DISEASED BROOD.
This, like many other chapters in this work, is probably new, as I,
never saw one thus headed. A few newspaper discussions are about all
that have yet appeared on this subject.
NOT GENERALLY UNDERSTOOD.
This disease is probably of recent origin. Mr. Miner, it appears, knew
nothing of it until he moved from Long Island to Oneida County, in this
State. Mr. Weeks, in a communication to the N.E. Farmer, says, "Since
the potato rot commenced, I have lost one-fourth of my stocks annually,
by this disease;" at the same time adds his fears, that "this race of
insects will become extinct from this cause, if not arrested." (Perhaps
I ought to mention, that he speaks of it as attacking the "chrysalis"
instead of the larva; but as every thing else about it agrees exactly,
there is but little, doubt of its being all one thing.)
MY OWN EXPERIENCE.
My first experience will probably go back to a date beyond many others;
it is almost twenty years since the first case was noticed. I had kept
bees but four or five years when I discovered it in one of my best
stocks; in fact, it was No. 1 in May and first of June. It cast no
swarm through the summer; and now, instead of being crowded with bees,
it contained but very few; so few, that I dared not attempt to winter
it. What was the matter? I had then never dreamed of ascertaining the
condition of a stock while there were bees in the way, but was like the
unskilful physician who is obliged to wait for the death of his
patient, that he may dissect and discover the cause. I accordingly
consigned what few bees there were to the "brimstone pit."
DESCRIPTION OF DISEASE.
A "_post mortem_" examination revealed the following circumstances:
Nine-tenths of the breeding-cells were found to contain young bees in
the larva state, stretched out at full length, sealed over, dead,
black, putrid, and emitting a disagreeable stench. Now here was one
link in the chain of cause and effect. I learned why there was a
scarcity of bees in the hive. What should have constituted their
increase, had died in the cells; none of them were removed,
consequently but few cells, where any bees could be matured, were left.
THE CAUSE UNCERTAIN.
But when I attempted the next link in the chain (to wit) What caused
the death of this brood just at this stage of development? I was
obliged to stop. Not the least satisfaction could be obtained. All
inquiries among the bee-keepers of my acquaintance were met with
profound ignorance. They had "never heard of it!" No work on bees that
I consulted ever mentioned it.
Subsequently, I had more stocks in the same situation. I found,
whenever the disease existed to any extent, that the few bees matured
were insufficient to replace those that were lost; that the colony
rapidly declined, and _never afterwards cast a swarm_!
REMEDIAL EXPERIMENTS.
As for remedies, I tried pruning out all those combs containing brood,
leaving only such as contained honey, and let the bees construct new
for breeding. It was "no use," these new combs were invariably filled
with diseased brood! The only thing effectual was to drive out the
bees, into an empty hive. In this way, when done in season, I generally
succeeded in rearing a healthy stock. But here was a loss of all
surplus honey, and a swarm or two that might have been obtained from a
healthy one.
PUBLIC INQUIRY AND ANSWERS.
I had so many cases of the kind, that I became somewhat alarmed, and
made inquiry through the Cultivator, (an agricultural paper,) as to a
cause, and remedy, offering a "reward for one that would not fail when
thoroughly tested," &c. Mr. Weeks, in answer, said, "that cold weather
in spring chilling the brood was the cause." (This was several years
prior to his article in the N.E. Farmer.) Another gentleman said, "dead
bees and filth that accumulated during winter, when suffered to remain
in the spring, was the cause." A few years after, another correspondent
appeared in the Cultivator, giving particulars of his experience,
proving very conclusively to himself and many others, that cold was the
cause. Having mislaid the paper containing his article, I will endeavor
to quote correctly from memory. He had "three swarms issue in one day;
the weather during the day changed from very hot to the other extreme,
producing frost in many places the next morning. These swarms had left
but few bees in the old stocks, and the cold forced them up among the
combs for mutual warmth; the brood near the bottom, thus left without
bees to protect it with animal heat, became chilled, and the
consequence was diseased larvae." He then reasoned thus: "If the eggs of
a fowl, at any time near the end of incubation, become chilled from any
cause, it stops all further development. Bees are developed by
continued heat, on the same principle, and a chill produces the same
effect, &c.; afterwards, other swarms issued under precisely similar
circumstances; but these old stocks were covered with a blanket through
the night, which enabled the bees to keep at the bottom of the hive. In
a few days, enough were hatched to render this trouble unnecessary.
