Diseases of bees / Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.

Date:
1948
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Diseases of bees / Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    11/36 (page 7)
    carefully collected and burnt. Then scorch the interior surfaces of the hive, including floorboard, brood chamber, supers and division board, with a painter’s blow-lamp. The wood should be thoroughly scorched, but not unduly blackened by charring, special care being taken to see that all cracks and corners are reached by the flame. Appliances which cannot be treated with the blow-lamp, such as the queen excluder, feeder, smoker and hive-tool, should be scrubbed thoroughly with a strong brush dipped in the following solution: Dissolve 1 lb. washing soda in 1 gal. of hot water; add 4 1b. bleaching powder stir and allow sediment to settle ; pour off the clear liquid into another vessel and apply with the brush. The solution must be freshly made and used while still hot. Care should be taken not to spill it on the clothes or to immerse the hands in it longer than necessary, as it is somewhat caustic and has a powerful solvent action. After the appliances have been scrubbed clean, they should be thoroughly washed in clean water before drying. Precautionary Measures against the Spread of Foul Brood (1) Keep the apiary clean and tidy. Never throw propolis or brace-comb on the ground, where it may be robbed: place it in a suitable container and remove it from the apiary. (2) Never buy old combs. (3) Never buy colonies of bees unless it is known that they come from disease-free apiaries, and never accept stray swarms of unknown origin. (4) Always disinfect second-hand hives before use, by the method described above. (5) Never feed honey from doubtful sources, or allow bees to gain access to it. (6) Ifa colony dies during the winter and the trouble is not due to starva- tion, close the hive, pending the examination of a sample comb, to prevent the remaining stores being robbed out. (7) Never exchange brood or super combs from one colony to another unless it is known that all colonies in the apiary are free from disease. (8) Always keep a careful watch on the brood for signs of disease. If there is the least suspicion that all is not well, call in an expert or Send a comb of brood to the National Agricultural Advisory Service, Rothamsted Lodge, Hatching Green, Harpenden, Herts (see p. 25). Both American and European Foul Brood are subject to the provisions of the Foul Brood Disease of Bees Order, 1942 (see p. 12). CHALK BROOD This disease takes its name from the chalky-white appearance of the dead brood. It is not uncommon, but as a rule only small patches of brood are affected and it is seldom that it becomes a Serious source of loss to the bee-keeper. Cause. The death of the brood is caused by the mould Pericystis apis. Larvae which are attacked become permeated with the growing threads of the mould and die soon after their cells have been capped. 61956—A 4 yi