150 DR. MILLERS 



are trembling or jerking and moving their wings. Sometimes they 

 just turn around in a very small circle, and sometimes they lie 

 on the ground for two days, kicking or moving their legs until 

 they finally die. Some have greatly enlarged abdomens, almost 

 as large as a young queen, while others look shiny like they had 

 just crawled out of grease or syrup. They have considerable 

 honey and brood, but do not gain any. 



(a) Do you think this is what they call May disease? 



(b) What is the cause? 



(c) Is it contagious? 



(d) Do you think it would do any good to requeen? 



(e) What can I do to get rid of this disease? 



A. (a) Your excellent description marks the disease quite 

 clearly as the disease called in Europe Mai de Mai, or Maikran- 

 heit (May disease), and generally called in this country bee 

 paralysis. 



(b) It is believed to be due to a microbe called bacillus gay- 

 toni, and also bacillus depilis. 



(c) It is not considered contagious; yet sometimes affects a 

 whole apiary. 



(d) I don't know. Some have claimed that as a cure; others 

 say it does no good. 



(e) I don't know. Many cures have been reported successful, 

 only to fail when tried further, and as the disease has a way of 

 disappearing of its own accord, the supposed cures may have no 

 effect. 



O. O. Poppleton sprinkles sulphur on the bees and combs. This 

 destroys the sick bees, but it also destroys the unsealed larvse, 

 unless the brood be removed. 



Mesquite. — Q. Where is the mesquite found, and what is its 

 value? 



A. The mesquite, a low, brushy tree, is found in Texas, New 

 Mexico and Arizona. It yields honey best during very dry 

 weather. In Te.xas they have a crop of mesquite honey nearly 

 every year. The honey is amber in color. 



Mice. — Q. I bought my partner's share of the bees, and on 

 opening the hive I found a mouse-nest in it. I thought that very 

 strange, having never heard of it before. Have you any mice in 

 your beehives? The colony is a strong one, and I thought the 

 bees would keep the mice out. It never destroyed any comb 

 while in there. 



A. Yes, indeed; I've had mice in hives, and they have not 

 alwaj'S been as considerate as yours, for they have sometimes 

 gnawed the combs. You can keep them out by having the en- 



