284 TENNESSEE AGRICULTURE 



"European foul brood is more destructive during the spring and 

 early summer than at other times, often entirely disappearing during 

 late summer and autumn, or during a heavy honey flow. Italian bees 

 seem to be better able to resist the ravages of this disease than any 

 other race. The disease at times spreads with startling rapidity and is 

 most destructive. Where it is prevalent a considerably larger percent- 

 age of colonies is affected than is usual for American foul brood. This 

 disease is very variable in its symptoms and other manifestations and 

 is often a puzzle to the beekeeper." 



TREATMENT. 



This disease is now thought to be transmitted through the queen 

 and brood. Pure-bred heather-colored Italian bees are almost immune 

 to European foul brood. Therefore the best plan yet found is to first 

 make the disease colony queenless, then after twenty-one days give 

 the colony a young, laying Italian queen or a ripe queen cell of Italian 

 stock. The bees, anxious to have clean combs for brood, will take 

 out the dead brood, clean up the cell, and soon there will be full 

 combs of healthy brood. 



SACBROOD. 



A disease slightly resembling foul brood is called by some "Starved 

 Brood," and by others "Pickle Brood." It has recently been described 

 and named "Sacbrood" by Dr. White of U. S. Department of Agri- 

 culture. The most positive difference in the diagnosis of this disease 

 is the absence of ropiness and of the pot-glue smell which is always 

 found in American foul brood. 



In sacbrood the larva decays from the inside, leaving the skin tough 

 and in its natural shape; in European foul brood or American foul 

 brood the skin of the larva softens as the contents become glutinous 

 and all the natural wrinkles become smooth as the mass settles to 

 the lower side of the cell. In sacbrood the larva often dries up so. 

 as to become loose in the cell and fall out when the comb is inverted. 

 In American foul brood it always cements fast to the lower cell wall 

 so it cannot be removed without tearing the cell. European foul brood 

 attacks the larva generally at an earlier stage in its existence than 

 sacbrood. 



"Sacbrood is an infectious disease of the brood of bees caused by an 

 infectious agent so small or of such a nature that it will pass through 

 the pores of a Berkefeld filter." 



TREATMENT. 



Requeening with a vigorous young Italian queen will effect a cure. 



