BEE DISEASES IN MASSACHUSETTS. 29 



THE SPREAD OF BEE DISEASES. 



Both types of foul brood are highly infectious; the way in which 

 they are spread might be compared to the spread of typhoid fever in 

 human communities. Honey is the common carrier of this infection, 

 just as milk and water are the agents which frequently spread typhoid 

 fever. 



In diseased colonies of bees, practically every part of the hive 

 becomes contaminated with the germs of the disease. Consequently, 

 when disease is found in the bee yard, every precaution must be 

 taken that bees from healthy colonies do not come in contact with 

 any part of the diseased colonies or hives. Honey, being so irre- 

 sistible to the bees, is of course the main thing to be guarded. Since 

 diseased colonies soon become weakened, from the lack of young bees 

 to replace those dying from old age, they are less likely to maintain 

 guard against robbers, which are a great source of danger in the 

 spread of infection. Immediately on discovery, diseased colonies 

 should be treated. 



FEEDING HONEY. 



In these da}^s of widespread bee disease it is dangerous to feed 

 any honey to bees ; it is far preferable and less dangerous to supply 

 them, if they need stores, with a sirup of sugar and water, half and 

 half. It is safe to feed honey to bees only when it has been vigorously 

 boiled for at least a half hour, and, as Doctor Phillips has recently 

 stated, a in order to avoid risk, " it is better to make this an hour " 

 (p. 12). In boiling, the honey should always be diluted with equal 

 parts of water in order to prevent scorching. 



DISINFECTION OF TOOLS AND HANDS. 



All tools used in manipulating diseased bees, as well as the oper- 

 ator's hands, should be thoroughly disinfected before opening a 

 healthy colony. 



DEPLETED HIVES FROM GREENHOUSES A SOURCE OF DANGER. 



In Massachusetts particularly there is another source of infection 

 which is difficult of control. Each year several hundred colonies 

 of bees are placed in greenhouses by those who grow cucumbers under 

 glass. In the adverse conditions of the cucumber house the hive 

 soon becomes depleted and is promptly thrown on the rubbish pile. 

 If the hive originally came from a foul-brood region — which is not 



°The production and care of extracted honey. By E. F. Phillips, Ph. l>. 

 Bui. 75, Pt. I, Bar. Ent., D. S. Dept. Agric, 1907. Price 5c, from Superin- 

 tendent of Documents, Washington, I). C. 



