Foul Brood 13?' 



bee-keepers have formed exaggerated ideas regarding the appearance of 

 foul brood, especially of its appearance in its ftrsl stages. They are look- 

 ing for combs black with slime and rottenness, a stench strong enough to 

 knock a man clown, and colonies dwindled away to mere handfuls. The 

 possession of these exaggerated ideas b\- bee-keepers has allowed fqul 

 brood to gain a strong foothold in many an apiary long before the unfor- 

 tunate owner ever dreamed of its presence. At first, only a few diseased 

 cells will be found. Of course, it is not advisable that a bee-keeper be con- 

 tinually opening brood-nests, and critically examining combs for foul 

 brood, but there are certain danger-signals that it is well to bear in 

 mind. If a colony shows signs of listlessness ; or many dead bees are 

 found in front of the hive ; of if a peculiar, unpleasant odor is noticed, 

 it would be wise to make an examination. JVhciicvcr handling combs of 

 brood it is well to glance tiiidcrsfaiidiiigly at the brood. Notice if the 

 "pearly field" of unsealed larvae is unbroken. If there are desolate 

 patches, and the sealed brood is scattering and in patches instead of in 

 solid sheets, examine more critically. If some of the larvae are discolored, 

 shapeless, ropy, ill-smelling, some of the cappings sunken, perhans per- 

 forated, foul brood is present. The one sure symptom of foul brood is 

 the ropiness of the larvae. If a splinter be thrust into a dead larva, and 

 withdrawn, the matter will adhere to the splinter, and "string out," per- 

 haps an inch or more, then break, and the two ends fly back to the points 

 of attachment. Without this viscidity there is no foul brood — with it 

 there is always foul brood. 



Right here it might be well to say that all dead brood found in the 

 combs is not foul brood. There is chilled brood, starved or neglected 

 brood, "pickled"' brood that comes and goes, from what cause no one 

 yet knows ; but in all of these the ropiness is lacking. In the majorit}- of 

 cases the outer skin of the larva does not seem to decay, and enables the 

 operator to draw the whole larva from the cell. Then there is black 

 brood, that has caused so much havoc in New York. In this the dead 

 larva is more of a gelatinous nature than anthing else. It may some- 

 times string out a quarter of an inch, but never more than that, while 

 foul brood will string out at least an inch, and sometimes much further. 

 Black brood, also called European foul brood, turns slightly yellow, then 

 a dark brown, and finally becomes black, hence the name. It does not 

 emit that gluey or "old" smell that comes from foul brood. There is 

 ■scarcely any odor, and what little there is might be called a sour or fer- 

 menting smell, like that from decaying fruit. Black brood is verv similar 

 to foul brood. It spreads in the same manner, and treatment is the same 

 as that for foul brood. I shall have more to say about this disease later on. 



To come back to old foul brood once more. The symptoms enumer- 

 ated above will be seen only during the breeding season. In a strong 



