Isle of Wight Disease in Hive Bees. 53 



failing. There was no crawling or other symptoms of Isle of Wight 

 disease. 



On 2nd January 1915, the stock was visited and found normal. 



On 13 th March, the stock was found lively and vigorous. 



On 28fch April, the bees were found numerous and lively ; there was a 

 patch of drone brood in worker cells suggesting the presence of a drone- 

 laying queen. Probably the aged queen had died during the winter leaving 

 eggs and young brood, from which the bees were able to raise a young 

 queen. This queen could not be mated, however, at this season. This 

 drone breeder was actually found on 3rd May and removed. After some 

 difficulty a fertile queen was again established in the hive and the stock 

 continued its prosperous career, giving, in July 1915, a natural swarm, 

 which was lost. 



On 8th August, the swarmed stock was found queenless and broodless 

 and much reduced in numbers, but lively and vigorous, and with much 

 stored honey. The stock was re-queened on 10th August with a young 

 American Golden queen bred in Stornoway. 



This stock, in spite of a heavy contamination with fresh Isle of Wight 

 material, remains free from the disease to this date, January 1916. 



No. 2. Shawhost. First Experiment. October 19H. 



The bees which were the subject of this experiment were Carniolans, 

 and the stock had swarmed in July 1914. It was headed, therefore, by a 

 young queen, and occupied seven combs. 



On 1st October, two ordinary match boxes of "crawlers" from an 

 infected stock (60 DD, see p. 56) were sent to Lewis from Aberdeen. The 

 crawlers were taken from a lot which came out in great numbers on a 

 sunny afternoon when the " Isle of Wight " signs were most typical. 

 They were picked up after having been out over night, and despatched by 

 post alive, with food. These crawlers were mashed up on arrival, mixed 

 with honey, and fed to the stock at Shawbost, on 3rd October. 



On the 10th October, the bees were reported to be in fine order with 

 brood on two combs. All infected material had been cleaned up by the 

 bees, and not a dead bee was to be seen. 



On 24th October, the local observer reported : " JSTo sign of any disease." 



On 20th February 1915, the stock on examination was found to be 

 in good condition, and no dead were visible. 



On 27th April, the stock was reported to be in fine condition, the 

 bees were lively and " vindictive," and there was a good deal of brood. 



At the beginning of June 1915, the stock was reported to be rather 



