410 Beekeeping 



Nosema disease. 



In 1909 Zander' showed that a protozoon, named by him 

 Nosema apis, is found abundantly in the mid-intestine 

 of adult bees and he associated this organism in a causal 

 relationship with the death of many thousands of colonies 

 annually. Since this announcement other investigators 

 have taken up work on this organism. It has been deter- 

 mined that heating the organism to 57° C. (134.6° F.) for 

 ten minutes kills it. In England it is now claimed^ that 

 this organism is the cause of the so-called Isle of' Wight 

 disease or Microsporidiosus which is reported to have deci- 

 mated the bees on that island and to have caused heavy 

 losses in England. Numerous facts concerning this organism 

 have been brought out, especially notable being the wide 

 geographical distribution of the parasite. In spite of the 

 work done by the various investigators there is a paucity of 

 authentically proven facts which leaves much to be desired. 

 No treatment has been suggested in England except destruc- 

 tion of the colony to prevent the spread of the disease. 

 American beekeepers will do well to await reliable investiga- 

 tion before following such advice. 



Paralysis. 



Under this name beekeepers seemingly place practically 

 all the diseases of adult bees which they observe. Symptoms 

 attributed to paralysis are also given for poisoning and the 

 more one reads of the symptoms and treatments suggested, 

 the more hopeless it appears when one is asked to recommend 

 treatment. Until more is known it is unsafe to give advice. 



Spring dwindling. 



This name has also apparently been given to various 

 conditions. To avoid confusion it should be applied only 



' Zander, Enoch, 1909. Tierische Parasiten als Krankheitserreger bei der 

 Biene. Miinchen. 



' Graham-Smith and others, 1912. Report on the Isle of Wight bee 

 disease. Supplement Jr. Board of Agric, XIX, No. 2, 143 pp. 



, 1913, ibid., 47 pp. 



