140 ADVANCED BEE CULTURE. 



°=>I^OUL brood is a bacterial disease of the larvae or brood of 

 =<^ bees. Once a single spore of the disease comes in contact 

 with a larva, or is fed to it, it begins to increase with 

 wonderful rapidity; the bacteria feeding- upon the larva as 

 maggots feed upon the carcass of a dead animal. The larva soon 

 dies and turns a dull brown, something about the color of coffee 

 after milk has been added and it is ready for drinking. The dead 

 larvae soon lose their shape, and settle down into ropy, gluey masses 

 having an odor somewhat similar to a poor quality of glue when it 

 is warming on the stove, being made ready for use. Tn the earlier 

 stages this odor is seldom noticeable, but, as the disease increases, 

 this odor becomes quite pronounced. If a match, or a Wooden tooth- 

 pick, or something of this nature, be thrust into a dead larva, and 

 then withdrawn, the dead matter will adhere to the stick, and dra\V 

 out in a ropy string, perhaps an inch in length, when it will break 

 and fly back. The dead larva finally dries down into a thin browil 

 scale upon the lower side of the cell. A large share of the larvae 

 reaches that stage where the bees seal it over, but, for soxne reason, 

 the cappings often become sunken, and sometimes contain holes. 

 Of course, the healthy brood hatches, while the diseased brood does 

 not, and soon the combs present a peculiar, speckled appearance 

 from part of the cells being empty, while others are sealed with 

 dark, ragged cappings. When the bees attempt to rear another 

 larva in a cell where a larva has died of foul brood, it is cer- 

 tain to be a failure. This larva, too, dies of the disease. If honey 

 is stored in the cell it becomes contaminated with the germs of the 

 disease; and if fed to larvae infects them with the disease. The 



