MULTIPLICATION OF CLOSTRIDIUM-BOTULINUM IN DEAD HONEYBEES AND BEE PUPAE, A LIKELY SOURCE OF HEAVY CONTAMINATION OF HONEY

Multiplication of Clostridium botulinum in honey-bees was examined to explainthe heavy contamination of honey which may occur with this path ogen. When dead bees were inoculated with C. botulinum spores at level s of 10(2)-10(3) and incubated aerobically for 10 days, the organisms increased to10(4)-10(5). When botulinum spores were inoculated togethe rwith Bacillus alvei, the growth of most strains was significantly enh anced (10(5)-10(7)). Similar results were obtained in bee pupae, butno t in bee larvae. The heavy contamination of honey with botulinum spore s that we have sometimes encountered may have been caused by contamina tion from dead bees in which C. botulinum had proliferated.