Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1907-09-18
Portion of Comb Colony American Foul Brood

will often stretch out for several
inches before breaking. When the lar
va dies, 1t forms a tightly adhering
scale OF very dark brown color, which
can best be observed when the comb
is held so that bright light strikes
the lower side wall. Decaying larvae
which have died of this disease have
a very characteristic odor, which re-
sembles poor quality of glue. This
disease seldom attacks drone or queen
larvae. 1t appears to be much more
virulent in the western part of the
United States than in the east.
Adult bees in infected colonies are
not very active, but do succeed in
cleaning out some of the dried scales.
This disease attacks larvae earlier
than does American foul brood, and a
comparatively small percentage of the
diseased brood is ever capped. The
diseased larvae which are capped over
have sunken and perforated cappings
The larvae when first attacked show
small yellow spot on the body near
the head and move uneasily in the
cell. When death occurs, they turn
yellow, then brown, and finally almost
black. Decaying larvae which have
died Of this disease do not usually
stretch out in long thread when a
small stick is inserted and slowly re-
moved Occasionally there is very
slight "ropiness," but this is never
very marked. The thoroughly dried
larvae form irregular scales which are
not strongly adherent to the lower
side wall of the CELL There is very
little cdor from decaying larvae which
have died from this disease, and when
an odor is noticeable it is not the
glue pot" odor of the American foul
brood, but more nearly resembles that
OF soured dead brood. This disease
attacks drone and queen larvae very
soon after the colony is infected. It
is as rule much more infectious than
American foul brood and spreads rap
idly. On the otheE hand, it sometimes
happens that the disease will disap
pear OF its own accord, a thing which
the author never knew to occur in a
genuine case of American foul brood.
European foul brood is most destruc-
tive during the spring and early sum-
mer, often almost disappearing in
late summer and autumn
The nature of foul brood as a germ
disease.-n comb be removed from
near the center Of a healthy hive dur
ing the summer months its cells will
normally be filled with eggs. larvae.
and pupae in every stage of develop
ment The eggs as left by the ovipos-
itor OF the queen or mother adhere
commonly by the end to the base of
the cells they occupy, and favored by
the high temperature constantly main
tanned within the hive, the germinal
vesicle at about three days natures
into a larva ready for Matching. These
eggs have shown as liable to the di-
sease even before they leave the body
of the mother, but most careful micro
scopic examination is needful to make
this apparent (and OF which shall
speak presently more particularly.
On the contrary. the larvae, which are
constantly fed by the workers, SO
change in appearance soon after infec-
don that a practiced eye at once de-
tects the presence of the disease
Whilst healthy. their bodies are of q
beautiful pearly Whiteress, lying. at
first floating. In the abundant pabulum
the nurses are ever ready to supply.
As they grow they curl themselves at /
he bottom Of the cells until they be-