RELATION OF COMMERCIAL HONEY TO THE SPREAD 

 OF AMERICAN FOULBROOD ' 



By A. P. Sttjrtevant ' 



Associate ApicuUurist, Division of Bee Culture, Bureau of Entomology, United States- 

 Department of Agriculture 



INTRODUCTION 



The relation and importance of commercial honey to the spread of 

 American foulbrood of bees has occupied the attention of the bee- 

 keeping industry more or less prominently for many years. The- 

 theoiy has been promulgated that honey which has not come from, 

 disease-free apiaries is dangerous because of the possibility of its dis- 

 seminating American foulbrood. A few States and at least one for- 

 eign country require that honey intended for interstate shipment be 

 accompanied by a certificate from the bee inspector of the State in' 

 which the honey originated to the effect that such honey was produced^ 

 in apiaries free from American foulbrood. 



It is a well-established fact that honey taken directly from the 

 combs of the brood chambers of colonies affected by American foul- 

 brood is capable of producing the disease if fed to healthy colonies. 

 Since commercial beekeeping practice bans the extracting of honey 

 from the brood nest, it is difficult to understand how heavily infected 

 honey, in large quantities, could get on the market. Whether honey' 

 from supers that have been on colonies affected with American foul- 

 brood is of serious importance in transmitting the disease is still open 

 to question. White {SO, p. S5y says: "The likelihood that the disease" 

 will be transmitted by combs from diseased colonies, which contain 

 honey but no brood, probably is frequently overestimated." On the" 

 other hand, Millen {23) found that combs built from foundation and 

 completely filled above an excluder with honey from colonies that 

 had been destroyed by American foulbrood produced disease in all of 

 10 colonies made from package bees to which one comb each of the 

 honey had been given. Corkins {8) expressed the belief, as a result-' 

 of preliminary studies, that "Extracted honey produced above an 

 excluder in a colony in the early stages of American foulbrood is" 

 insignificant in the spread of this disease through commercial honey."' 

 The conflicting nature of these observations emphasizes the need for 

 further research before the certification of honey is required as a; 

 means of alleviating the foulbrood situation. 



In both animal and plant disease bacteriology it is known that 

 pathogenic microorganisms may vary considerably, even within indi- 



' Eeceived for publication Feb. 1, 1932; issued September, 1932. 



' For advice and assistance the writer Ls indebted to Profs. C. L. Corliins and O. H. Gilbert, of the Uni- 

 versity of Wyoming; Prof. K. Q. Hiohmond, deputy State entomologist, apiary investigations, Colorado' 

 Agricultural College; H. Bauohfuss, of Englewood, Colo.; N. L. Henthorne, of Greeley, Colo.; and C. H„ 

 Banney, of Lander, Wyo. Appreciation is also expressed for the many courtesies extended by H. C. 

 Hilton, supervisor of the Medicine Bow National Forest. 



' Beference is made by number (italics) to Literature Cited, p. 284. 



Journal of Agricultural Eesearch, Vol. 45, No. 6 ■ 



Washington, D. C. Sept. 1, 1932 



Key No. K-228 



(257) 



