DIAGNOSING BEE DISEASES IX THE APIARY 29 



become black after a few days, while infested bees that are able to 

 fly may not show the discolored spots on the tracheae. The head 

 and front part of the thorax (prothorax) with the first pair of 

 legs should be cut away and discarded. This will bring into view 

 the first pair of breathing tubes, which are the ones most likely 

 to be discolored if acarine disease is present. 



SEPTICEMIA 

 CAUSE 



Septicemia is a slightly infectious disease of adult honeybees. It 

 is caused by growth in the blood of infected bees of a bacterium 

 known as Bacillus apisepticics. This bacterium may be present in 

 colonies, in the soil near infected colonies, or in water that has been 

 in contact with bees killed by septicemia. Bees that become wet 



^•JF 



# 



FiGUiiE lij. — Septicemia. liees dead of septicemia dismembered by slight handling. 



with soil water from about the hives may become infected. This is 

 probably the most common way by which the disease spreads. The 

 bacteria seem to enter the blood of bees by way of the breathing 

 tubes. The presence of large numbers of bacteria in the food seems 

 not to injure bees; but if a drop of water that contains the bacteria 

 is spread over the entrance to the breathing organs (spiracles), dis- 

 ease and death from septicemia usually result. The disease does not 

 spread readily from sick or dead bees to healthy ones unless plenty 

 of moisture is present. The bacteria are soon killed by drying, and 

 the disease rarely occurs under dry conditions. Several other species 

 of bacteria and yeasts cause septicemia when they are placed in the 

 blood of bees by puncturing the body covering, but they seem to be 

 unable to gain entrance to the blood of uninjured bees. 



