444 CONNECTICUT EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETIN 205. 



odor is present, which reminds one of yeast fermentation. This disease 

 attacks drone and queen larvae almost as quickly as those of the workers. 

 "European foul brood is more destructive during the spring and early 

 summer than at other times, often entirely disappearing during late sum- 

 mer and autumn, or during a heavy honey flow. Italian bees seem to be 

 better able to resist the ravages of this disease than any other race. The 

 disease at times spreads with startling rapidity and is most destructive. 

 Where it is prevalent a considerably larger percentage of colonies is af- 

 fected than is usualfor American foul brood. This disease is very variable 

 in its symptoms and other manifestations and is often a puzzle to the 

 beekeeper." See figure 23. 



To the ordinary beekeeper the two diseases appear very much 

 alike. "The sunken and perforated cappings, the reduction of the 

 larva to a stringy, brown mass, the foul odor, and the dwindling 

 of the colony, are the most noticeable indications of the foul brood 

 diseases." 



How Foul Brood Diseases are Spread. 

 Some of the means of spreading the infection are as follows : 

 By the bees: 



1. Diseased bees entering wrong hives. 



2. Robbing diseased colonies. 



3 . Eating honey that is infected. 

 By the owner i 



4. Shifting combs from diseased colonies to healthy ones. 



5. Using second-hand hives that have contained diseased 



colonies. 



6. Promiscuous handling of healthy and diseased colonies 



without disinfecting hands and tools. 



7. Exchanging places of colonies in diseased apiaries. 



Treatment. 

 As it has been found that Italian bees are more immune to, or 

 at least better able to resist the ravages of, European Foul Brood 

 than other races, it is strongly recommended that apiaries be re- 

 queened with young Italian queens of good stock in either of the 

 treatments given below. In the case of all weak colonies, or those 

 showing 25 per cent, or more of diseased brood, it is best to shake 

 the bees if in frame hives, or drum them out if in box hives, into 

 new or disinfected hives containing full sheets of foundation. 

 Good results are sometimes obtained where the colony is VERY 



