AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



375 



color, varying all the way from a light, 

 pale brown to a dark brown. In the 

 more advanced stages the brown is of 

 the color of a coffee-berry after being 

 roasted. In the incipient stages the 

 brown is of the color of the coffee we 

 drink, when greatly diluted with milk. 

 But so far all these symptoms may be 

 present as a result of chilled, overheated 

 or starved brood. But to determine 

 whether it is the real foul brood, run a 

 toothpick into the dead larva and then 

 draw it slowly out. If the maturated 

 mass adheres to the end of the pick, 

 about like spittle, and finally the fine 

 thread breaks when the pick is drawn 

 back, it is probably a case of foul brood. 

 With all other forms of dead brood, with 

 perhaps one exception, this ropiness 

 does not appear ; but with foul brood it 

 invariably appears. 



Now, there is another symptom, and 

 that is, the odor ; while not exactly foul, 

 it resembles greatly that from a cabinet- 

 maker's glue-pot ; and when the disease 

 is pretty well advanced in the hive, the 

 odor will make itself manifest upon lift- 

 ing the cover or quilt, even before expos- 

 ing the brood. If other colonies are 

 affected in a similar way, and the dis- 

 ease appears to spread, it is unquestion- 

 ably a case of foul brood. 



In the above we have referred to an 

 exception where the diseased larvte have 

 a brown color, and yet show the ropi- 

 ness — a sort of malady that will correct 

 itself, and which is very apt to appear 

 just before the honey-flow during hot 

 weather. It appears very suddenly, 

 and disappears just as suddenly. It is 

 not foul brood, because it does not 

 spread ; and, so far as we can remember 

 from our own apiary, it lacks the dis- 

 tinctive foul-brood odor. We wish we 

 knew what it was. 



TREATMENT AND CURE OF FOUL BROOD. 



W^ have tried all the medicine, acid, 

 or antiseptic treatments. We have 

 carefully followed the reports as given 

 in the bee-journals for such treatments ; 

 but so far we would not advise anybody 

 to place very much dependence upon 

 them. The carbolic-acid (or phenol) 

 treatment is, perhaps, as good as any ; 

 but when it is strong enough to kill the 

 germs of Bacillus alvei (the scientific 

 name of foul brood) it kills the bees, too; 

 but even then we have found the disease 

 would reappear in from a month to six 

 weeks after its use. It seems to work a 

 temporary cure ; but such a cure in the 

 case of foul brood is no cure at all. In 

 fact, it actually does harm, because, if 



a more effectual treatment, which we 

 shall give presently, is used, it does 

 away with the danger of infection. 

 Now, understand, we do not mean to as- 

 sert positively that phenol cannot be 

 made to cure foul brood ; but our ex- 

 perience and observation convince us 

 that the average bee-keeper had better 

 let it alone. 



THE PLAN THAT WE PREFER. 



Having satisfied yourself of the pres- 

 ence of foul brood, or even having a 

 suspicion that the disease is in some par- 

 ticular folony, prepare a clean hive con- 

 taining only frames of foundation. To- 

 ward night shake all the bees from the 

 diseased or suspected colony on to the 

 frames of foundation, and place the 

 new hive on the stand of the old one. 

 If possible, the new hive should resemble 

 exactly the old one ; otherwise the bees 

 will be confused, and carry the germs of 

 the disease to other cclonies. Compel 

 the bees to use up the honey in their 

 honey-sacs in drawing out the founda- 

 tion. Don't feed for a day or so. 



The diseased honey in the honey-sacs 

 will be converted into wax, and the new 

 product will be entirely harmless. The 

 old combs of the old hives should be 

 burned. Do not try to economize by 

 melting up the wax. You will not get 

 enough of it to pay, besides run the risk 

 of spreading the disease all over the 

 apiary. The old hive should be im- 

 mersed in boiling water for at least 15 

 or 20 seconds. Splashing boiling water 

 on it will hardly be sufficient. Painting 

 the inside of the hive with a strong solu- 

 tion of carbolic acid may answer; but 

 we know that boiling the hives is effec- 

 tual. The hive, after boiling, may be 

 used again with perfect impunity, with 

 new colonies. 



We would not advise burning colonies. 

 Unless you burn up every bee, the few 

 that escape will get into some other hive 

 and do more damage than the treatment 

 above recommended. 



Caution. — Do not handle the infected 

 colonies during the day, or when robbers 

 are nosing around. Do not attempt to 

 satisfy the curiosity of other bee-keepers 

 who would like to see what foul brood 

 looks like, smells like, etc. If you use 

 any sort of brush for brushing the bees 

 off the combs into the new hives, either 

 burn it up or keep it for awhile in boil- 

 ing water before using it again on 

 healthy colonies. Nothing but an old 

 smoker should be used in working with 

 foul brood. The boards of the bellows 

 may, perhaps, with advantage be painted 

 over with a strong solution of carbolic 



