Honey as a Carrier oe Intestinae Diseases 5 
Bacillus alvei, believed for a long time to be the cause of 
European foul brood, is frequently found in dead larvae. Pollen 
stored in foul brood combs and likewise honey in brood combs 
infected with the disease contain relatively few germs. The sur- 
face of the combs, frames, and hives may be contaminated with 
it as well as the wings, head, legs, thorax, abdomen, and intestinal 
contents of adult bees. 
Bacillus pluton, the true cause of European foul brood, accord- 
ing to White^, and Bacillus larvae, the organism responsible for 
American foul brood, appear to be present in the honey of infected 
hives. In evidence of this, we find such statements as the follow- 
“The honey from a diseased colony should be diluted to prevent burning 
and then thoroly sterilized by hard boiling for at least one-half hour, if it 
is to be fed back to the bees”.^ 
“In order to kill the bacteria of either of the brood diseases, it is desir- 
able to dilute the honey by adding an equal amount of water and then raising 
the temperature to the boiling point and keep it there, allowing the mixture 
to boil vigorously for at least 30 minutes; in order that no risk may be run, 
it is better to make this one hour”.® 
“The common means of carrying the virus is in honey which has become 
contaminated”.^ 
Fermented and sour honey furnish additional evidence that 
micro-organisms are capable of living and developing in this med- 
ium. The exact nature of the fermentation appears to be some- 
what uncertain, but it is probably both alcoholic and acid (acetic). 
These changes are observed most frequently in unripe honey, that 
in which the moisture content is more than 25 per cent. Such 
honey usually contains more succrose than the finished product 
and during the ripening process this is converted into invert sugar. 
ShutF states that honey from uncapped or only partially cap- 
ped combs is usually immature, containing a higher percentage of 
moisture and having decidedly poorer keeping qualifies than 
honey from fully capped combs. 
Root®, in commenting on fermented honey, says that “Probably 
not one beekeeper in a hundred can tell by the taste" or appearance whether 
extracted honey when put up in cans and kept in a dry place is proof against 
fermentation* Part of a lot of honey, (granulated hard when first bought) 
tho kept in a warm, dry room, fermented and expanded the cans until they 
burst. This honey was not extremely sour to the taste, and yet there was a 
very perceptible flavor of fermentation, practically ruining the whole lot”. 
Again we read^ : 
“Can you give me a remedy for honey souring in the hive? .... It begins 
with a few small air bubbles in the cells, which increase in size and number 
Italics by the writer. 
