MINOR TROUBLES 221 



Another source of the disease is the use of second-hand honey 

 containers. A large part of the western honey goes to market 

 in sixty -pound cans. These cans when empty are sold at a very 

 low price and many bee-keepers are tempted to make use of 

 them. Honey placed in these containers is sometimes later fed 

 to the bees, or while being refilled they have often been visited by 

 the bees, with the result that foul brood has been carried to the 

 apiary, often in a minute drop of honey. 



Bee-keepers have sometimes brought the disease home by 

 the i(,se of purchased honey for feeding in time of short supply 

 of stores. The writer has been surprised at the extent of the 

 complaint of the spread of disease from these two causes. There 

 is so little to be saved by the use of a second-hand container that 

 bee-keepers can hardly afford to take the risk. In case it becomes 

 necessary to feed the bees, good sugar syrup should always be 

 used unless the honey is known to be from apiaries that are free 

 from disease. 



The use of hives, frames, etc., in which bees have died is not 

 safe unless they have been disinfected. While disease sometimes 

 appears from some unaccountable source, the bee-keeper should 

 take every possible precaution to avoid its spread. 



The presence of foul brood in an apiary is a serious matter 

 to the owner and cannot but result in serious loss. Frequent 

 reports come to the writer of the loss of entire apiaries, some- 

 times of many colonies, from foul brood. 



MINOR TROUBLES 



Sacbrood has long been known by the name of pickled brood. 

 The name sacbrood is, however, much more appropriate because 

 the dead larva? do not melt down as they do in foul brood, but 

 rather retain the full size, the body wall retaining the contents 

 in the form of a sac. This disease is seldom serious in nature 

 although it is mildly infectious and may be spread from one 

 colony to another. As a rule no attention need be paid to it, 

 as it usually disappears with the coming of a good honey flow. 



