

CIRCULAR No. 392 f/^? jluL05wk" 



REVI^Et> JANUARY 1949 



UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 



WASHINGTON, D. C. 



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Diagnosing Bee Diseases in the Apiary 



By C. E. Burnside, apiculturist, A. P. Sturtevant, apiculturist, and E. C. Hoist, 

 bacteriologist, Division of Bee Culture, Bureau of Entomology and Plant 

 Quarantine. 



CONTENTS 



Page 



Foreword 1 



Importance of bee diseases and 



their recognition 2 



Brood diseases 2 



What to observe when looking 



for brood diseases 2 



American foulbrood 3 



European foulbrood 10 



Parafoulbrood 15 



Sacbrood 17 



Infection with two or more 



brood diseases 20 



Fungus diseases of brood 20 



Diseases of adult bees 21 



What to observe when looking 



for disease? of adult bees 21 



Nosema disease 21 



Page 

 Diseases of adult bees — Cont'd. 



Acarine disease 25 



Septicemia 26 



Amoeba disease 27 



Fungus diseases of adult 



bees 28 



"Paralysis" 29 



Sending samples for laboratory 



examination 30 



How to prepare samples of 



brood 30 



How to send samples of adult 



bees 30 



How to send samples of 



treated comb 31 



How to address samples 31 



FOREWORD 



Bees, like other living creatures, are subject to diseases, and their 

 manner of living in crowded hives makes it almost inevitable that 

 any contagious disorder will spread within the hive or to other 

 colonies unless it is detected and the appropriate treatment given. 



Other publications of the Department furnish information on the 

 methods of treatment. This circular tells where to look and what to 

 notice in the examination of colonies for disease. 



More than one disease may be present in a colony. Therefore the 

 beekeeper should not discontinue the search on finding the symptoms 

 of one disease. Especially is it important that American foulbrood 

 be detected if it is present in the apiary. 



If the nature of the disease is not apparent, samples of brood comb 

 or the adult bees should be sent to the State apiary inspector or the 

 Division of Bee Culture of the Bureau of Entomology and Plant 

 Quarantine as directed on pages 30 and 31. 



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