BEE DISEASES IN MASSACHUSETTS. 29 
THE SPREAD OF BEE DISEASES. 
Both types of foul brood are highly infectious; the way in which 
they are spread might be compared to the spread of typhoid fever in 
human communities. Honey is the common carrier of this infection, 
just as milk and water are the agents which frequently spread typhoid 
fever. 
In diseased colonies of bees, practically every part of the hive 
becomes contaminated with the germs of the disease. Consequently, 
when disease is found in the bee yard, every precaution must be 
taken that bees from healthy colonies do not come in contact with 
any part of the diseased colonies or hives. Honey, being so irre- 
sistible to the bees, is of course the main thing to be guarded. Since 
diseased colonies soon become weakened, from the lack of young bees 
to replace those dying from old age, they are less likely to maintain 
guard against robbers, which are a great source of danger in the 
spread of infection. Immediately on discovery, diseased colonies 
should be treated. 
FEEDING HONEY. 
In these days of widespread bee disease it is dangerous to feed 
any honey to bees; it is far preferable and less dangerous to supply 
them, if they need stores, with a sirup of sugar and water, half and 
half. It is safe to feed honey to bees only when it has been vigorously 
boiled for at least a half hour, and, as Doctor Phillips has recently 
stated, in order to avoid risk, " it is better to make this an hour " 
(p. 12). In boiling, the honey should always be diluted with equal 
parts of water in order to prevent scorching. 
DISINFECTION OF TOOLS AND HANDS. 
All tools used in manipulating diseased bees, as well as the oper- 
ator's hands, should be thoroughly disinfected before opening a 
healthy colony. 
DEPLETED HIVES FROM GREENHOUSES A SOURCE OF DANGER. 
In Massachusetts particularly there is another source of infection 
which is difficult of control. Each year several hundred colonies 
of bees are placed in greenhouses by those who grow cucumbers under 
glass. In the adverse conditions of the cucumber house the hive 
soon becomes depleted and is promptly thrown on the rubbish pile. 
If the hive originally came from a foul-brood region — which is not 
The production and care of extracted honey. By E. F. Phillips, Ph. D. 
Bui. 7.", Pt. I, Pur. Ent., U. S. Dept. Agric, 1907. Price 5c, from Superin- 
tendent of Documents, Washington, I). C. 
