PICKLE BROOD. 



There is a diseased condition of the brood called by bee keepers 

 "pickle brood," but practically nothing is known of its cause. It is 

 characterized by a swollen, watery appearance of the larva, usually 

 accompanied by black color of the head. The larvae usually lie on 

 their backs in the cell, and the head points upward. The color gradu- 

 ally changes from light yellow to brown after the larva dies. There is 

 no ropiness, and the only odor is that of sour decaying matter, not at 

 all like that of American foul brood. In case the larvae are capped 

 over, the cappings do not become dark, as in the case of the contagious 

 diseases, but they may be punctured. So far no cause can be given 

 for this disease, and whether or not it is contagious is a disputed point. 

 Usually no treatment is necessary beyond feeding during a dearth of 

 honey, but in very rare cases when the majority of larvae in a comb are 

 dead from this cause the frame should be removed and a clean comb 

 put in its place to make it unnecessary for the bees to clean out so 

 much dead brood. 



CHILLED, OVEEHEATED, AND STARVED BROOD. 



Many different external factors may cause brood to die. Such dead 

 brood is frequently mistaken, by persons unfamiliar with the brood 

 diseases, for one or the other of them. Careful examination will soon 

 determine whether dead brood is the result of disease or merely some 

 outside change. If brood dies from chilling or some other such cause, 

 it is usually soon carried out by the workers, and the trouble disap- 

 pears. No treatment is necessary. Brood which dies from external 

 causes often produces a strong odor in the colony, but wholly unlike 

 that of American foul brood, merely that of decaying matter. The 

 color of such brood varies, but the characteristic colors of the infec- 

 tious diseases are usually absent, the ordinary color of dead brood 

 being more nearly gray. 



Approved : 



James Wilson, 



Secretary of Agriculture. 



Washington, D. C, October 3, 1906. 



[Cir. 79] „ 



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