Cause Of Its Spreading
Categories:
DISEASED BROOD.
Bee Keeping:
Mysteries Of Bee-keeping Explained
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 mass,
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 ol
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.