerably 

 according to the season of the year. During 

 summer time, tops are heavily spotted with 

 a thin bright-yellow eviction. At other 

 times it is drier and browner, while in win- 

 ter and spring bees void a foul, brown, evil- 

 smelling excretion over all the combs, 

 frames, and the front inner walls. Here is, 

 undoubtedly, the source of infection in many 

 cases, when the trouble once finds a lodge- 

 ment, for all this fouling contains a prodi- 

 gious numberof infective bacteria ready to be 

 carried by robbers to all surrounding healthy 

 bees. The hive, interior and exterior, as 

 well as all the surrounding area, is, in fact, 

 a hotbed of infection. 



The trouble may break out in a hitherto 

 healthy colony at almost any time of the 

 year. During such a fine summer as we en- 

 joyed this season, the bees battled long with 

 the ailment, keeping it at bay by rapid 

 breeding; but in winter and spring, with 

 scant numbers present they dwindle rapidly 

 and soon die oft. 



Innumerable causes havej3een guessed at 

 in the i)ast, but full investigation exploded 

 the numerous theoretical conclusions. Many 

 cures, too, have been suggested, but none 

 have proved thoroughly etfective; so that the 

 originating cause and the true cure have 

 \ et to be discovered. It is an undoubted 

 fact that many of the symptoms appearing 

 on the surface are very similar to those 

 which manifest themsehes in May pest, 

 malignant dysentery, paralysis, and No- 

 nema apis. Indeed, the latest conclusion 

 come to by Dr. Maiden would lead to the 

 decision that all of these may resolve them- 

 selves into kindred diseases. If so, the pains- 

 taking investigations of Drs. Zander, Burri, 

 Maasen, Phillips, Maiden, and others, may 

 aid us in solving the problem. The remark- 

 able series of about one hundred studies of 

 NoKcma apiK. by Dr. Zander, should be a 

 priceless guide to other students of this dis- 

 ease. 



Whether the inciting cause or not, the 

 latest anatomical investigations in this 

 country reveal a prodigious number of these 

 protozoons in various stages in the cell lin- 

 ing of the alimentary canal, and particular- 

 ly in the colon of many if not most bees suf- 

 fering from this disease. Our lethargic gov- 

 ernment Deiiartment of Agriculture has at 

 last taken u]> the subject of bee diseases, 

 and hopes may be entertained that the long 

 and painstaking investigations now going 

 on may soon bear some fruit, as a result of 

 which the disease may be successfully bat- 

 tled with and overcome. 



Banff, Scotland. 



MY EXPERIENCE WITH SUPPORTING FOUN- 

 DATION TO PREVENT BUCKLING. 



A Combination of Wires and Splints Gives the Best 

 Results. 



BY CHARLIE BROWN.. 



When I began bee-keeping in 1901 loose 

 wiring was advocated; that is, using wires 

 not tight enough to sing. They were ex- 

 pected to go down with the foundation, but 

 I found that combs so wired would be badly 

 stretched along the top part, and also that, 

 while new, they were much inclined to 

 break along each wire w^hile being extract- 

 ed. I concluded that such a way of wiring 

 w'as useless, and some older bee-keepers told 

 me that all wiring is useless; so for some 

 time I did not wire frames at all. However, 

 in 1909, during the honey season we had a 

 few days of extremely hot weather. I had 

 given the bees a great deal of foundation 

 just previous to the hot spell, and a great 

 many of the newly drawn combs went down 

 altogether, and nearly all of the rest were 

 badly stretched along under the top-bar, and 

 buckled out of the frame at or near the bot- 

 tom. (These combs were built out in the 

 supers.) Scarcely any of the combs that I 

 had built that season were fit to put into 

 the brood-chamber. That convinced me 

 that combs need support. 



Next I tried splints as per Dr. Miller's 

 plan, putting them on the foundation out 

 of hot wax; but I found that the bees would 

 gnaw at them where they came to the bot- 

 tom, following them up. and in many cases 

 ruining the comb; also that the foundation 

 (medium brood) would sag and buckle in 

 between. I next tried shorter splints, let- 

 ting them come within an inch or an inch 

 and a half of the bottom of the foundation. 

 Bees do not seem to be inclined to gnaw 

 short splints, but the combs near the bot- 

 tom would be badly buckled in and out. 



Last season I did considerable experiment- 

 ing with wires and splints together; and 

 with four tight wires and four splints I got 

 combs good enough, I think, for all practical 

 purposes. Three wires and four .splints did 

 not give me good combs. Four t)ght wires 

 alone let the combs stretch at the top and 

 crush near the bottom; and right here let 

 me say that I had the wires as tight as I 

 could get them, having driven some ^-inch 



