SERIOUS BEE DISEASE.

Colonist, Volume LIII, Issue 13106, 15 May 1911, Page 1

SERIOUS BEE DISEASE.

—-— I The mysterious and alarming bee disease, which first appeared during 1904 in the Isle of Wight, has nospread throughout England, every county being more or less affected. During the past autumn and winter boes have died from this cause ;it an alarming rate. In Hants, West Surrey, and Bucks alone 5000 colonies have perished by this strange malady. The bees lose their power of flight and crawl about in front of the hi.vo, eventually perishing. The causes are conjectured to be the contagion of affected bees, fungus growth in food, or a probable new clover sickness. ! Enlightened fruit and seed growers, ! who realise the great assistance which bees render in the fertilisation of fruit and seed blossoms, regard this rapid disappearance of bees with con- ; siderahje alarm. j At the annual meeting of the British Beekeepers' Association in London, Dr. 'Maiden' stated that he had discovered a bacillus in .the diseased bees i almost akin to the bacillus of plag;ic in human beings, but was unable to ' cultivate it,_ The meeting was crowded. A large < number of bee-keepers stated that [ they had lost all their bees. A case | was mentioned of a bee-keeper at Royston Herts, who sold. £240 worth i of honey m ■■-190Q, losing nearly the whole of his apiary.