STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 21 



ever been known, had the same placed in 62 of their best 

 colonies, and in every case no signs of disease have appeared. 

 Those same colonies continue to be the best in the various 

 apiaries. 



SYMPTOMS OF FOUL BROOD. 



1. The infected colony is not liable to be as industrious. 

 Hive-entrance with few guard-bees to protect their home. 

 Sometimes fine dirt or little bits of old comb and dead bees 

 in and around the hive-entrance, and often robber-bees seek- 

 ing entrance. 



2. Upon opening the hive, the brood in the combs is 

 irregular, badly scattered, with many empty cells which need 

 inspection. 



3. The cappings over healthy brood is oval, smooth and 

 of a healthy color peculiar to honey-bee brood, but if diseased 

 the cappings are sunken, a little darker in color, and have 

 ragged pin-holes. The dead larval bee is of a light color, and, 

 as it is termed, ropy, so that if a toothpick is inserted and 

 slowly withdrawn, this dead larva will draw out much like 



' spittle or glue. 



5. In this ropy stage there is more or less odor peculiar 

 to the disease; it smells something like an old, stale glue- 

 pot. A colony may be quite badly affected and not emit 

 much odor, only upon opening of the hive or close examina- 

 tion of the brood. I have treated a few cases where th£ foul 

 brood odor was plainly noticed several rods from the apiary. 



6. Dried Scales — If the disease has reached the advanced 

 stages, all the above-described conditions will be easily seen 

 and the dried scales as well. This foul matter is so tena- 

 cious that the bees cannot remove it, so it dries down on the 

 lower side-wall of the cell, midway from the bottom to front 

 end of the cell, seldom on the bottom of a cell. According 

 to its stage of development there will be either the shape- 

 less mass of dark-brown matter, on the lower side of the 

 cell, often with a wrinkled skin covering as if a fine thread 

 had been inserted in the skin lengthwise and drawn enough 



, to form rib-like streaks on either side. Later on it becomes 

 hardened, nearly black in color^ and in time dries down to 

 be as thin as the side-walls of the cell. Often there will 

 be a small dried bunch at the front end of the cell not larger 

 than a part of common pin-head. To see it plainly, take 

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

 falls into the cell at an angle of 75 degrees from the top 

 of the comb, while your sight falls upon the cell at an angle 

 of about 45 degrees. The scales, if present, will easily be 

 seen as above described. This stage of disease in combs is 

 easily seen and is always a sure guide or proof of foul brood. 

 Such combs can never be used safely by the bees and must/ 

 be either burned or carefully melted. Be sure not to mistake? 

 such marked combs in the spring for those soiled with bee- 

 dysentery. The latter have a somewhat similar appearance 

 but are more or less surface-soiled, and will also be spotted 

 or have streaked appearance by the dark-brown sticky ex- 



