58 MISCELLANEOUS PAPERS ON APICULTURE. 



1. The nature of the diseases. — There are now recognized two diseases, viru- 

 lent and contagious in their character, which attack the brood of the bee. 

 These are known as American foul brood and European foul brood. It is defi- 

 nitely known that American foul brood is caused by a bacterium, Bacillus 

 larvw, and from the symptoms and behavior of European foul brood it is almost 

 certain that the latter disease is likewise caused by a micro-organism. There 

 are other diseases recognized by bee keepers, but it is not known that they are 

 infectious. 



2. Methods of spread. — It is known that both diseases mentioned (European 

 foul brood and American foul brood) are transmitted in the following man- 

 ners : 



(a) By bees from healthy colonies robbing the hives of diseased colonies. 

 (o) By the bee keeper feeding honey from diseased colonies, as in the case 

 of feeding for winter stores in the colder parts of the mainland. 



(c) By the accidental feeding of honey from diseased colonies, which has 

 been extracted and sold in bottles or other containers. (This applies to partly 

 empty honey bottles or cans which may be thrown out carelessly where bees can 

 gain access to them.) 



(d) By the introduction of queens taken from apiaries in which disease is 

 present and which are shipped in cages stocked with candy made from infected 

 honey. 



It will be obvious from the local conditions that (o) does not apply to the 

 Hawaiian Islands. It is doubtless true also that (a) does not apply. I can not 

 say positively that neither disease is present in the Territory, but it is almost 

 certain that they are not. 



Means of preventing the introduction of disease to the Hawaiian Islands. — As 

 an immediate action, it is desirable that all queens which are shipped to the 

 Territory be removed from the cages in which they arrive and be introduced to 

 colonies from a clean cage containing candy made from honey free from disease 

 organisms. This precaution, which is a very simple operation, will be a very 

 good assurance that disease will not be brought to your islands with imported 

 queens. 



It is desirable that as soon as possible a quarantine apiary be established, to 

 which all imported queens shall be introduced. After two months' time, if the 

 colonies to which the queens are introduced are free from disease, the queens 

 may be sent to the owner with perfect safety. 



It is above all desirable that no honey of any kind shall be shipped to your 

 islands unless it comes from healthy colonies and is accompanied by a certifi- 

 cate of a qualified inspector of apiaries that such is the case. This precaution 

 is of much more importance than those against infection through importation of 

 queens. The bee keeper who imports queens would probably soon recognize 

 disease if it appeared in a colony containing a choice imported queen, but if 

 disease is brought in with honey it might gain a strong foothold before its dis- 

 covery. This provision will not constitute a prohibition of the importation of 

 honey, since on the mainland there are now about 55 qualified apia<rian 

 inspectors. 



On September 2, 1908, the Board of Commissioners of Agriculture 

 and Forestry of the Territory of Hawaii passed regulations pertain- 

 ing to the importation and inspection of honey bees and honey, which 

 placed restrictions on such importations for the purpose of prevent- 

 ing the introduction of contagious diseases. 



