DISEASES OF BEES 
281 
foul brood, that the hives near the one 
infected, with the entrances in the same 
direction, would soon have the parasite. It 
would also be inferred that the pests would 
be carried thru the agency of robbing. It 
might also be transmitted thru hives and 
appliances. 
Nothing in the report by Rennie, White, 
and Harvey gives a treatment or cure for 
the Isle of Wight disease; but it has been 
suggested in the British Bee Journal that 
traps might be used to catch the incoming 
bees of colonies badly infected, and then 
giving young vigorous queens so that the 
new young blood would take the place of 
the old. If all the bees carrying the para¬ 
site could be trapped out there would be 
a possible chance that their successors 
might be freed from the parasite. 
In the Bee World (British) reports give 
hope that the destruction of all bees in 
colonies affected with Isle of Wight dis¬ 
ease, and putting the brood and the queen 
in an incubator until most of the brood 
emerges, may effect a cure. As only the 
adults are affected, especially the flying 
bees, this looks reasonable and in entire 
harmony with the facts regarding the cause 
now believed to be proved. It is to be hoped 
that this cure will be absolute. If so, it 
will be no more difficult to apply than the 
cure for American foul brood, based on 
the same principle of the removal of the 
infected material. 
THE DISAPPEARING DISEASE. 
This is a malady v,ery similar to the Isle 
of Wight disease. It has been found in 
numerous apiaries of the United States. 
At one time it was believed that this might 
be Isle of Wight disease; but at the pres¬ 
ent time the evidence would seem to indi¬ 
cate that it is something else. There are 
two distinguishing symptoms that would 
seem to put the disappearing disease in a 
class by itself. As already pointed out, it 
disappears in from ten days to two weeks. 
This is something that seldom if ever oc¬ 
curs in the Isle of Wight disease, the 
ravages of which continue on indefinitely 
mitil the colony succumbs. Another marked 
symptom from that found in the Isle of 
Wight disease is the fact that sick bees 
with disjointed wings in front of the en¬ 
trance run like crickets, or as if in great 
distress. They keep up this mad rush until 
exhausted. From this time on the symp¬ 
toms are similar to those observed in the 
Isle of Wight disease. 
In 1915 (which was unusually wet) there 
was a scourge in this country, particularly 
around Portland, Ore. Many of the symp¬ 
toms were the same as those described for 
the Isle of Wight disease and bee paraly¬ 
sis. In the disease reported from the 
Northwest, it was stated that the brood 
itself was sometimes involved. But if there 
was a large loss of bees it is apparent that 
the brood would be neglected, and there¬ 
fore die of starvation. 
A condition similar in many respects 
was noticed down in the Mississippi Val¬ 
ley, in parts of Texas, California, and in 
some of the West Indies in 1915, and in 
the ’90’s in Florida; but as soon as settled 
warm, dry weather came on it disap¬ 
peared. 
Again in 1917 there was an outbreak in 
the United States. The author examined a 
number of apiaries where these attacks 
occurred. In a few cases whole colonies 
were depleted of bees. In other cases the 
owners of the apiaries reported that if the 
decimation continued there would not be a 
bee left in any hive; but fortunately the 
disease, whatever it was, after reaching a 
certain height would suddenly disappear, 
and lienee it is called the “disappearing 
disease.” The name seems to be appro¬ 
priate because the bees disappear as the 
disease itself disappears or the colonies 
dwindle down. During the last few years 
this disease has in many places materially 
cut down the honey crop and in some cases 
has wiped out entire apiaries. In 1919, 
Herman Ahlers of Oregon reported a loss 
of 400 colonies from this cause. This, in¬ 
stead of being the disappearing disease, 
might have been the real Isle of Wight dis¬ 
ease. The former, apparently, does not kill 
colonies outright. 
While the author was in California in 
1919 an outbreak of the disappearing dis¬ 
ease was observed in certain parts of Ven¬ 
tura County during the spring of that 
year. He was asked to investigate and 
give his opinion. An investigation showed 
a typical case of the disappearing disease. 
In ten days’ time all active symptoms of 
the malady had disappeared, and the colo- 
