1878. 



GLEANINGS IK BEE CULTURE. 



115 



[Foul Brood. Continued from last month). 



Microscopic investigation has revealed the 

 fact, that foul brood is a species of minnte 

 fungus, which when once started growing, 

 increases with astonishing rapidity, and on- 

 ly ceases to extend, wiien the supply of ma- 

 terial that it feeds on gives out, or the tem- 

 perature is either raised or lowered to such 

 a point that the vegetation is killed. It is 

 on this account that honey from diseased 

 hives is rendered perfectly wholesome for 

 feeding bees, by being scalded, as this is 

 fatal to the seeds of all such microscopic 

 vegetation. As severe freezing produces 

 the same result, we may suppose that hives 

 that have contained foul brood stocks, 

 would be rendered safe, by being exposed 

 to severe winter weather, without bees in 

 them. Great care should be exercised in 

 this respect, however, and perhaps it will be 

 safest, all things considered, to burn up all 

 hives that have ever contained the infection. 

 The name of the microscopic plant, is Cryp- 

 tococcus Alveario ; you know we alw^iys feel 

 a great deal better, to know just what a 

 thing is. I have never possessed a colony 

 having the disease, but -pieces of comb con- 

 taining the diseased brood, have been sent 

 me several times, an«l I have examined 

 hives in the State of Michigan, that were 

 slightly affected, and feel somewhat ac- 

 quainted with the disease. I do not know 

 that it now^ exists in the State of Ohio, un- 

 less it is on Kelley's Island, in Lake Erie ; it 

 was brouglit there, by a simple piece of 

 comb, several years ago, and has existed 

 there ever since. 



REMEDIES. 



I believe the most successful remedy, all 

 things considered, has been in shaking the 

 bees from their combs, putting them into a 

 new hive without combs, and leaving them 

 contined to it luitil they have consumed 

 every bit of honey in their honey sacks, 

 which will take from 24 to 48 hours. They 

 must, in fact, be almost starved to death. 

 After this, they can be fed and allowed to 

 build comb, and when the queen lays in this 

 new comb, the brood will usually be found 

 healthy and natural. If it should show dis- 

 eased cells, go through the same operation 

 again, being sure that other bees do not, by 

 any means, get a single taste of the honey 

 from the infected hive, and you will be pret- 

 ty sure to find them all right. 



Much has been said of late years, of sal- 

 icylic acid ; and our German neighbors a- 

 cross the water, who gave us tliis discovery, 

 with many others, claim to^ have been per- 



fectly successful, as well as quite a number 

 who have tried it in our own country. The 

 acid is used in solution, and even if quite 

 w'eak, it seems to have the property of kill- 

 ing the germs of the disease, wherever it 

 touches. To make a sure thing of it, it 

 seems that every diseased cell should have 

 its cap opened, and some of the solution 

 sprayed into it ; but quite a number report 

 having succeeded by simply spraying the 

 combs. Mr. Mi;th, of Cinciimati, O., reconj- 

 mends using borax with tlie salycilic acid ; 

 about i of an oz. of each, is dissolved in a 

 pint of pure soft water. With this, he has 

 been perfectly successful in ridding his api- 

 ary of it by a single application. As some 

 of our English correspondents failed, using 

 the most thorough measures with the acid, 

 I am inclined to think there are several 

 phases of the disease, although I have no 

 doubt at all, but that it will yield, like al- 

 most everything else, to thorough and faith- 

 ful treatment. If there are many diseased 

 stocks, it is a saving of time to put all the 

 combs having infected brood in them, into 

 a single large hive, without any queen. All 

 brood that does not hatch out, may be then 

 treated without having far. to go, or many 

 hives to look after ; and as no more brood is 

 reared, the disease cannot go farther. Our 

 German friends recommend giving a weak • 

 solution of the acid as a feed to the bees. 

 This may be a good idea, but as I am rather 

 opposed to doctoring either bees or human 

 beings with drugs, to any great extent, I 

 hope you will pardon me if I am a little in- 

 credulous in regard to the propriety of such 

 measures. 



For spraying the bees and combs, a spray 

 diffuser, kept by druggists, is a saving of 

 time and labor. Those used with a rubber 

 ball, are handiest. 



CAUSE OF THE DISEASE. 



Many reasons have been given for the ap- 

 pearance of foul brood, and it has been 

 sometimes claimed that the dise;;se might 

 be generated by the decomposition of con- 

 siderable quantities of chilled brood, if left 

 in the hive. I can but think tliis a mistake, 

 and while on the subject I think a great 

 many cases are call-ed foul brood that are 

 nothing like it. The real virulent foul brood, 

 does not usxuilly yield without pretty severe 

 treatment, and it is claimed by some, that 

 the worst type of the disease, can only be 

 eradicated by a total destruction of the 

 hives, combs and bees. Very likely there 

 are several types of the disease, and it may 

 be that the milder forms yield without mucli 



