THIRTIETH REPORT OF THE STATE ENTOMOLOGIST 27 



State Apiarist and queens were made available to Montana bee- 

 keepers at volume prices. About 2000 queens were distributed to 

 eighteen Montana beekeepers in this manner. The reaction from 

 this experimental application ranged all the way from very satis- 

 factory to very unsatisfactory. The queens were criticized more 

 in regard to their quality as queens than as to their disease-re- 

 sistance characteristics. 



TABLE 5.— THE MOST DISEASED APIARIES INSPECTED IN 1943 AND 1944 

 AND THEIR INFLUENCE ON THE TOTAL RESULTS 



The Montana foulbrood problem is more complicated than 

 that of most states. Through so-called "wild bees" territory be- 

 comes easily contaminated with the result that belts of trees along 

 rivers, rimrocks and old buildings become perennial sources of 

 infection. There are some sites where 80 to 90 percent of the bee 

 colonies go foul whenever apiaries are placed in them. In 1943 the 

 State Apiarist inspected one ranch site where it was estimated 

 that 14 to 16 colonies of bees had died of foulbrood in the walls 

 of the buildings. A commercial apiary of 100 colonies within one 

 and one-half miles of the ranch buildings became completely 

 contaminated, and was the reason for investigation. Elimination 

 of the source was impractical, the apiary was salvaged by the 

 operator without penaltv, and the apiary site was abandoned. 



Such incidents as the above are numerous. They definitely 

 demonstrate that there is a relationship between swarm control 

 and disease control in Montana, and also that methods different 

 from those generally used, and recommended must be applied in 

 these cases. Existing methods of control by eliminating sources 

 of infection become impractical if not impossible. 



It can still be stated that the main sources of infection occur 

 within beehives operated by man. The bee-tree story is a fact in 

 Montana but is also amplified to become the alibi for careless 

 operation. The bee industry is expanded and many operations are 

 undermanned. Operators have less time for swarm control and 

 disease-control emergencies that arise. Within the limits of safe 

 operation the present expanded production is admirable. How- 



