290 



THE AMERICAN BEE JOURNAL. 



May 12. 



and then withdraw it. If the matter pulls out in a string, 

 adhering to the sliver, and is of the coffee-color described, it 

 may be set down that foul brood is certainly present; but if 

 it does not show this decided ropiness it is just as certain that 

 there is no foul brood in that cell. 



I just said there is no foul brood without ropiness, but this 

 must not be taken loo literally. That was said with reference 

 to the stage during which the matter remains soft. After a 

 few weeks the matter of each dead larva? dries down and lies 

 spread on the lower side — not the bottom — of the cell, a 

 brownish-black scale of the thickness of a man's thumb-nail. 

 This peculiarity is of great use in making a diagnosis of the 

 disease at some seasons of the year, as in the fall or in the 

 spring, in the combs of a colony which has perisht during the 

 winter, as colonies affected with foul brood are very liable to 

 do. Soon after the breeding season is over these scales are 

 about the only evidence of the disease that remains in a strong 

 colony, as the cappings of the diseased cells are apt to be 

 cleared away, but in a weak colony the discolored, defective 

 cappings largely remain. It seems to be beyond the power of 

 the bees to remove these scales, so if foul brood has been pres- 

 ent they remain to reveal it if one will take the proper course 

 to discover them. This is best done in this way : 



Take the comb by the top-bar and hold it so that a good 

 light falls into the cells at an angle of about 70^ or 80° from 

 the top of the comb, while the sight falls upon the cells at an 

 angle of about 45-. The scales if present will be readily dis- 

 covered lying as already described reaching almost to the mar- 

 gin of the lower side of the cell. I consider this a very sure 

 method of diagnosis, tho in one or two cases I have seen simi- 

 lar scales where the death of the brood resulted from other 

 causes. 



Other characteristics of the disease which ara useful in 

 aiding in its discovery are the peculiar odor and the appear- 

 ance of the cappings of diseased cells ; such cappings, while 

 they vary in color, are generally darker than those of healthy 

 cells, almost always sunken or flattened, often having irregu- 

 lar perforations of varying sizes, and the comb containing 

 much of the disease presents altogether an unprosperous, 

 sickly appearance. The odor is very unpleasant, and may be 

 described as an " old smell," and is well said to be like that of 

 a poor quality of glue when heated. If a colony is badly dis- 

 eased the odor is sometimes felt on raising the cover of the 

 hive, and generally on applying the nose to the top of the 

 brood-combs. 



If one handles the combs of his bees frequently, and keeps 

 the subject of foul brood on his mind, what I have already 

 said will enable him to discover the disease very soon after its 

 appearance in his apiary, but if brood-combs are handled but 

 little it is quite important, if one would insure himself in some 

 degree against losses from the disease, that a strict watch be 

 kept on the condition, in respect to disease, of all colonies 

 that appear from external indications to be lacking in pros- 

 perity, and especially of colonies to which robbers seem to be 

 attracted, for the odor of foul brood has an attraction to bees, 

 seeming to indicate to them that the colony emitting it is 

 about in a condition to permit its being robbed with impunity. 

 And this not because colonies wanting in prosperity are more 

 likely to contract the disease, but because this condition may 

 be the result of disease. If the disease is once discovered to 

 be present, then it would be the part of wisdom to examine 

 each colony carefully under strict regulation against robbing. 



The cure of foul brood is difficult only because it is difiS- 

 cult to discover the disease in its incipient stages in every 

 colony, and to determine every colony in which are germs of 

 disease lying dormant ready to develop when favorable condi- 

 tions are present, it may be after many months. And when 

 the disease is disseminated among the bees in the neighbor- 

 hood, especially among wild bees, a final cure may tie the 

 work of years, but with care, even under the worst circum- 

 stances, it may be kept in such subjection that the injury 

 therefrom will not ije great, and under favorable circum- 

 stances it may be quickly exterminated. 



The cure of any particular colony is very simple and cer- 

 tain, the cautions to be observed having to do with preventing 

 the access of bees from healthy colonies to the diseased combs, 

 since such access would almost certainly spread the disease to 

 other colonies. To preclude this danger all the necessary op- 

 erations must be performed when no bees are flying, or when 

 the pasturage offers so much nectar that there is no disposi- 

 tion to rob. These conditions being secured, take a hive ex- 

 ternally as nearly like the one containing the diseased colony 

 as possible, and having moved the hive with the colony to one 

 side, place the new hive furnisht with foundation or starters 

 on theold stand, then run the bees into the new hive by shak- 

 ing or driving. This is all that is necessary for the cure of 

 the colony if nectar is coming in somewhat freely. If nectar 



is scarce or absent, absconding must be guarded against and 

 feeding resorted to. Without being certain that it is neces- 

 sary, I advise feeding scantily for four or five days, and after 

 that as plentifully as desired. From this it will be seen that 

 it is preferable to attend to the cure during a honey-flow. 



