American Foulbrood

Of the diseases attacking the brood of bees, American foulbrood (bacillus larvae) is the most prevalent and serious. The disease is transmitted through bacteria carried in with the food of the hive (honey). Fed to the very young larvae, it develops in them. It usually can be detected in the grown larvae in the sealed cells. Isolated sealed cells or most generally perforated cells with sunken cappings are a good indication to look for trouble. The larva will be found sunken in the bottom of the cell with perhaps a tongue attachment to the top of the cell. The mass will be a brown or coffee colored sticky gummy substance which will string out when drawn out by a toothpick. As the disease progresses, it gradually kills all brood and the colony is doomed.

The disease is rapidly transmitted from one colony to another by robbing. Colonies affected should have all combs destroyed, the hive and interior scorched before new equipment is installed. Usually the beekeeper does a good job and kills the bees as well.

American foulbrood, though a menace in some sections, is not as much feared as previously. Beekeepers themselves have become more alert to the disease; state bee inspectors in most states are doing a good job in controlling and eradicating.

Sodium sulfathiazole given in the feed prevents the organism from growing even though it may not destroy it, thus giving the bees more opportunity to "clean house. " Disease resistant bees are also being bred which, while not immune to the disease, are highly resistant.

European Foulbrood

European foulbrood (bacillus pluton) is more prevalent in mongrel or black bees than in the Italian and is found most generally in northern areas. This organism also attacks the larvae which lose their plumpness, become flat and white, gradually changing to a creamy color, then brown, then putrefying. Good strong colonies with vigorous young queens of good stock are the best deterrents. Strengthening of the colonies by uniting or giving brood from stronger colonies helps, as does feeding. The usual procedure is to kill the queen of the colony, leave the colony queenless for a short period, then introduce a new queen. The honeyflow is a decided help. Unfortunately, by that time the colony may be weak and unable to take best advantage of it.

In recent years a number of drugs have been found effective as preventives against this disease. The best of these is Terramycin. Properly used, as a dust-mixture with powdered sugar, it will almost assure against the appearance of European foulbrood.

Adult Bee Diseases

Nosema disease is the only adult bee disease of consequence in America. The symptoms are restlessness of the bees, weakened, crawling bees around the entrance; shiny with abdomen distended. It most generally occurs during the damp weather of spring, and usually disappears as spring advances. But it may still weaken the colony materially.

It is generally assumed that the disease is more apt to spread where bees have access to contaminated sources of drinking water. The bees should be located in as dry and airy a location as possible, and supplying of a trough of water near the apiary, with a little salt in it will not only counteract the disease, but also may prevent neighbor trouble by keeping your bees away from neighbors' bird baths and watering troughs.

It has recently been discovered that fumagillin was effective in the control of this adult bee disease. Sold under the trade name of Fumidil B, the drug is fed to infected colonies in sugar sirup. Some success has been claimed when the drug is fed as a preventive to clean colonies, however experiments are not yet conclusive on this point.

Importations of bees into this country have been prohibited for some years to prevent the possibility of the entry of Acarine disease from the British Isles and the Continent.