The Feilding Star. Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1912. Diseased Bees.

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 1906, 24 October 1912, Page 2

The Feilding Star. Oroua and Kiwitea Counties' Gazette. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 24, 1912. Diseased Bees.

The disease in- bees, which a recent I cablegram informed us had caused a loss of £1,000,000., is known as tho "Isle of Wight" disease. This disease first came prominently into notice in 1906, and by 1908 nearly all the bees on the island had perished. It first appeared in England in 1909 and quickly spread north in Wales, and Scotland, causing wholesale destruction of hive-bees. At tho present time, Mr Hopkins, the Government expert, states, he did not think that there was one county in England, Scotland, or Wales that was clear of the disease. The matter was of so serious a nature that the greatest anxiety existed among the fruitgrowers of Britain lest the honey bee, the chief cross fertilising agent of the fruit blossoms should be destroyed altogether. Investigation of the disease was undertaken by Dr. Maiden, at the instigation of the Board of Agricuture and Fisheries, who reported in February, 1909, with nothing final as to the cause. Further researches were commenced in March of last year, by Dr. G. S. Graham-Smith, with whom were associated as colleagues three scientists and one practical beekeeper. An interim report covering some 140 pages was published in May last, and the investigations aro still going on. This Mi* Hopkins continued, seemed to point to a parasitical organism of the Nosema family (one of which caused the disease among silkworms known as 'pebrino') as being the cause. This parasite was independently discovered by Dr. Zander, in Bavaria, in 1909. No doubt the absence of suitable legislation to deal with such outbreaks promptly, such as New Zealand had in its Apiaries Act, was accountable j for the enormous destruction now j taking place among the bees in Britain. A recent visitor to England had stated that beekeeping there was in an awful condition, and the disease was so infectious that if by. any chance it made its appearance in New Zealand it would ruin the industry here.