152 BEGINNER'S BEE BOOK 



usually appears in spring. The affected bees 

 appear black and shiny and they may be seen 

 in front of the hive apparently unable to fly. 

 At times the abdomen is distended. Bees also 

 sometimes suffer from dysentery, which is 

 probably caused by poor stores or too long con- 

 finement to the hive. 



FouLBKOOD, of which there are two kinds, 

 is the most serious disease with which the bee- 

 keeper has to contend in America. However, 

 both forms are now so well understood that the 

 well-informed beekeeper no longer fears them 

 as he once did. 



Both American and European foulbrood 

 are diseases of the larvaa, and although they 

 have well-defined differences, the novice would 

 seldom be able to distinguish between them. If 

 the brood is foimd to be dead without some ap- 

 parent cause, it will be well for the beekeeper 

 to cut out a piece of the comb containing some 

 of the dead larvae and send it to the Bureau of 

 Entomology of the United States Department 



