BEE PARALYSIS 



By G. D. Mori SON, Ph.D. 



(North of Scotland College of Agriculture, Marischal College, 

 Aberdeen, Scotland) 



I HAVE to apologise for the incompleteness of these notes, which 

 is due to my not having had sufficient time to study the data at 

 my disposal. 



Definition : Bee Paralysis is a disease of adult workers, queens 

 and probably drones, and it seems to attack all the common races 

 of honey-bees kept in Great Britain. The affected stock dwindles 

 slowly or more or less rapidly, owing to loss of adult bees. When the 

 stock dwindles slowly, usually a percentage of only older (foraging) 

 bees are affected. In a stock dying rapidly, foragers and yoimger 

 bees are affected. Bees usually die away from the hive, but they 

 may die scattered in front of the hives or even' clustered in small 

 numbers, resembling certain cases of acarine disease. The climatic 

 conditions probably greatly influence the behaviour of bees outside 

 the hive. 



When a small percentage of bees is affected, some or all the 

 diseased are hustled away from the hive by their seemingly healthy 

 sisters. These diseased bees are lively with the abdomen not 

 abnormally distended. They try again and again to enter the hive, 

 but each time their healthy sisters forbid their entry, usually 

 without attempting to sting them and often licking them as if to 

 remove a substance from their bodies. The diseased bees lose their 

 hairs in the struggles and they appear polished, darker and smaller 

 than their sisters. In the end they may become almost hairless. 

 They are often mistaken for robbers. Apparently they die from 

 starvation and exposure outside the hive. 



A small percentage of bees may be affected without the above 

 mentioned behaviour occurring. 



When a large percentage of bees is affected the stockis lethargic, 

 the frames are not, or only slightly marked with faeces. The diseased 

 bee moves its antennae normally ; it flutters its wings considerably, 

 but it cannot fly and it may not be able to right itself if turned on 

 its back. The leg movements for walking are weak and the legs 

 may tremble frequently, finally the bee dies lying more or less on 

 its side with its legs tucked in or spread out in various ways. The 

 mouth-parts are held rather extruded soliciting drink and the bee 



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