Resistance to American Foulbrood in Honey Bees. I. Differential Survival of Larvae of Different Genetic Lines1

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Abstract
Larvae of three genetically distinct lines of honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) showed three different percentages of survival following inoculations of larval food with 50,000 spores of Bacillus larvae White in 0.25 cubic millimeter of water administered by a specially made micro-syringe. In order to obtain larvae of similar age from the various queens, they were caged on similar combs for a known number of hours, after which all test combs containing eggs were put into a single nurse colony of commercial hybrid bees. Inoculations were made during the 1st day of larval life. Check larvae, given water containing no spores, showed survival in excess of 95% in each line. Larvae given spores survived to the extent of 25% in a line selected and bred for susceptibility, 47% in a line selected for larval resistance for 1 generation by a special technique, and 67% in a line selected and bred for general resistance. These differences in survival are very highly significant and they are interpreted to be due to different levels of innate resistance to American foulbrood in the larvae of the 3 lines.

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