T. Bullman, Jr., of Terre Haute, Indiana, writes as follows:
"In September last, when the first cold weather set in, my bees began to die. First, I found in one of my best stands, with all the frames full of sealed honey, and some honey in boxes, the bees all dead. After that the bees began to die in all my stands, mostly pure Italians, and some hybrids. First, about one-third of the bees would be found dead; next, I would find the queen lying dead before the hive; and in about a week more, the whole colony would be found dead in and around the hive. Sometimes the queen would live with a handful of bees. The hives were full of honey, gathered the latter part of the season; and the smallest had enough for the bees to winter upon. In this way I have lost forty stands, and have now only fifteen skeleton colonies, which I think will also perish before spring. At first I thought I was the only victim, but I have ascertained that all the bees in this neighborhood have died, and as far as thirty miles north and eighteen south. Yesterday I saw a letter from Kentucky, from a man who thought his bees had stampeded in the same manner as mine, to the hive of mother-earth. Some colonies had broods, others did not. Late in October all the queens commenced laying again. To some colonies I gave three queens in about two weeks, and lost each in turn."
The true cause of the disease has not been discovered. Some attribute it to the want of pollen; some to poisonous honey; and some to the unusually hot summer. Whatever may be the cause, the effect has been most disastrous, throughout these two States.
ΒΆ
Sound familiar? This is from the "Report of the Commissioner of Agriculture for the year 1868"
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