STRANGE BEE DISEASE.

Oamaru Mail, Volume XXXIX, Issue 10760, 6 May 1911, Page 1 (Supplement)

STRANGE BEE DISEASE.

The mysterious bee disease which first appeared during 1904 in the Isle of Wight and in 1907 in Bucks and the Guildford district of Surrey has now spread to all parts of Great Britain. Throughout the autumn and winter bees have died from this at an alarming rate, and now that spring has advanced sufficiently to ascertain their condition it is being realised how widespread has been the destruction. It is estimated that in Hants, West Surrey, and Bucks alone ovor 5000 colonies have recently been destroyed by this inexplicable malady. The bees lose their power of flight, and crawl in front of the hive to die. Newly-hived swarms and the strongest i stocks are first to succumb. The causes ' are variously attributed to the contagion of affected bees, fungus growths in pollen, or a probable new clover sickness. In 1906 the Board of Agriculture appointed two well-known Cambridge scientists, Mr A. D. Imms and Dr Maiden, to investigate the matter, and several Continental scientists, including ! t)r Zander, of Erlangen, and Dr Maassen are also conducting investigations. Unfortunately none of their investigations have been sufficient to - prevent or cure the trouble. Fruit and seed growers who realise the great assistance which bees render in the fertilisation of seed and. fruit blossoms regard this rapid disappearance of bees with considerable alarm,, as it means a serious reduction in their fruit and seed crops. ■ At the annual meeting of the liritish Beekeepers' Association, Dr Maiden, one of the Board of Agriculture s investigators, stated that he" had discovered a bacillus in the diseased bee similar to the bacillus of plague in human beings, but was unable to cultivate it. A large number of those present at Tiie meeting stated they had lost tlie whole of their bees. A case was mentioned of a beekeeper at Royston who sold honey to the value of £240 m 1906. and had .lost nearly all his bees last vcar.