MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS ON APICULTURE. 



PRESENT EXTENT OF BEE DISEASES IN MASSACHUSETTS. 



The extent of bee diseases in Massachusetts may be readily seen on 

 the map. The towns in which they are positiv^el}^ known to occur 

 are listed below in l)lack-faced type. Towns in which they probably 

 exist are listed in lighter-faced type. 



Tdblc shoiruKj the ioivms in icldvh tJic bee diseases respective] y occur. 



[BlacU-faced tyi»e indicates where disease is positively known to exist. Light-faced 

 type indicates that disease is prolmhly present.] 



The distribution of these diseases is based, as is explained, on bac- 

 teriological findings in numerous samples of suspected brood, sub- 

 mitted by the bee keepers during the past year and a half. The 

 examinations were made by Dr. G. Franklin White, expert in bacte- 

 riology, of this Bureau. In jolotting the regions where disease is 

 thus definitely known to exist a solid red color has been used. Index 

 letters, A for Ameu^can foul brood and E for European foul l)rood, 

 show which disease is present in each locality. 



Besides these definite data there are in the Bureau of Entomology 

 a great numl)er of reports from bee keepers throughout Massachu- 

 setts, which, without the definite knowledge from the bacteriological 

 examinations, would be of slight significance and importance, but 

 which, in conjunction with these findings, are of the greatest value. 

 They indicate regions of probable infection, which are shown on the 

 map in lighter tone. 



As an illustration, a bee keeper wdio lives in Acushnet reports, " I 

 lost all my bees, thtrty swarms, at once." This bare statement is of 

 slight import ; but taken together with the fact that American foul 

 brood occurs in Freetowni, it would indicate that American foul brood 

 is distributed throughout southern Bristol County. Another illus- 

 tration is found in Worcester County. Bacteriological examination 

 shows that in Auburn and Worcester both European foul brood and 

 American foul brood exist. A bee keeper from Barre reports that in 



