184 DR JOHN RENNIE, MR PHILIP BRUCE WHITE, AND MISS ELSIE J. HARVEY 



Stock Records, 



R. No. 1. — This stock at the end of May was covering fully twenty frames and 

 was in very good condition. On the 22nd of this month twelve bees taken entering 

 the hive were examined for the presence of Tarsonemus. Two of the twelve were 

 found aflfected at the initial stage. The parasites were few and the tracheae were 

 perfectly clean. ■ As stated, there were no signs of disease. About a month after- 

 wards the stock, which meantime had worked well and shown no signs of disease, was 

 again examined. On this occasion fifty-two bees were searched, and of these forty- 

 three contained the parasite. In most cases the tracheae were heavily infected but 

 the tubes were comparatively clean. A further sample was obtained upon the 6th 

 July, and at this time twenty-five bees out of a total of twenty-eight taken were 

 infected. It should be stated that these bees were taken at random by shaking off 

 a frame into a box placed below. A number of these showed a bronzing of the 

 tubes, especially at the forks. By this time the bees were showing some listlessness 

 and not working so well. The owner made an artificial swarm, removing the old 

 queen and supplying the main stock with a virgin Italian queen. Twenty-three 

 pounds of drained honey were obtained at this time. The two stocks were 

 subsequently placed side by side. On 21st July, in a sample of thirty-five bees, 

 twenty-eight contained the parasite. About the third week of August, after a period 

 of cold weather, crawling became evident in both stock and swarm. About the end 

 of August a sample of twenty-eight bees was supplied from the parent stock, and of 

 these twenty-six were badly parasitised. Both stocks continued to crawl in large 

 numbers, and as robbing by other bees was going on, the owner destroyed them 

 about the 'end of September. 



No. 44. — This stock was obtained upon 11th April from an apiary which has 

 been in existence for many years, and in which Isle of Wight disease has never 

 been known. It was placed on the date mentioned in a new hive upon its own 

 frames in an experimental apiary in which there were stocks suffering from Isle of 

 Wight disease. The stock progressed normally throughout the summer and by the 

 middle of June the bees were working in a super. On the 26th May an examination 

 made on two bees taken from the stock showed one to be infected with Tarsonemus. 

 Two days later one out of eight was found similarly aff"ected. Subsequently, 

 periodic examinations as follows were made on the dates mentioned. 