These last remained healthy." He further says, that "last spring was
the first time I ever knew them to become diseased before swarming had
thinned the population. The weather was remarkably pleasant through
April. The bees obtained great quantities of pollen and honey, and by
this means extended their brood further than usual at this season.
Subsequent chilly weather in May, caused the bees to desert a portion
of brood, which were destroyed by the chill."
Now this is reasoning from cause to effect very consistently.
ANSWERS NOT SATISFACTORY.
Had I no experience further than this, I should, perhaps, rest
satisfied as to the cause, and should endeavor to apply the remedy.
Several other writers have appeared in different papers, on this
subject, and nearly all who assign a cause have given this one as the
most probable. Now I have known the chrysalis in a few stocks to be
chilled and destroyed by a sudden turn of cold weather, yet these were
removed by the bees soon after, and the stocks remained healthy. To me
the cause assigned appears inadequate to produce _all_ the results with
the larvae. After close, patient observation of fifteen years, I have
never yet been wholly satisfied that any one instance among my bees,
was thus produced.
A CAUSE SUGGESTED.
We are all familiar to some extent with the contagious diseases of the
human family, such as small-pox, whooping-cough, and measles, and their
rapid spread from a given point, &c. We must also admit that some cause
or causes, adequate to the effect, must have produced the first case.
To contagion, then, I would attribute the spread of this disease of our
bees, at least nineteen cases in twenty. I will admit, if you please,
that one stock in twenty or fifty may be somewhat affected by a chill
to a small extent. It is only a portion of the brood that is in
danger--only such as have been sealed over, and before they have
progressed to the chrysalis state, are attacked. How many then can
there be in a hive at any one time, in just the right stage of
development to receive the fatal chill? Of course there will be some;
but they should be confined to the cells near the bottom, where the
bees had left them exposed. These should be all; and these few would
never seriously damage the stock. Why then does this disease, when
thoroughly started, spread so rapidly throughout all the combs in the
hive? Will it be said that the chill is repeated every few days through
the summer? Or will it be admitted that something else may continue it?
I think there must be other causes, besides the chill, even to start
it, in most cases. As our practice will be in accordance with the view
we take of this matter, and the result of our course will be somewhat
important, I will give some of the reasons that have led to this
conclusion.
REASONS FOR THE OPINION.
For instance, I had all the bees of a good swarm leave the hive in
March; after flying a time, they united with another good stock, making
double the usual number of bees at this season; enough to keep the
brood sufficiently warm at any time; if other stocks with half or a
quarter of the number could. By the middle of June, the bees were much
reduced, and had not cast a swarm. It was examined, and the brood was
found badly diseased. My best and most populous stocks, in spring, are
just as liable, and I might add more so, than smaller or weaker
families. I have had two large swarms unite, and were hived together,
that were diseased the next autumn. These cases prove strongly, if not
conclusively, that animal heat is not the only requisite. The fact that
when I had pruned out all affected comb from a diseased stock, and left
honey in the top and outside pieces, and the bees constructed new for
breeding, and the brood in such were invariably affected, though only a
few at first, and increasing as the combs were extended; led me to
suppose that it was a contagious disease, and the virus was contained
in the honey. Some of it had been left in these stocks, and very
probably the bees had fed it to the brood. To test this principle still
further, I drove all the bees from such diseased stocks, strained the
honey, and fed it to several young healthy swarms soon after being
hived. When examined a few weeks after, every one, without an
exception, had caught the contagion.
Here then is a clue to the cause of this disease spreading, whether we
have its origin or not. We will now see if we can trace it through, if
there is any consistency in its transfer from one stock to another.
CAUSE OF ITS SPREADING.
Suppose one stock has caught the infection, but a small portion of the
brood is dead. In the heat of the hive, it soon becomes putrid; other
cells adjoining with larvae of the right age are soon in the same
condition. All the breeding combs in the hive become one putrid mass,
with an exception, perhaps, of one in ten, twenty or a hundred, that
may perfect a bee. Thus the increase of bees is not enough to replace
the old ones that are continually dying off. It is plain, therefore,
that this stock _must_ soon dwindle down to a very small family. Now
let a scarcity of honey occur in the fields, this poor stock cannot be
properly guarded, and is easily plundered of its contents by the
others. Honey is taken that is in close proximity to dead bodies,
corrupting by thousands, creating a pestilential vapor, of which it has
probably absorbed a portion. The seeds of destruction are by this means
carried into healthy stocks. In a short time, these in turn fall
victims to the scourge; and soon dwindle away, when some other strong
stock is able to carry off _their_ stores; and only stop, perhaps, at
the last stock! The moth is ever ready with her burden of eggs, which
she now without hindrance deposits directly on the combs. In a short
time the worms finish up the whole business, and are judged guilty of
the whole charge; merely because they are found carrying out effects
that speedily follow such causes.
