CHAPTER XI
Diseases of Bees
To understand thoroughly the life of the bee as exhibited in the hive is all to the benefit of the bee-keeper; for he will then quickly appreciate when matters are at all wrong with the bee communities in his care. He realises the necessity for keeping his stocks up to their full strength, for his knowledge tells him that they are better in every way for being numerically strong; they then keep warmer, consume less food proportionately than when the hive is weak, and give a far better return in brood and honey.
There are many infectious diseases to which bees are liable, most of which are due to bacilli and yeasts or ferments, and which receive untold assistance from inferior or fermenting food and unclean conditions in the hive.
These, then, are two conditions against which the good bee-keeper is always on guard. He is careful never to give fermenting honey, or an excess of artificial pollen, when natural food is scarce, and especially to bar unsuitable food such as beet, raw or ill-conditioned sugar, and syrup.
He is scrupulous concerning the cleanliness of the hives, and allows no accumulations of wax, dirt, dead bees, or the presence of decaying matter of any kind. Most particular is he, too, to see that the roofs are thoroughly watertight, for he knows that any leakage is bound to engender mildew in the quilts and consequent fermentation in the combs. He believes in prevention rather than cure, for he knows that the conditions of bee life tend to spread disease with lightning rapidity should it once get a hold in the hive. Its hundreds of inhabitants confined in such a small space, each possessing air organs which penetrate every part of its system, afford every advantage to the spread of microbic diseases.
Should bees ever be seen vigorously fanning at the entrances to a hive without apparent cause, it is a sure sign there is something wrong, and examination should be made at once.
Foul Brood.—This is the very worst scourge to which the bees are subject. It is a disease that attacks the brood in the cells, and, as there are no young bees produced to take the place of those that die, the hive is soon decimated. The disease is easily identified, for the whole of the cells attacked are perforated and of a brown colour, and a most offensive odour is produced.
The disease is probably spread by bees from an infected hive taking refuge in others, or by robber bees entering the infected one. There is nothing to do when virulent foul brood is discovered but to burn the whole contents of the hive.
Dysentery.—This is a disease which principally affects the older bees and is generally caused by feeding too heavily on pollen—more particularly in winter time when proper exercise cannot be taken. The symptoms are a distended abdomen, which is filled with a yellowish brown substance that is discharged copiously. In bad cases it is discharged on the combs.
The best remedy is to add an ounce of table salt to a quart or more of warm syrup and feed the bees outside in a sheltered spot.