The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1912-04-11
AMERICAN FOUL BROOD
bacillus LarVae)


rapidly becoming an important source
of income to many farmers IF the
state. Beekeeping is extremely fas-
cinating to those who work with it,
as it furnishes plenty of outdoor exer-
else as well as intimacy with an insect
whose activity has been a subject of
absorbing study from the earliest
times. 1t has the advantage of being
recreation which pays its own way
and often produces a profit. Bee
keeping has fewer drawbacks than
most any other industry, however, it,
like all others worth following, has
some. and foul brood is perhaps the
worts.
Foul brood is caused by a minute
organism known as bacterium, which
multiplies at an enormous rate. Under
favorable conditions of food, moisture
and temperature, a single bacterium
will give rise to millions of individuals.
When conditions are unfavorable for
multiplication the bacteria produce
spores which act for the bacteria much
as seeds act for higher plants. When
favorable conditions return, the spores
grow and produce the bacteria again.
American Foul Brood Is caused by
a definite bacillus known as Bacillus
larvae. The adult bees of an infected
colony are inactive and do little
towards cleaning out infected material.
The larvae are attacked at about the
time Of Gaping. and most of the cells
containing infected larvae are capped
When the larvae are first affected
they turn to light chocolate color,
and in the advanced stages of decay
they become darker. AS decay pro-
ceeds, these cappings become sunken
and perforated, and as the healthy
brood emerges the comb shows the
scattered cells containing larvae that
have died OF the disease still capped.
II a toothpick is inserted into the
decaying mass and withdrawn, the
larval remains adhere to 1t and are
drawn out into threadlike form,
which sometimes extends for several
inches before breaking. This ropiness
ia the chief characteristic used by the
beekeeper in diagnosing the disease.
When the larvae dries II forms tight
ly adhering brownish scale, which can
best be seen when the comb is held
so that a bright light strikes the
lower side wall. The decaying larvae
have characteristic odor which re-
sembles heated glue.
The common means OF disseminat-
ing foul brood is in honey. Bearing
this in mind, certain precautionary
measures should be followed which
will eliminate the chances Of getting
a colony infected:
1. Prevent robbing.
2. Never feed honey purchased in
open market.
3. In introducing queens, transfer
them to clean cages provided with
candy known TO be free from contains
nation.
4. Purchase queens known to be
free from foul brood.
S. Don't buy secondhand supplies
Sometimes a colony will get infected
even when precautit . are taken, and
then It bcomes necessary to treat
them. In treating a diseased colony
no effort is made to save the dead OF
dying larvae, but the aim is to destroy
the bacteria. Sometimes a colony ii
reduced to such an extent that 1t can
not be saved and must be burned
but usually 1t can be saved. The
shaking method is usually used, which
consists In shaking the bees into &
clean hive with frames containing
foundation starters. The old hive
containing the diseased colony is lifted
to one side and a clean hive set II
its place. The cover is taken off anC
a few frames removed from the middl,
Of the hive. The runway is put il
front of the entrance and the OLE
hive is opened, and the frames movet
one at a time and lowered part wa!
into the new hive and by shaking tn,
bees are dlslodged. The frames arr
then put into the extra hive body ant
Immediately covered to prevent rob
bing. After all frames are shaker
the bees remaining on the sides o
the old hive are shaken of. Afte
the bees are in the new hive, a queel
or drone trap is placed over tn
entrance to prevent the colony from
deserving the hive. The hive whicl
contained the diseased colony shout,
be cleaned OF all wax and honey an
disinfected by burning out the insid
with a gasoline blue flame torch. Tn
inside should be charred to ligh
brown.
Other methods, such as fumigat!o
mended.-T. Il. McElroy, Dept. @
Entomology.