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Sample Copy sent on Application. 



CHICAGO, ILL., SEPTEMBER 10, 1896. No. 3^ 



Setli Year. 



JA& 



A New Bee-Disease — Pickled Brood or White 

 Fttugus. 



BY DB. WM. K. HOWAKD. 



My attention was called to this disease nearly two years 

 ago. I had two colonies to die during the winter, and when 

 examined in the spring, I found the combs very moldy, espe- 

 cially those containing pollen. These combs were given to 

 other colonies, and everything went off nicely, till the brood 

 was about ready to seal, when much of it was found to be 

 dead ; careful watch was kept, and it was noted that the dead 

 brood did not decay like " foul brood." Again, much of that 



Fi(f. 1. 



Fig. 2. 



Fig. 1— Bacillus alvel and other geriiis-600 diameters. 

 Fig. 2— Pollen grains, etc.— 600 diameters. 

 [Both Figures from the Author's '• Foul Brood."] 



which was sealed never hatched, and was found to be dead 

 and shriveled, without becoming rotten. The season was a 

 poor one, little honey coming in, the bees seemed discouraged, 

 uneasy, and often the dead white larvae would be carried out ; 

 on examining the combs the dying larvas were noticed to be 

 wriggling out of the cells, some were only half way out, but 

 fell out while under observation. 



The larvEO when dead have a swollen appearance, neither 

 end touching the sides of the cell is a common position (Fig. 

 5, a). In some cases, when left 5 or 6 days, the brood settles 

 down like "foul brood" (Fig. 5, b), and changes to a dark- 

 brownish mass ; which, on examination, is found to be watery, 

 and not " ropy " like " foul brood ;" entirely void of the offen- 

 sive odor, in fact no odor at all. 



A microscopical investigation showed, in addition to 

 Penicillium glaueum (Fig. 1, d), other molds in the pollen and 

 on the combs ; from these and the dead brood was isolated as 

 the cause of the trouble a species of aspergillus, a white fun- 

 gus, or mold. Several experiments were made during the 

 summer, which fully satisfied me that my conclusions were 

 correct. 



This suggested to my mind, that, perhaps, this was the 

 kind of "foul brood," of which so many had written; the 

 kind which had been treated by the starvation method, the 

 drug method {'/), and the kind which always disappears as 

 soon as fresh pollen comes in ; and possibly the kind men- 

 tioned by Mr. N. W. McLain (Author's " Foul Brood," page 



Fig. 3. 



Fig, 4. 



Fig. .3— Infected polllen— 600 diameters, a. globular and polyhe- 

 dral pollen-grains, b, resting spores found in bee-bread and In larviv. 

 c, growth 3 days' old. as found on proper culture media, also In the 

 body of the larvfe. d, division of the resting spores, b, when growth 

 first starts. 



Fig. 4— The mature mold— 600 diameters, e, the network of the 

 base (mycelium) of the mold, f, the resting spores, g, the thread-like 

 fllameut. running and branching in every direction, containing spores 

 within the threads as well as outside. 



Fig. 6. 



Fig. 5— Contrast between the White Fungus disease and Foul 

 Brood- profile, n ttural elzH. a, dead or pickled brood from the white 

 fungus, b, dead brood from foul brood. 



Fig. 6— Difference between normal caps, or those over the white 

 fungus, and foul brood- surface, natural size, a, white fungus, or 

 normal, b, caps with the ragged hole near the center as found In foul 

 brood, c, partially removed cap exposing mass within. 



34), which he found to attack the brood when the first feed- 

 ing of pollen takes place. This trouble has been mentioned 

 by many writers in the bee-papers, and many questions pro- 

 pounded by my correspondents regarding its nature and cure. 



