Fig. 2. Dead lana 



melting- away 

 system. 



from trachael 



for some t'me in 

 the colony, or if the 

 combs are exam- 

 ined after the col- 

 ony is dead, it will 

 not be possible to 

 get the character- 

 istic ropiness of the 

 larvae. If the lar- 

 vae continue to 

 dry, they eventual- 

 ly form a scale 

 along the lower 

 side of the cell and 

 cover most of the 

 bottom of the cell. 

 This scale is black 

 in color and ad- 

 heres tightly to the 

 cell wall; in fact, it 

 is necessary to tear 

 down the cell in 

 order to get the 

 scale out of it. 

 These scales can 

 be seen readily by 

 standing so that the light comes over the shoulder and by tipping 

 the comb with the bottom bar away from the observer so as to throw 

 the l.ght on the lower side of the cells. The black scales ban se seen 

 readily if the light strikes them at the proper angle. 



Seasonal History: American foulbrood works slowly in causing the 

 extinction of the colony. A colony may become infected during the 

 early spring, but the disease may increase slowly thruout the summer 

 and the colony in the fall may still be apparently strong enough to go 

 thru the winter. Beekeepers often remark that such a colony ap- 

 peared a little below average in strength, but apparently had plenty 

 of stores so that it seemed it should survive the winter. Under these 

 conditions the colony invariably fails to withstand the cold weather 

 and dies during the winter. The stores in such a hive are unprotected 

 during early spring and are subject to the ravages of robbers, which 

 carry the honey to their hives. This robbing occurs very early in the 

 spring and is usually unnoticed by the beekeeper. 



It is evident, then, that a colony which dies from disease may serve 

 as a feeding ground for robber bees from several other colonies, which 

 may then become infected from this contaminated honey, brought from 

 the dead hive. These newly infected colonies may show the disease 

 very soon or not until late in the season, or even perhaps not until 

 the next season, or two seasons later. 



The appearance of the disease in a colony depends upon the time 

 when the diseased honey is used for rearing brood. Small amounts of 

 the diseased honey may be stored in the bottom of the cells and 

 later covered up with nectar or sugar syrup, and the cells may not be 

 emptied for a season or two. Usually disease shows up the first sea- 

 son if robbing has occurred, for the contaminated honey is stored 

 where it will soon be used in rearing brood. Since colonies are robbed 

 cut early in the season, early examination should be made to deter- 



