31 



They seem to have lost their characteristic energy. They 

 crowd round the entrance of the hive, occasionally clustering 

 and displaying a general appearance of listlessness. This lack 

 of vitality is the first noticeable phase of the disease. 



A peculiar feature of the wings — the so-called split wing- — 

 is often observed in bees suffering from Isle of Wight disease 

 in its early stages. Normally the bee, when in the act of flight, 

 unites the fore and hind wings together so that the two wings 

 on either side of the thorax act as one. (This union is 

 brought about by a series of hooks on the anterior margin of 

 the hind wing engaging a series of catches on the posterior 

 bo>rder of the fore wing.) But when the bee contracts Isle of 

 Wight disease this power of union is often lost, and the wings 

 appear quite separate. It should be observed that this split 

 wing appearance, though quite characteristic, is not in itself 

 diagnostic of the disease. 



Occasionally a sick bee may be observed drawing its posterior 

 legs over the abdomen — as if the bee realised a sensation of 

 pain in that part. 



With the advance of the malady the " crawling " symptoms 

 so typical of the Isle of Wight disease become patent. The 

 diagnosis is now plain, and there can no longer be any 

 doubt regarding the nature of the disease. The crawling 

 symptoms are first noticeable in the sick bees after they 

 have been confined to the hive for two or three days owing 

 to inclement weather. A return to genial conditions or a 

 sudden burst of sunshine will induce the bees to emerge 

 from the hives in great numbers. It will then be seen that 

 many of them have lost the power of flight; some drop down 

 on to the ground beneath the hive where they cluster ; others 

 come to earth after a flight of only a few yards. If the 

 hives are situated on grass the bees may be seen crawling 

 up the stems to try and reach a higher position. If the hives 

 stand on ashes or gravel, the bees, by laborious efforts, make 

 their way towards the hive, up the legs of which they crawl 

 in an effort to reach home. The great majority of these bees 

 die, and the ground in the vicinity of the hive becomes strewn 

 with their dead bodies. 



