no DISEASES OF BEES 



Fortunately, several drugs have been discovered 

 which will overcome this disease, and indeed, 

 where hives are thoroughly cleansed and disin- 

 fected every spring, it seldom makes its appearance. 

 The unfortunate part of it is, that quite a number 

 of people buy one or two hives of bees, and after 

 perhaps getting a severe stinging on one occasion, 

 never go near the hives except when they want 

 honey. Can it be wondered at that once the 

 germs of disease are carried into such a hive, 

 it increases and multiplies and becomes in its 

 turn a source of infection ? 



Until a year or so back, Foul Brood was the 

 worst enemy the bee-keeper had to contend with, 

 but in 1906 a disease broke out in the Isle of Wight 

 and wiped out nearly every apiary there. No 

 cause could be assigned for this trouble, which 

 manifested itself in the bees having greatly 

 distended abdomens and being unable to fly. 

 They came out of the hive in increasing numbers 

 until the whole colony was destroyed. After 

 a year or two's interval, the disease broke out on 

 the mainland, and raged in Hampshire and Surrey 

 to a greater or less degree all through the bad 

 summers of 1908, 1909, and 1910. It then spread 

 to an alarming extent in every direction, although 

 it nowhere appeared to be so bad as it had been 

 in the Southern Counties. No doubt the spread 

 was accounted for by the practice of sending 

 " driven bees " from Hampshire to all parts. 



