Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-14
DAUPH|N BEES IN
VERY GOOD SHAPE
Result of State Inspection Crafty
ing to the State Officials in
Charge of 1t

State inspection of apiaries in Dau-
phin and Lebanon counties has not
developed any diseased hives and but
one infected in Cumberland. The
work has been under way all summer
and ii is believed excellent results will
be obtained. DR.. H. A. Surface. the
State zoologist, who organized the
service in the face of considerable dis
oouragements, has had the aid of a
number of men who volunteered their
services.
Two years ago last winter $500 per
year was made available for the apiary
inspection service and the Secretary of
Agriculture placed the bee inspection
work in the hands of Zoologist Sur
face. The latter instructed men in the
methods of inspecting bees and curing
bee diseases and had inspections made
In various parts of the State by George
II. Rea, Reynoldsville, jefferson coun-
ty; John o. Buseman, of German
town, and Franklin C. Fox, Pipers-
VILE Bucks county, The necessity for
this inspection was shown in the fact
that 1t was we'll known that two dis
eases, known as the American foul
brood and European foul brood, were
playing havoc with bees in certain
parts of Pennsylvania. The disease
germs are carried in the honey and
kill the brood or young bees making
1t die and decay and become very
of foul brood for these diseases.
The Counties Affected
One or both of these diseases had
already been found TO a greater or less
extent in each of the counties of Bed
ford. Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks,
Rutler, Cambria, Center, Chester; Clin-
ton, Clearfield, Clarion, Columbia.
Crawford, Delaware, Elk, Erie, Hunt
ingdon. Indiana, Jefferson, Lacka-
wanna, Lancaster, Lawrence, Luzerne,
1ycoming. Mexican, Mercer, Monroe.
Montgomery, Montour, Northumber-
land Philadelphia, Potter, Schuylkill,
Susquehanna, Union, Nenango, Wash
tngton. Wayne, Westmoreland and
wyoming counties. Subsequent in
spections have shown the diseases in
other counties. such as. Cumberland,
Juniata and Miffiin.
During the last year. with only $500
6vailab Bile, the inspectors inspected a
total of 10,750 colonies. OF these they
found SIS infected, AZ We're so badly
diseased that they were destroyed.
Wax worms, ants, bee paralysis and
picked brood were found to be among
other enemies of the bee. European
foul brood was found in 2s0 colonies
and American foul brood was found
in 6I2. In 416 hives the bees were
found recently Killed by these dis
eases and in thousands OF others they
had died of some kind of an attack
Three hundred and eiGhty-six colonies
were treated by the inspectors and of
these 236 were definitely reported as
cured. while of the others there was no
subsequent report of the results of
treatment excepting one, from which II
was reported that the disease had re-
appeared.
The Local Work
During the present summer Mr.. Rea
has been inspecting thoroughly in the
counties of Dauphin, Lebanon, Cum
berland and Perry, and while he has
inspected thousands of hives of bees
he has not found any bee diseases in
Dauphin and Lebanon, and has found
but one case of foul brood in Cumber-
land county. This was in Carlisle
Treatment was given at once and it
was believed it was eradicated. In the
western part of Perry county, however,
and in Juniata the diseases were To-
Gated in virulent outbreak. and it is
believed that this was a portion of the
Huntingdon and Blair county field that
was found so destructive last year
Although II is known that the disease
is gradually spreading. it is believed
10 be possible to keep il in check by
teaching beekeepers how to detect its
presence and what to do for IT,
When it is remembered that the
number of apiaries in Pennsylvania
reaches at least $4,000, with an aver
age of at least three hives to each
apiaryi il can be seen that there are
not less than $50. 900 hives of bees in
this State, which. with their other
fixtures, are worth over a million dol
lars. and the value of honey directly
annually produced has been recently
estimated at a million dollars. beside
the value of bees in fruit production
so that the inspection work for detect
Ing and eradicating the diseases of
the little busy bee Is of considerable
Importance and value to Pennsylvania
farmers and to fruit growers
Beekeepers Help
The Pennsylvania State Beekeepers'
Association. of which DIR. Surface was
the first president, and reelected an.
nually, with one exception. during the
past fourteen years. is the largest State
heekeepers association in the United
States and is affiliated with a branch
OF the National Beekeepers Associa-
tton. It is active in helping to secure
legislation and enforcement of the
laws and in promoting the work of the
bee inspectors and in doing everything
possible to place beekeeping upon
better footing in this Commonwealth.
Details of the reports of the inspectors
will be published in the annual report
OF the Economic Zoologist of the De-
partment of Agriculture. which are
made regularly to the Secretary Of
Agriculture and published in the re-
port of the department