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 (Z>) 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 apiarian 
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. 
