230 DISEASES AND ENEMIES OF BEES 



With the appearance of bee disease it was very natural for 

 the bee-keepers to look for assistance from the State. Alone the 

 bee-keeper is helpless against infection from uncared for apiar- 

 ies. He may be ever so careful and efficient, but without pro- 

 tection from unnecessary contagion he must carry on the fight 

 against disease for a long period of time, move his apiary, or go 

 out of business. Since bee-keeping is being developed as a 

 specialty on which many have come to depend for a livelihood, 

 it is imperative that legal protection be extended. 



The sole thought in the beginning was to provide for the 

 examination of all bees and to compel proper treatment or de- 

 struction of those found to be diseased. The inspector was given 

 no choice but to examine all the bees in the localities to which 

 he was called. At the same time funds sufficient to examine but 

 a small part of the bees in any State were provided. 



Of late the tendency has been to depend more and more upon 

 proper instruction. Until much larger appropriations are avail- 

 able it will not be possible to reach a large percentage of the 

 bees in any State. If the bee-keeper is an intelligent man, an 

 hour or two of the inspector's time is all that he will require. 

 If upon examination one or more colonies are found to be dis- 

 eased, the inspector will be able to point out the characteristics 

 of the particular disorder and to give proper instructions for its 

 treatment. The bee-keeper will then be able to recognize the 

 trouble when he finds it in other colonies and to deal with it 

 promptly. It would hardly seem to be the province of the State 

 to examine every colony and give the necessary treatment. If 

 such a plan is followed a week will often be necessary to deal 

 with a single large apiary. 



Where the owner is careless or indifFerent it will become 

 necessary for the inspector to be very thorough in his examina- 

 tion and to insist on proper attention to diseased colonies. Police 

 power is necessary because of the fact that many persons who 

 keep bees are so ignorant of their care in either health or disease 

 that they cannot be convinced of the necessity or value of proper 



