10 FOUL BROOD IN" BEES. 



to the base. On I'cibbing the dried mass between the fingers, the 

 odor from it resembles very much decomposed glae. 



ORIGIlSr OF THE DISEASE. 



Noted observations regarding tlie Ri;art, spread and cure of the 

 disease, have led to suppose: 



1st. Foul brood originates by bees and brood being exposed to 

 sudden cold and dampness. 



2d. It may also be caused by want of proper and sufficient nour- 

 ishment. 



3d. Also by over-stimulative feeding, in consequence of which 

 the bees rear more brood than they are able to feed properly. For 

 there is enough evidence to prove that foul br>'od originated in 

 apiaiies, excluding the idea of contagion. JSTow, if even one colony 

 of an apiaiy lias been subject to one of these causes, and become 

 diseased in consequence thereof, the disease will spread by conta- 

 gion, infecting the whole apiary. 



4th. Prevention being better than cure, it behooves a'careful 

 apiarist to see that his bees are not exposed to any of the prinsary 

 cause.-, if he can help it. Combs with brood should not be removed 

 from the hive on cold and windy days. He should see that his bees 

 are not in want of proper and sufficient food, honey as well as 

 pollen. Especially will the want of pollen cau-se the bees and brood 

 to die ; the more so, if they are actively engaged in brood rearing, 

 because pollen contains the nitrogenous compounds absolutely 

 necessary so build up the animal tissue. If pollen is wanting, he 

 should furnish a substitute by feeding the bees flour. IE flour is 

 fed outside the h.ive, the bees will not take any more than they are 

 in actual need of ; hence, overdoing stimulative feeding is out of 

 the question as regards that substitut:e. But; there are other sub- 

 stances which contain albumen in excess, and if these are fed to a 

 weak colony in the hive, will induce breading to such an extent that 

 the bees are unable to feed all the brood properly, which, in spite 

 of abundant food, causes the brood to die of starvation, and thereby 

 causing the colony to be a first-class subject to the disease. 



Besides the above enumerated causes of foul brood in an apiary, 

 there may be one more, viz.: a poor queen — that is to say, a queen's 

 progeny may be so weak as not to have life enough to grow to ma- 

 turity, but die when they are five, six and seven days old. In such 

 a case a disinfectant will of course be of no avail, but the queen 

 must be removed and killed ; the colony must be provided with' 



