Mysteries of Bee-keeping Explained Part 23

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 circ.u.mstances: 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 const.i.tuted 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 acc.u.mulated 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 circ.u.mstances; 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 quant.i.ties 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 a.s.sign 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 a.s.signed 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 ma.s.s, 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 pa.s.sing the hive our olfactories are saluted with a nauseous effluvia, arising from this corrupting ma.s.s.

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 sc.u.m.

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 wis.h.i.+ng 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.