EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 299 



remaining under the boiler to keep up the temperature, eight to ten frames 

 are placed in the boiler at a time, submerged and allowed to remain in the 

 water from two to five minutes until all of the propolis and wax have been 

 dissolved from the frames. They are then removed and placed in empty 

 hive-bodies to dry. By this method frames can be cleaned very quickly 

 and thoroughly at a real saving for the beekeeper. 



If there is much diseased honey on the colony it can be saved by extract- 

 ing. As it is very difficult to prevent robbing of this diseased honey either 

 during the extracting or before or after, the greatest of care must be taken 

 at all times to keep the honey in bee-tight containers in a bee-tight building. 

 Diseased honey is suitable for eating purposes but cannot be fed to bees 

 until after being diluted one-half and boiled in a closed vessel for twenty 

 minutes. As the boiling caramelizes some of the sugar, boiled honey cannot 

 be fed to bees for winter food. It is unlawful to sell diseased honey except 

 in closed containers for commercial purposes. 



There are modifications of the treatment given above but they are not 

 recommended for beginners. Experienced beekeepers who are familiar 

 with the i^rinciple involved use them successfully. Colonies found to be 

 diseased so late in the fall that it is impossible for the bees to build up for 

 winter may be shaken on solid combs of honey in which there are no empty 

 cells for storage of diseased honey. Only strong colonies should be so handled. 

 Weak colonies should be destroyed or united. Diseased colonies should be 

 wintered in the cellar if possible to remove the possibility of robbing by any 

 healthy colony in early spring or in warm days during the winter. 



DRUGS, 



The use of drugs in the treatment of American foul-brood or of the other 

 foul-broods is a waste of time and material. It is extremely doubtful whether 

 disease can be successfully eradicated by the use of any known drug, and it 

 is certain that commercial beekeepers do not have sufficient time to spare 

 to follow the course of procedure necessary if drugs are to be used. 



European Foul Brood. 



European foul-brood is an infectious disease which attacks developing 

 bees only. The term European is given this disorder to distinguish it from 

 American foul-brood for the reason that European investigators were the 

 first to perform laboratory studies of the disease. This disease is found 

 practically all over the United States except in certain areas where, prop- 

 ably due to the lack of introduction of diseased material, no disease is 

 found at present. European foul-brood is not as serious in its nature as 

 American, and is considered by the best authorities to be of little danger to 

 the beekeeper who keeps his colonies strong and requeens annually, using 

 stock which has proved resistant to disease. Like American foul-brood the 

 disease is infectious, and can be easily transmitted from diseased to healthy 

 colonies. European foul-brood spreads through the apiary and through the 

 brood-nest of the colony at a much faster rate than American, with the re- 

 sult that the colony infected can become practically rotten with disease be- 

 fore the beekeeper is aware of it. 