Let the reader who doubts this theory, simply strain out honey,
vitiated in this way, and feed it to a few stocks or swarms, that are
healthy; and if they escape, communicate the fact to the public. But
should he become satisfied that such honey is poison to his bees, he
will with me, and all others interested, wish to stop this growing
evil.
NOT EASILY DETECTED AT FIRST.
It is very difficult to detect the first hundred or two that die in a
stock. But when nine-tenths of the breeding cells hold putrid larvae,
there is but very little trouble in making out a correct diagnosis. The
bees are few and inactive. When passing the hive our olfactories are
saluted with a nauseous effluvia, arising from this corrupting mass.
Now, if we wish, or expect to escape, the most severe penalty, our
neglect must never allow this extent of progression before such a stock
is removed. Therefore, we must watch symptoms--ascertain the presence
of the disease _at the earliest moment possible_.
SYMPTOMS TO BE OBSERVED.
As no part of the breeding season is exempt, the stocks should be
carefully observed during spring, and fore part of summer, relative to
increase of bees. When one or more is much behind others in this
respect, make an examination immediately. (I would here urge again the
convenience of the simple, common hive, over those more complicated, or
suspended, and difficult to turn over. In one case we might make an
examination in season; in the other, too much trouble and difficulty
might cause it to be put off too long.) The hive must be inverted, and
the bees smoked out of the way. Our attention is to be directed to the
breeding cells; with a sharp-pointed knife, proceed to cut off the ends
of some of them that appear to be the oldest; bearing in mind that
young bees are always white, until some time after they take the
chrysalis state. Therefore, if a larva is found of a dark color, it is
dead! Should a dozen such be found, the stock should be condemned at
once, and all the bees driven into an empty hive. (The directions for
this have been given, see page 31.) If honey should be scarce, at the
time, they should be fed.
SCALDING THE HONEY TO DESTROY THE POISON FOR FEEDING.
The honey from the old hive may be used, if you will only first destroy
the virus. This, I have ascertained, may be done by scalding: add a
half-pint of water to about ten lbs.; stir it well, and heat it to the
boiling point, and carefully remove all the scum.
Stocks in which the disease has not progressed too far, will generally
swarm.
WHEN TO EXAMINE STOCKS THAT HAVE SWARMED.
Three weeks from the first swarm, will be the time to examine them. I
make it a rule to inspect all my stocks at this period. It is easily
done now, as about all the healthy brood (except drones) should be
matured in that time. By perseverance in these rules, I allow no stocks
to dwindle away until they are plundered by others. If all my neighbors
were equally careful, this disease would probably soon disappear. This
is like one careless farmer allowing a noxious weed to mature seeds, to
be wafted by winds on the lands of a careful neighbor, who must fortify
his mind to continual vigilance, or endure the injury of a foul pest.
So with the successful apiarian; in sections where the disease has
appeared (it has not in all), he must be continually on the watch; it
is the price of success.
CARE IN SELECTING STOCK HIVES FOR WINTER.
Again, after the breeding season is over, in the fall, _every stock
should be thoroughly inspected, and all diseased ones condemned for
stock hives_. It is better to do it, even if it should take the last
one. It would pay much better to procure others instead, that are
healthy.
Persons wishing to eat the honey from such hives, will experience no
bad effects from it, if they are careful to remove all the dead brood,
as they take it out of the hive.
The greatest distance that I ever knew bees to go, and plunder a
defenceless stock of its contents, was three-fourths of a mile. Very
likely they would go farther on some occasions, but not often.
ACCUSATIONS NOT ALWAYS RIGHT.
Careless bee-keepers, when their hives are thus robbed, feel regret, or
are more often vexed at somebody--at the result of their carelessness.
The person, keeping most bees in a neighborhood, must expect to be
accountable for all effects of their ignorance, mismanagement, or
carelessness, and consequent "bad luck;" when all the honey thus
obtained, probably carries with it more mischief than can be eradicated
in a twelvemonth, thereby giving the real cause of complaint to the
other party.