120 Texas Department of Agriculture. 



own apiary. It is of first importance that one be informed in ad- 

 vance and ready to identify such diseases, before any great harm is 

 done. A disease may make its appearance suddenly and without 

 warning, and unless the apiarist is thoroughly prepared to detect 

 and combat it, there is danger of its spreading throughout the entire 

 apiary before it is perceived and proper methods employed for its 

 control. 



After an outbreak of a contagious disease in a locality the dan- 

 ger of further spreading to other apiaries can only be eliminated by 

 complete eradication. There are many persons keeping bees who do 

 not know how, or do not care, to take the trouble to treat their bees. 

 Such ignorance, or negligence, is often the cause of infection of the 

 bees of careful apiarists in the locality and makes possible and prob- 

 able the reappearance of the disease in his hives in spite of his con- 

 stant efforts to prevent it. For this reason, inspection by properly 

 empowered public officials is the only means of completely eradicat- 

 ing such contagious diseases. To accomplish this, Texas, as well as 

 a number of other States, has a law prohibiting the keeping of dis- 

 eased colonies, the selling or removal of any infected bees or appa- 

 ratus, and controlling the shipping out of, and into, varibus locali- 

 ties diseased bees without proper inspection. The law provides that 

 the State Entomologist shall be State inspector of bees. In order that 

 the inspection work may be properly done, deputy or county in- 

 spectors are appointed by the State Inspector. They have authority 

 to enter any place where bees are kept and examine such hives of 

 bees and apparatus as may be necessary. In case of diseased apiaries, 

 they are authorized to prescribe treatment, or, if necessary, to order 

 the total destruction of colonies in which disease is too far advanced 

 to warrant treatment. 



Many persons are inclined to look upon such an inspection law as 

 a necessary evil, but this is far from being true if it is enforced in the 

 proper manner. On the contrary, it is an unmixed blessing and all 

 shoiild heartily assist in rendering it effective by promptly reporting 

 and co-operating in the eradication of diseases that appear in their 

 localities, and thereby make beekeeping more safe and certainly profit- 

 able. 



FOUL BROOD. 



Two kinds of contagious diseases of the brood of bees come under 

 this head. The first, generally known as "foul brood," is perhaps 

 the only one in Texas up to the present time. 



American dPoul Brood. This is a disease much dreaded and is 

 caused by a specific germ that affects the larvae and pupae in the 

 cells. It does not, as a rule, kill the immature bee until it has reached 

 the pupal stage. The disease propagates and thrives in the tissues 

 of the immature bees, and when first attacked, they turn to a light 

 coffee color and later to a dark chocolate brown. The larvae sink 

 down in a decaying mass to the lower side of the cells and give off an 

 offensive odor, similar to that from an old glue pot, which, if once 

 smelt, will never be forgotten. This is one way of detecting the pres- 

 ence of the disease in case dead larvae are found in brood combs, but, 

 the most certain method of detection is by inserting a toothpick, or 



