APRIL 15, 1916 



supers, excei^t one at the lower end that was 

 used for finish work. Supers and feeder 

 are still on the hive. Tlie row in tlie middle 



contains mostly colonies that produced the 

 unusual crop of comb honey described. 

 La Salle, N. Y. 



PARALYSIS AND THE ISLE OF WIGHT DISEASE; ARE THEY THE 



SAME? 



BY F. R. BEUHNE 



In the Nov. 15th issue the editor, p. 922, 

 asks for information as to whether the bee- 

 paralysis of Australia and of southern • 

 United States is the same as the Noseyna 

 apis (Isle of Wight disease) of Great Brit- 

 ain. This is exactly what we have been en- 

 deavoring to determine ever since the pres- 

 ence of the nosema parasite in Australia be- 

 came knoAvn in 1909. All the evidence up 

 to the present is negative to tlie proposition 

 that the two diseases are identical. 



Shortly after the discovery of the para- 

 site, bees were obtained from 88 aiDiaries 

 covering five out of the six states of the 

 commonwealth. The parasite was found in 

 the first 20 bees from 86 apiaries. Repeat- 

 ed microscopical examinations of bees from 

 the two remaining apiaries failed to show 

 Xosema apis. One of the two clean apiaries 

 was 100 miles inland at Waugaratta. The 

 other Avas the Departmental apiary at 

 Burnley, close to the city of Melbourne. A 

 \-isit I paid to the Waugaratta apiary shoAv- 

 ed that bee-paralysis was present, altho 

 nosema could not be found. The Depart- 

 mental apiaiy at Burnley was free from 

 botli paralysis and nosema. Queens from 

 colonies aifected Avith paralysis were brought 

 from inland apiaries and introduced to sev- 

 eral colonies at Burnley. Symptoms of pa- 

 I'alysis aj^peared in from five to six weeks 

 later. Bees from these stocks Avere then ex- 

 amined, and at intervals later by Mr. W. 

 LaidlaAv, B. Sc, Biologist of the Dept. of 

 Agriculture, Avho also made all previous and 

 subsequent mierosco]ncal examinations, but 

 no signs of nosema could be found, even in 

 bees which were in the final death throes of 

 pai'alysis. Finally the queens were removed, 

 also dissected, and found clean. Queens of 

 a resistant strain were introduced in their 

 places, and in a little over tAvo months all 

 signs of paralysis had disappeared. This 

 experiment was repeated several times in 

 succeeding seasons, and" the result was ex- 

 actly the same. On the other hand, 'IVosema 

 apis Avas found in bees affected Avith paral- 

 ysis Avhen they came from apiaries in Avliich 

 the presence of the parasite had been prov- 

 ed, the degree and percentage of infection 

 being the same, Aviiethor the colonies sliowed 

 symptoms of paralysis or not. Incidentally 



I may here mention that I have repeatedly 

 etfeeted a cure of the most pronounced cases 

 of paralysis by exchanging the brood of 

 the affected colony with that of a normal 

 colony, at the same time removing the queen 

 of the former and alloAving a queen-cell of a 

 different strain, and raised in a normal 

 colony, to hatch and mother it. The curious 

 thing is that, altho, as might be expected, 

 bees continue to die for some time after 

 the exchange of brood in the affected colo- 

 ny, yet none of the bees hatching from the 

 combs of the affected stock, and given to a 

 normal one, shoAV any symptoms of paral- 

 ysis, Avhich seems contradictoi-y in the face 

 of the fact that paralysis can be produced 

 in anj^ colony by the introduction of the 

 queen of an affected cotony. 



Reverting noAv to Nosema apis I must 

 point out that, altho the parasite was found 

 in 86 out of 88 apiaries, the localities from 

 Avhich some badly affected specimens came 

 had never suffered any losses. The colonies 

 showed no symi^toms, and were profitable. 

 Further, outside the two apiaries mentioned, 

 it seemed impossible to find bees free from 

 nosema. Even bees from trees in the forest 

 had it, also some of the Avorst-affected colo- 

 nies Avith a little judicious help recovered, 

 and developed into prosperous and profita- 

 ble stocks. 



In view of all this, it did not seem advis- 

 able to adopt the drastic treatment of de- 

 struction of the bees and combs Avhich is 

 recommended by the British authorities. 

 Quite early in the investigations it became 

 evident that contributing factors were nec- 

 essary for the parasite to become harmful. 

 Considering the wide distribution revealed 

 by the investigations, it appeared quite 

 hopeless to attempt the total destruction of 

 the parasite, and more advisable to try to 

 find the contributing causes. With this ob- 

 ject in view, queens and their escorts from 

 hives proved to be affected Avith nosema 

 Avere introduced to a number of colonies a( 

 the Burnley apiary. The biologist, at inter- 

 vals of two and three months, examined 

 bees from the colonies experimented Avith. 

 and at no time could nosema be discovered 

 in the bees. Becoming bolder, we next 

 transferred 14 badly affected colonies from 



