examination in the above manner should always be given before inter- 

 changing frames of brood or honey with another colony. 



Prevention of robbing from dead and weak colonies in the early 

 spring is one of the most important duties of a beekeeper in the control of 

 disease. All dead colonies should be examined on the first visit to the 

 yard, and diseased colonies destroyed. If this is not possible, dead colonies 

 should be made absolutely bee-tight, or, more preferably, removed from 

 the yard. It is believed that much disease is spread by robbing from dead 

 colonies in the spring. 



It is impossible to control disease if colonies are kept in box hives 

 Infection cannot be detected unless combs are removable. Box hives are 

 therefore a menace to the industry. The Foulbrood Act demands that all 

 bees in such hives be transferred to movable frame hives. 



NORMAL DEVELOPMENT OF HEALTHY BROOD 



There are two types of insect development. In the case of the grass- 

 hopper for example, the egg hatches into a young insect or nymph very 

 similar in appearance to the adult. This is called incomplete metamor- 

 phosis. The second type of development, under which the honey-bee is 

 classed, is called complete metamorphosis. The honey-bee egg develops 

 into a small white grub or larva. This later spins a fine cocoon and goes 

 into the pupal or transition stage from which it emerges a fully developed 

 bee. 



In order to detect unnatural conditions of the brood the beekeeper 

 must know the life history and the appearance of healthy brood at every 

 stage of its development. A study of the life history chart in conjunction 

 with Figure 1 will give the story of this development. 



Average Life Cycle of the Honey Bee 



I^^Se Queen Worker Drone 



^gg 3 days 3 days 3 days 



^arva 5% days 6 days 6V2 days 



Pupa 7y, ^ays 12 days 14% days 



Total 16 days 21 days 24 days 



The egg of the bee is a small, white cylindrical object about 1110 of 

 an inch long, somewhat larger at one end (future head end) and slightly 

 f."«WH 'f deposited on the base of the cell by the queen and is 

 fastened m place by a secretion. 



The larva at first very small, grows rapidly, and in a few davs 

 occupies the whole of the base of the cell. The healthy larva beforl bdng 

 sealed lies curled up m the base of the cell and is a glistening pearfy whTt- 

 colour with the segmentation of the body clearly shown T^e or four 

 tL'^u^ll *^" ^^'^^ ^^*"^"y transforms to the puSrstage the cell is 

 ^^.X^^' ""''' ^'''- ^^' ^"^^^ l^r^^ straightens out fn the cell and 

 "a'^and "^' cocoon preparatory to transformation to a pupa Figures 



th^lS^al^andtu^p^^LlfsTf^eS^^^^ --- ''^" ^^^"^" 



