71 



Recently some new •' cures " have been ailvociited in the Ijee .iournals, 

 Iiarticnlarly for European foul brood, with a view to saving combs from 

 infected colonies. The cautious bee-keeper will hardly experiment with such 

 methods, e.specially when the di.sease is just starting in his locality or apiary, 

 but will eradicate the disease at once by means already well tried. 



In all cases great care should be exerci-sed that the bee-keeper may not 

 him.self spread the infection by handling healthy colonies before thoroughly 

 disinfecting his hands, hive tools and even smoker. Since it takes but a very 

 small amount of infected material to start disease in a previously healthy 

 colony, it is evident that too much care cannot be taken. In no case should 

 honey from unknown sources be used for feeding bees. Care should also be 

 exercised in buying queens, since disease is often transmitted in the candy 

 used iu shijipiiiS cages. Combs should not be moved from hive to hive in 

 infected apiaries. 



»"P;cA-?e Brooff."— There is a diseased conditiou of the brood called by bee- 

 keepers "pickle brood," but practically nothing is known of its cause. It is char- 

 acterised by a swollen watery aii|icnrance of the larv», usually accompanied by 

 lilack colour of the head. The larva' usually lie on their backs in the cell, 

 and the heads point upward. The colour gradually changes from light yellow 

 to brown, after the larv;ie die. There is no ropiuess. and the only odour is 

 that of sour decaying matter, not at all like that of American foul brood. 

 In case the larvoe are capped over, the cappiugs do not become dark, as in 

 the case of the contagious diseases, but they may be punctured. So far no 

 cause can be given for this di-sease, and whether or not it is contagious is a 

 disputed point. Usually no treatment is necessary beyond feeding during 

 dearth of honey, but iu very rare cases, when the majority of larva? in a 

 coml) are dead from this cause, the frame should be removed and a clean 

 comb put in its place, to make it unnecessary for the bees to clean out so much 

 dead brood. 



ChiUcd. Oi-crliriilC(I (ind Starved Broof/.— Many different external factors 

 may cause brood to die. Such dead brood Is frequently mistaken, by persons 

 unfamiliar with the brood diseases, for one or the other of them. Careful 

 <^xamiuation will soon determine whether dead brood is the result of disease 

 or merely some outside change. If brood dies from chilling or some other 

 cause, it is usually soon carried out by the workers, and the trouble disappears. 

 Brood which dies from external causes often produces a strong odour in the 

 colony, but wholly unlike that of American foul brood, merely that of decaying 

 matter. The colour of such brood varies, but the characteristic colours of 

 the infectious diseases are usually absent, the ordinary colour of dead brood 

 heing more nearly gray. — V. S. Circular A'o. 79. 



Note hj- Mr. E. F. Robinson. — 'The established principles nnderl.vins the cure of 

 foul brood are: — First, shake the bees into hives and fixtures, absolutely without 

 contagion : new are the best. Secondly, corapellins the bees to tisc all the honey 

 In their Itoneii sack, which thev loaded themselves with when opened up before shalcing, 

 into wan; for new comb, as it lias been proved beyond doubt that it is the honey mostly 

 that carries the contagion, being polluted by spores thrown oBE from the diseased dead 

 larva!. 



