THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



167 



[For the American Bee Journal. ] 



The Bee Disease, and its Probable 

 Cause. 



A similar disease to that spoken of by Mr. 

 Thorne and mauy other beekeepers, occurred in 

 France in the rainy springs of 1853 and 1854. 

 Many colonies died of it and it was a true epidem- 

 ical malady in that and the neighboring coun- 

 tries. I translate for the benefit of the readers 

 of the Bee Journal, the following description 

 of the disease from the "Laws d' Apiculture" of 

 M. H. Hamet. 



Constipation. 



"This disease is the result of a sudden and 

 great fall of temperature, while the abdomen of 

 bees is filled with fa?ees. In the spring of rainy 

 years it sometimes happens, in March or April, 

 that the temperature falls in three or four hours 

 from 60° to 20 c F., with a piercing wind. The 

 bees in feeble ruchees (colonies) then consume 

 much honey, to keep up the necessary heat 

 within their hives. But though having gorged 

 themselves, they cannot attain their aim, and 

 become constipated.* Under a higher temper- 

 ature, they would have got rid of it with dysen- 

 tery ; but under a low temperature the excre- 

 ments thicken within their bodies and can no 

 longer be discharged. Some bees try to fly, but 

 mostly drop near the hive. Some die on the 

 bottom-board ; and some even between the 

 frames. 



"This constipation is produced likewise by 

 honey gathered in the fall, which has not been 

 sealed. Absorbing moi c ture in the wet season, 

 it decomposes and at times becomes so thin as to 

 run out of the cells. It is well to remove the 

 combs containing such honey. 



"The bees attacked by this disease do not ac- 

 cept an)'' food. Strong and rich colonies, when 

 alone, rarely get the disease. I say, when alone, 

 because constipation, like foulbrood, becomes 

 epidemic when not controlled against. It caii 

 be stopped by isolating the diseased ruchees, 

 and feeding the remainder of the healthy colon- 

 ies with substantial warm food, such as good 

 honey mixed with thick sugar syrup. 



"Thick-sided warm hives prevent the sponta- 

 neity of the disease. In France, at the begin- 

 ning of spring and at the close of summer, al- 

 most every ruchee loses some bees from the mal- 

 ady ; but their bodies being promptly removed, 

 have not time to exhale the mischievous 

 miasms which make the disease contageous." 

 Thus far M. Hamet. 



All the reports of the bees made to the Bee 

 Journal, with one exception, show that the 

 malady began after the first cold days of Sep- 

 tember. Mr. Cunningham alone states that in 

 Kentucky it began about the 20th of August. 

 But from the article in the Louisville Democrat 

 it would seem that it was not noticed in that 

 county before November. I beg Mr. Cunning- 



ham to refresh his recollection, because if it be 

 certain that the disease appeared in August, 

 consequently before cold weather, we shall have 

 to look for the cause in something else than the 

 cold spell which occurred here so suddenly, on 

 the 10th of September. 



I advise all beekeepers whose apiaries suffered 

 from this disease, to sp:ule up the ground in 

 front of the hives, so as to bury the dead bees 

 that fall ffliere; or to remove their living colonies 

 to some other localitiy, if practicable, and feed 

 them with good white sugar, after removing all 

 the dead bees that may be found in the cells — 

 keeping a sharp eye on the colonies, until time 

 and young bees have re-invigorated them. 



Ch. Dadant. 



Hamilton, Ills. 



Errata in my article on page 147 of the Feb- 

 ruary number of the Bee Journal. First col- 

 umn, line 13, for ceased read began; and second 

 column, line 34, for three read their. 



C. D- 



[For the American Bee Journal.] 



Bees Disappearing. 



*The Italian bees, keeping tt-emselves and their brood 

 more compact, are less liable to contract the disease, at 

 least before it becomes epidemie. 



The mysterious disappearing of the bees, the 

 past season, presents a question of great interest 

 for solution, and one well worthy of careful in- 

 vestigation. "With this view I call the attention 

 of beekeepers thereto, and offer what I conceive 

 to be the most rational explanation. There are 

 two ways to account for it. The theory to 

 which I am inclined is that, in consequence of 

 the hone}' dearth the past season, bees were 

 compelled to resort to sources of supply not gen- 

 erally frequented by them; and that the honey 

 gathered from these sources was poisonous to 

 them. 



The reasons that lead me to this conclusion 

 are that, during the latter part of August and 

 beginning of September, my bees were gather- 

 ing honey from eome source that killed hun- 

 dreds of them. They could be seen crawling 

 away from the hive, on the ground; and on the 

 alighting-board ; so weak that they actually 

 struggled and reeled as if they were intoxicated; 

 and all that were so effected, died. This lasted 

 for a week or two ; and as soon as that source 

 of honey failed, they ceased to die. It was said 

 to be a species of milkweed, but. I do not know 

 what it was. About the same time the year be- 

 fore my bees suffered some, but nothing at all 

 compared to what they suffered last fall. 



Now it seems to me that if the honey was so 

 poisonous as to kill bees when only carrying it 

 home, that it certainly would kill them when 

 eating it. And this is just what seems to be 

 true, as all that, die, leave plenty of honey, and 

 some as much as thirty and even forty pounds. 

 During the latter part of the season they gath- 

 ered nearly all they have as winter stores; and 

 it is only" since winter set in, and they have 

 commenced to consume this poisonous honey, 

 that the effect is apparant. And as every sick 

 bee naturally crawls out of the hive to die, it 

 accounts for the gradual and consequently un- 



