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$Strong bee colonies sometimes put up a good fight against skunks and other hive visitors, but weaker colonies usually fall victim. Therefore, maintaining strong colonies is a partial deterrent to animal predation. Skunks and mice may be discouraged by screens or queen excluders attached to the hive entrance. These devices hamper the skunk\'s efforts to scratch at the front entrance and if it climbs up the screen over the entrance, its belly becomes vulnerable to stings. Elevating the hives on stands (blocks, bricks, etc.) may also serve the same purpose. Fencing the bee yard or placing the colonies on stands is also an effective technique but more costly. Moving your bees to a new location is another option.$

$It is important to be able to distinguish healthy brood stages. Healthy worker, queen and drone larvae (grubs) are pearly white in color with a glistening appearance. They are curled in a \"C\" shape on the bottom of the cell and continue to grow in size during the larval period, eventually filling their cell.$

$During the early stages of decay, up until about three weeks after death, the dead larvae have a glue-like consistency. To test for the disease, choose a larva that is discolored and exhibits a melted-down appearance. Insert a match, twig or toothpick into the cell, stir the remains of the dead larva and then slowly withdraw the test stick. If a portion of the decaying larva clings to the twig and can be drawn out about an inch or more while adhering to the dead mass, its death was probably due to AFB. This \"ropiness\" of freshly-dead larvae is a characteristic symptom of AFB. Positive confirmation of AFB can be obtained by removing several dead larvae and smearing it on to a small piece of tin foil. The foil should be folded to contain the material, placed in a plastic zip lock bag and sent to the Beltsville Bee Lab for analysis.$

$* A condition, not a disease. * Caused by and excessive amount of water in a bee\'s body. * Prolonged confinement during winter * Consumption of food with a high water content * Colonies located in moist areas or areas with poor drainage * A symptom of nosema disease Dysentery, a diarrhea-like condition, is a symptom caused by the buildup of excessive amount of fluid in a bee\'s gut and the inability of the bees to retain waste products in their bodies as they normally do. Unable to wait until cleansing flights are possible, these bees void their feces on the combs, at the hive entrance and on the exterior of the hive. Factors leading to this situation include nosema disease, prolonged confinement during winter and early spring consumption of food with a high water content. Colonies located in moist areas or areas with poor air drainage may often exhibit signs of dysentery. To prevent dysentery, make sure hives are stocked with high-quality food and are well-ventilated. If fall feeding is necessary, be sure to do it early enough so that the bees can properly ripen their stores. Hives should be rainproof and situated in a dry location. Good air circulation is important. There is no effective treatment for dysentery.$

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