The plan insisted on by some that the colony be shaken 

 out into still another hive after being allowed to build comb 

 for four days I have proved in a hundred cases without a sin- 

 gle failure to be entirely unnecessary. 



I wish here to put in a word of caution against the plac- 

 ing of any reliance upon drugs for curing this disease. My 

 earliest experience was with 30 diseased colonies upon which 

 I tried the use of drugs thoroughly. I repeated its use upon 

 other colonies later, sometimes with extreme care, but with 

 entire failure in every case. 



Sometimes when the disease is discovered in its early 

 stages there are large amounts of healthy brood in colonies 

 that are to be treated, and the disposal of this is a problem 

 that deserves consideration. Sometimes such colonies cast 

 swarms in the swarming season. In such case I hive the 

 swarm on foundation or on frames with starters, always avoid- 

 ing combs for that purpose. Then in three weeks I shake out 

 the bees from the old hive according to the directions already 

 given. 



Other colonies that are fit to swarm during the swarming 

 season but not disposed to do so I compel to swarm, i. e., I 

 shake out a swarm and then treat both old colonies and 

 swarms as in case the swarms were natural ones. With weaker 

 colonies and at other seasons this course is not always practi- 

 cal. Under such circumstances, if there are several colonies 

 it is sometimes convenient to shake out all but one or two and 

 give all the brood to that one or two, which are to be treated 

 three weeks later. If there is but one colony it may some- 

 times be desirable to cage the queen for three weeks — but not 

 often — it is generally better to sacrifice the brood atid give the 

 colony a new start. 



If colonies have become greatly reduced in strength by 

 the disease, as the bees are mostly aged under such circum- 

 stances, it Is advisable either to unite or destroy them, but in 

 doing this extreme care is necessary to prevent the escape of 

 any of the bees into hives containing healthy colonies. 



I have already intimated that the chief difficulty in effect- 

 ing a final cure is the existence of the disease among neigh- 

 boring bees, especially among wild bees. The reason of this 

 is that the spread of the disease is owing principally, if not 

 wholly, to the visiting of diseased combs by bees from healthy 

 colonies — or, in other words, by the robbing of diseased colo- 

 nies, and if there is any other way of contracting the disease 

 it is because there are other ways by which the germs of foul 

 brood may get into hives of healthy bees. If one considers 

 that diseased colonies in the woods or belonging to careless 

 neighbors are sure in time to fall a prey to healthy colonies, 

 the serious nature of the difficulty is readily appreciated. This 

 consideration also indicates the extreme care that should be 

 usea to prevent robbing in a locality where the disease is 

 known to exist, as well as the care that must be given to 

 secure from bees the combs and honey taken from diseased 

 colonies. Their immediate and complete destruction by Sre 

 would be the safest course for many to pursue, but the honey 

 and wax are sometimes of considerable value, and this extreme 

 course need not be pursued if one is careful and has proper 

 conveniences for disposing of the honey and comb. 



When there is but little honey in the combs it is best to 

 boil the combs at once and secure the wax. If there is honey 

 which it is desired to save, first cut out all parts of the comb 

 containing brood and boil or burn them, then extract the 

 honey, which may be used for the table or boiled with one or 

 two parts of water and used as food for the bees. Boil at least 

 15 minutes. The comb must then be boiled and the wax 

 secured. Or if the honey is only desired to feed the bees, the 

 combs, honey and all may be boiled in just the amount of 

 water necessary and the bee-food and wax secured at the same 

 time, and with less labor and trouble. It is to be borne in 

 mind that all honey from these combs is dangerous for bees 

 unless it is thoroughly boiled. 



Not a few, I fear, will exclaina at my intimation a little 

 ago, that foul brood could only come from foul-brood germs, 

 and begin to assert that it can come equally well from brood 

 that has been chilled to death. In Virgil's time swarms of 

 bees were bred from the carcass of an ox; when good Izaak 

 Walton lived the fish called the pike bred from pike-weed ; 

 lately chess grew from wheat, and now foul brood grows from 

 something else ! 



Well, bees, and fish, and chess, have now come to increase 

 normally, and if foul brood has not yet, it very soon will. 



No, It is still true that men do not gather grapes of thorns 

 nor figs of thistles. — Bee-Keepers' Review. 



