712 



tliere were several specimens of diseased 

 bees scattered at the entrances of some of 

 the hives. They made a vain attempt to 

 fly, and appeared to be in great distress. 

 There were no symptoms of bee paralysis; 

 and the tronble, "whatever it was, appeared 

 to be different from anything else that the 

 average beekeeper in this conntry encoun- 

 ters. " There were numerous dead bees in 

 front of the entrances of nearly all the 

 hives; but neither the dead nor dying look 

 any different from the ordinary normal 

 bees. Beyond the conditions of apparent 

 distress and disposition to leave the hives, 

 there seemed to be nothing wrong. Mr. 

 Bocock examined the bees very carefully. 

 He was entirely of the opinion that it was 

 not bee paralysis such as he had seen in 

 various parts of the United States, but he 

 thought the bees showed the initial symp- 

 toms of Isle of Wight disease. 



Some specimens of the bees had been 

 sent to Dr. Phillips to be examined by his 

 bacteriologist. An examination of the in- 

 testines showed that they were destroyed. 

 But in only one hee was Nosema apis found. 

 All the rest showed none. 



When Mr. Bocock was in Washington he 

 and Dr. Phillips examined a colony of bees 

 in Maryland that was badly affected with 

 paralysis. In fact, according to Dr. Phil- 

 lips, it was a typical case of American bee 

 paralysis ; but not in any one of the affect- 

 ed bees could Nosema apis be found. 



At the Ames apiary, at the time of our 

 visit, the bees Avere working briskly on 

 red clover. They had so nearly recovered 

 that they were storing honey in supers. 

 Some of the colonies were two and three 

 stories high, and appeared to be in a high 

 state of prosperity. Had our attention not 

 been particularly drawn to the situation, 

 nothing abnormal would have been noticed; 

 but that there had been trouble was very 

 apparent. If it is Isle of Wight disease it 

 must have been waging a losing fight 

 against bees which were nice Italians. 



THE ISLE OF WIGHT DISEASE IN GREAT 

 BRITAIN. 



Mr. Bocock reports that it is his opinion 

 this disease has destroyed 80 per cent of 

 the bees in England. It has made particu- 

 lar inroads in Hampshire, Berkshire, Cam- 

 bridge, Suffolk, Norfolk, and Essex coun- 

 ties. It has spread from southern England 

 clear up thru the whole country. So far 

 there seems to be no remedy, and the bees 

 die off by the thousands in and out of the 

 hives. It has been discovered that some 

 strains of bees are much more resistant 

 than others. The black bees of Great 

 Britain fall easy victims. Mr. Bocock and 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



his associates have observed that Italians 

 show most resistance, and he is somewhat 

 of the opinion that the American Italians 

 would hold the Isle of Wight disease in 

 check. 



It is possible that some apiaries in Ohio 

 and elsewhere have had the Isle of Wight 

 disease ; but so far no apiaries have been 

 completely wiped out, and practically all 

 of them, sooner or later, have entirely 

 recovered. If the Italians are more resis- 

 tant to the Isle of Wight disease — and we 

 know they are more resistant to American 

 foul brood — it will afford a great deal of 

 encouragement not only to our American 

 beekeepers but to the British as well. 



While Nosema apns has been found in 

 the intestines of the Isle of Wight diseased 

 bees, the very fact that the same organism 

 is found in healthy bees leads to the opin- 

 ion that it is not the only cause. 



It is well known that the germs of 

 pneumonia may reside in some human be- 

 ings that are resistant, but cause an imme- 

 diate outbreak of the disease in other per- 

 sons to whom these germs are communicat- 

 ed. If Nosema apis is the primary cause 

 of the Isle of Wight disease, then appar- 

 ently it has no effect on some strains of 

 bees, particularly on a vigorous strain of 

 Italians. On the other hand, it is possible 

 that Nosema apis has to work in conjunc- 

 tion with some other organism before the 

 actual Isle of Wight disease makes any 

 headway. There is much to be learned of 

 this peculiar malady that has wrought such 

 destruction in Great Britain ; and if Mr. 

 Bocock shall be able to throw any light on 

 the proposition he should and will r-eceive 

 the thanks of both American and British 

 beekeepers. 



In this connection it should be stated that 

 Nosema ap's is not a bacterium but a pro- 

 tozoan. It is, therefore, much more diffi- 

 cult to handle. Whatever it is, it seems to 

 act on the inner lining of the intestines of 

 the bees. In some cases it breaks down 

 the tissues altogether. 



From the various reports of the peculiar 

 disease that has attacked adult bees, it is 

 apparent that there is something in the 

 United States that is not the same as bee 

 pai^alysis ; but the very fact that the trou- 

 ble, whatever it is, disappears in the second 

 season shows either that we do not have 

 the Isle of Wight disease, or that that dis- 

 ease is not able to make any serious in- 

 roads among the American Italians; or it 

 may be possible that our climatic condi- 

 tions are enough different to make serious 

 inroads of the disease impossible in any 

 strain of bees. 



