Foul Brood among Bees.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XVIII, Issue 1655, 2 January 1885, Page 2

Foul Brood among Bees.

The disease known as “ foul brood,” a kind of mildew, is playing sad havoc amongst the bees in this district, and at Rangitikei bee-keepers are alarmed at the prevalency of the disease. We turned over a couple of hives the other day and were surprised to find the comb filled with it and emitting a most unpleasant smell. There was nothing for it but to remove the bees to a clean hive and burn all the comb. Mr J. Barnard has just received some “ phenal ” from Auckland and he is satisfied with the results with his own bees. Mr P. Cheshire, read a paper lately before the international Conference of Bee keepers at the Healtheries,” last July. In foul brood, the affected grubs have a yellowish and unusual look instead of the bright pearly white of healthy ones and where sealed over tbe seeds are indented and pierced with a hole instead of standing out boldly. There is also a very bad smell. Mr Cheshire’s cure is absolute phenal, 1, syrup 500. It is applied by pouring it into the cells above and around the brood. The nurse bees feed it to the grubs themselves. Carbolic acid is an impure phenal, and useless. It contains creosote and creosols, and bees abhor it. Absolute phenal must be used.” We shall be glad to hear from beekeepers in the VVairarapa upon the subject.