20 



numbers. In cases of advanced dysentery faeces are voided within the 

 hive and the disorder becomes evident by the resultant spotting. 



Material reduction in the adult population is a serious handicap 

 during the spring building-up period. Dysentery can be prevented to ;i 

 great extent by proper precautionary measures. Bees wintered on good 

 honey or sugar syrup are rarely affected. Poor food, such as honey-dew 

 or honey of high water content, nearly always produces the disorder. 

 Proper winter protection and freedom from disturbances during winter 

 are also factors in the control of dysentery. 



(d) Paralysis 



Very little is known about bee paralysis. It is possible that there are 

 several conditions which result in the so-called paralysis. At any rate 

 beekeepers frequently report that they have observed worker bees crawl- 

 ing in front of the hive with their abdomens trembling. They keep 

 crawling up the side of the hive and up blades of grass and tumbling to 

 the ground. Occasionally individual colonies become rapidly depleted in 

 bees. There is a possibility that the disease may be caused by certaiji 

 foods. 



(e) Spring Dwindling 



Spring dwindling is the term used to describe the condition when 

 adult bees in a colony die off more rapidly than they are replaced by 

 emerging brood. The condition is brought about by poor wintering and 

 by the colony going into winter with too large a percentage of old, worn- 

 out bees. To prevent this colonies should be supplied with vigorous 

 queens that will continue brood rearing as late as possible in the fall. 



SENDING SAMPLES FOR DIAGNOSIS 



Brood is frequently found dead in a colony from causes other than 

 infectious disease. We find chilled brood, starved brood and overheated 

 orood. Generally the appearances are characteristic but at times the 

 symptoms may be quite similar to one of the brood diseases. If in doubt 

 a sample of comb, or more preferably a smear consisting of the diseased 

 iarya or pupa, folded in a piece of waxed paper, should be sent to the 

 Apiculture Department, Ontario Agricultural College, for examination. 

 Also If a beekeeper notices adult bees showing symptoms of disease he 

 should send a good number to the Department for examination. Bees that 

 have been dead for for some time are not satisfactory for examination. 



not bfcrushe™ ^""^ ""^ ^°"^^ "^"""^^ ^^ ^""^^^"^ ^"'^ *^^ ^^"'^ «^°"^^ 



PESTS OF THE APIARY 

 (a) The Greater or Common Wax Moth 

 This is a pest of weak colonies and of stored combs It is most 

 Th7S marhT,?r '"• ^^l\'"'^ "^^^^^ ^y almost entirely at nfght 



cracks within thpw" T^f' ''1^^^^ '"P^^« «r i*^ corners Snd 



cracKs withm the hive. The tmy larvae emerge within a few davs and 



combs fh/vT^^^'^T 'T ^''^'"'^ through^out th^ hive In brood 

 combs they burrow along the midrib, out of reach of the bees, sphming a 



