142 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



a. First Grade. 



At the commencement of the disease we find 

 in one or more combs from ten to twenty sealed 

 cells, more or less, with collapsed covers or 

 caps. If closely examined these caps will be 

 found perforated with a small round hole. When 

 the cap is removed we find the full-grown 

 larva stretched out at length, with its head to- 

 wards the septum of the comb, and its body 

 discolored of a brownish hue. The larva usual- 

 ly dies before the head enlarges, evidently soon 

 after the cell is capped and before assuming the 

 pupa state. Uncapped putrid larvae are seldom 

 seen, and putrid p«^5« (form approximating the 

 winged state of the insect) still more seldom. 

 "When crushed we find the contents to consist 

 of a tough slimy mass. Soon the specific form 

 of the larva becomes no longer recognizable, 

 decomposing into a clammy glutinous matter, 

 drying up in the course of ten or twelve days 

 into a dark brown nearly black crust or scale 

 on the lower side of the cell. This scale tJie 

 bees are unable to remove, but while still suffi- 

 ciently numerous to work with some spirit, they 

 will demolish the entire cell and rebuild it with 

 new material. But after the disease has made 

 much progress they will omit all efforts to re- 

 move the off'ensive matter and cease building 

 altogether, as they are not prone to build comb, 

 except wliile strong and pasturage abounds. 

 When the disease has become very virulent and 

 predominant, they cease flying almost entirely 

 and content themselves with efforts to expel the 

 vitiated air from the hive. They are apt also 

 to swarm out and desert their hive in spring or 

 fall, if a fine tempting day occur. 



If small brownish or black scales or granules 

 be fuund on the bottom board, which produce 

 a slimy fetid mass when rubbed between the 

 fingers, the existence of foulbrood in the hive 

 may be regarded as certain. When once start- 

 ed, it usually spreads rapidly, and frequently 

 from one-half to three-fourths of the brood is 

 aff'ected and perishes. At this stage of the dis- 

 ease, its existence is proclaimed by the offensive 

 smell, resembling that of putrid meat, diffused 

 from the entrance of the hive, instead of the 

 agreeable odor usually perceptible there — the 

 bees fanning the while with unwonted vigor. 



It is a singular fact that all the brood does 

 not perish. Even in hives in which foulbrood 

 exists in its most malignant and noisome state, 

 a portion of the brood, however small, will al- 

 ways be found in a healthy state and attaining 

 a perfect development. This, considering the 

 great contagiousness of tiie disease, is in truth 

 a great mystery. It will, however, not long be 

 confined to the hive in which it originated, but 

 gradually spread to other hives, so that in the 

 course of a year or two, all the stocks in the 

 same apiary or neighborhood, will be, more or 

 less, infected. Colonies infected with this kind 

 of foulbrood in its malignant form, never sur- 

 vive long. The malady progresses rapidly, and 

 not only does the brood first affected die, but 

 the very brood cells are converted into nurse- 

 ries of disease, so that in a short time the queen 

 can find none into which to lay eggs. Thus 

 the colony becomes rapidly depopulated and 



commonly perishes in the fixst year, olt certainly 

 in the second. 



b. Second Grade. 



This grade differs from the first only in this, 

 that, first, the malady does not spread so rapid- 

 ly; iecondly^ that it rarely becomes so intense; 

 and thirdly, that it usually disappears sponta- 

 neously. I have frequently had opportunities 

 to observe this myself. Thus, for instance, in 

 the spring of 1859, many stocks belonging to 

 Mr. Umbreit, of Wolfis, in the Duchy of Gotha, 

 were strongly infected with foulbrood. Yet in 

 1862, the disease had entirely disappeared again, 

 though no means had be^n used for its removal 

 or cure. Mr. Klein, of Tambuchshof, has ex- 

 perienced a similar case, as reported in the Bie- 

 ncnzeitung for 1864. The disease when occur- 

 ring in this grade, is always curable if treated 

 with ordinary care and attention; and is, in 

 many cases, even easily removed, as I had re- 

 peatedly occasion to observe. In 1860, one 

 colony in Mr. Kalb's apiary at Gotha, was in- 

 fected, and in the summer of 1865, three more 

 became diseased, and in each of these four cases, 

 a cure was effected by simply removing the 

 combs containing the diseased brood. Proba- 

 bly the disease would have disappeared spon- 

 taneously. But such expectation should not 

 induce the bee-keeper to be careless or inatten- 

 tive, for not seldom, instead of disappearing, 

 this grade of the disease will (generally in the 

 second year) run into confirmed malignant and 

 contagious foulbrood, such as might appro- 

 priately be termed brood joestilence, which is ut- 

 terly incurable as far as we now know. 



c. Third Grade. 



Dzierzon says: "Where this form of foulbrood 

 exists the greater portion of the uncapped larvae 

 perishes. That portion which is sufficiently 

 advanced to be capped or sealed over, usually 

 remains healthy and becomes perfectly de- 

 veloped. A capped and yet putrid brood cell 

 is here a rarity. The matter into which the 

 dead larva decomposes is more paste -like and 

 less tough, than that resulting from the malig- 

 nant form. It dries up in a scale at the base of 

 the cell, which is easily detached, and so long 

 as the colony is still strong, it will be removed 

 in the shape of dark-brown scales, dropped on 

 the bottom board and afterwards carried out of 

 the hive. When such dark-brown scales are 

 found on the bottom board they may be re- 

 garded as proof positive that foulbrood, even 

 though it be yet in its milder form, exists in the 

 hive. Colonies thus infected, not unfrequently 

 sustain themselves during two seasons, because 

 only a portion of the brood dies, and that being 

 in open cells is easily removed by the workers. 

 The cells are then again supplied with eggs by 

 the queen, a portion of the larvse from which 

 will remain healthy and mature perfectly, thus 

 keeping up the strength of the colony tolerably 

 well for a protracted term. At times, too, the 

 disease will disappear again. Colonies which in 

 the summer diffused a strong putrid smell, have 

 been found entirely pure and healthy in tm- 

 iMn-m:''— Rational Bee Culture^ 1861, page 271. 



