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CIRCULAR No. 392 JULY 1936 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



DIAGNOSING BEE DISEASES IN THE APIARY 



By C. E. BuRNSiDE, asslstamt apiculturint, and A. P. Sttjrthvant, assooiate 

 apicultwnst, Divislcm of Bee CiiUiirc, Bureau of Ento-mology and Plant, 

 Quarantine 



CONTENTS 



Foreword 



Importance of bee diseases and their recogni- 

 tion 



Brood diseases - 



What to observe whenloolcing for brood 



diseases 



American foulbrood 



European foulbrood- 



Parafoulbrood- 



Sacbrood 



Infection with two or more brood diseases- 

 Fungous diseases of brood. 



Diseases of adult bees 



What to observe whenlooliing for diseases 

 of adult bees 



Page 



1 



Page 

 Diseases of adult bees — Continued. 



Nosema disease 25 



Acarine disease --- 27 



Septicemia 29 



Amoeba disease — 30 



Fungous diseases of adult bees - 31 



"Paralysis"- 32 



Sending samples for laboratory examination. 33 



How to prepare samples of brood__ 33 



How to send samples of adult bees 34 



How to send samples of treated comb — S4 



How to address samples 34 



FOREWORD 



Bees, like all other living creatures, are subject to diseases, and 

 their manner of living in crowded hives makes it almost inevitable 

 that any contagious disorder will spread within the hive or to other 

 colonies unless it is detected and the appropriate treatment given. 



Other publications of the Department furnish information on the 

 methods of treatment. This circular tells where to look and what 

 to notice in the examination of colonies for possible or suspected 

 disease. 



More than one disease may be present in a colony, therefore the 

 beekeeper should not discontinue the search on findingthe symptoms 

 of one disease. Especially is it important that American foulbrood 

 be detected if it is present in the apiary. 



If the nature of the disease is not apparent, samples of brood 

 comb or the adult bees should be sent to the State apiary inspector 

 or the Bee Culture Laboratory of the Bureau of Entomology and 

 Plant Quarantine, National Agricultural Eesearch Center, BeltsviUe, 

 Md., as directed on page 34. 



IMPORTANCE OF BEE DISEASES AND THEIR 

 RECOGNITION 



Bee diseases are found throughout the United States wherever 

 bees are kept. These diseases cause large annual losses in bees, 

 honey, and equipment and very materially add to the cost of honey 



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