Graham guardian., 1908-02-28
FOUL BROOD IN THE HIVE
One Of the Most Serious Of All
Bee Diseases How its Presence
May be Known

Foul DrOO0 Is teriu luaI 10 up
piled to a disease that attacks the
larvae of the honey bee and is at
tended with fatal results either
before OF soon after the cells con-
tanning them are capped Unless
remedial action is taken it generlly
results in the course OF a year OF
two in the destruction of the colony
attacked, not so much ON account
of the numbers of the larvae de-
stroyed as on account of the fact
that from the consistency of the
dead larvae the bees cannot re-
move them, and so are precluded
from rearing young again In such
cells.
Foul brood, although of rare oc.
currence, is one of the most malig,
nant diseases that prey upon do
mesticated animals. This disease,
known scientifically as "bacillus
alvei," is a fungus which attacks
the larvae of the honey bee
and causes them to die and decay
in the cell, with the most putrid
and disgusting smell. 1t is con-
tagious, and for this reason the ex-
istence of apiaries in the neighbor
hood of diseased colonies is threat
ened during the entire season, for
it suffices for bee to visit the in
side of a hive which has been de-
stroyed by this disease to bring it
home to its own colony. The lar
vac dying before maturity, there
is no reproduction of adult insects,
and the colony is doomed. The
comb the honey, the queen, the
bees, and even the very walls OF
the hive are contaminated by the
disease and made channels of in
fection.
The healthy larvae are OF a
glistening white color. When at
Tackled by the disease they lose
this lively appearance and turn
brown like coffee prepared with
milk. Now it is ropy, like mucus,
as readily appears by inserting the
end of silver in it and withdraw
ing 1t. This is the surest test OF
disease, and for the greater part OF
the year the easiest to be applied.
This ropy mass after while dries
down and becomes thin, dark
brown scale, lying on the lower
side of the cell and reaching near
ly, but not quite, TO the open end
of it. By holding the comb at the
right angle in the light these scales
are readily seen, thus revealing
the disease in the winter, when
there are generally no dead larvae
remaining in viscid state. Fur
tber, the cappings of comb much
diseased are generally to degree
supken, perforated and discolored.
The odor of brood nest much dis
eased is always bad, although not
always very strong, and will not
be confounded by any one having
good sense of smell with any
thing else in the apiary, unless it
might be u bad case of dysentery.
Sometimes, too, honey ls stored
in cells with the dried matter,
which, being thus moistened, re-
leases the bacilli so that they
mingle with the honey. Of course,
when such honey enters into the
food of the larvae they are pretty
sure to contract the disease, and
when such honey is carried away
by robber bees the disease is spread
to new colonies. In endeavGring
to control this plague, robbing IN
all its forms is the great thing to.
be guarded against.
Just how long it would be be-
fore any diseased colony would be-
come very bad with foul brood
would depend entirely upon how
much or how little of the honey
is diseased. The honey to become
diseased must be stored first in
cells where foul brood matter had
dried down, and when any honey
is removed from such diseased cells
to cells partly filed with sound
honey 1T will disease it also. Foul
brood is spread through II colony
Just in proportion to the amonnt
of diseased honey that is fed to
the larvae. Three days of comb
building, with no brood TO feed
aud no comb for the storage OF
honey except what is made within
that time, frees the colony sub.
ieoted TO these conditions from all
germs of the disease, The comb
may be built either entire or from
foundation. The problem then
simply is to put the bees under
those conditions without permit
ting any robbing, or what am cunts
to the same thing, the mingling Of
any bees of the diseased colony
with the other colonies. Practl'
cally, too, the prevention of rob
b,ng means the destruction of the
identity of the combs and honey OF
the diseased colony by burning or
boiling. As comb building is nee,
essary for the cure, the best time
for etfecting i. is during a honey