EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 535 



be removed from their old combs by means of a bee escape. The old 

 hive is moved to one side and in its place is set a clean hive with clean 

 frames and foundation. The queen is at once transferred to the new 

 hive and the field bees fly there on their return from the field. The in- 

 fected hive is now placed on top of or' close beside the clean hive and 

 a bee escape placed over the entrance, so that the younger bees and those 

 which later emerge from the cells may leave the contaminated hive 

 but can not return. They therefore join the colony in the new hive. 

 If desired, the infected hive may be placed above the clean hive and a 

 tin tube about 1 inch in diameter placed from the old entrance so that 

 the lower end is just above the open entrance of the new hive. The bees 

 follow down this tube and on their return enter the new hive. When all 

 of the healthy brood has emerged from the infected combs the old hive is 

 removed. This treatment induces less excitement in the apiary and is 

 preferred by many experienced beekeepers. Care should be taken that 

 the old hive is absolutely tight to prevent robbing. The old hive and its 

 contents of honey and wax are treated as indicated under the shaking 

 treatment." 



FALL TREATMENT. 



''If it is necessary to treat a colony so late in the fall that it would be 

 impossible for the bees to prepare for winter, the treatment may be 

 modified by shaking the bees onto combs entirely full of honey so that 

 there is no place for any brood to be reared. This will usually be satis- 

 factory only after brood rearing lias entirely ceased. Unless a colony 

 is quite strong it does not pay to treat in the fall, but it should be 

 destroyed or united to another colony. In case a diseased colony dies 

 outdoors in the winter there is danger that other bees may have oppor- 

 tunity to rob the hive before the beekeepers can i-lose the entrance. In 

 case bees are wintered in the cellar it is more advisable to risk wintering 

 before treatment, for if the colony does die the hive will not be robbed." 



In ^lichigan, many of our most experienced and successful beekeepers 

 are strong advocates of shaking twice. It may be due to our climatic con- 

 ditions or to our particular methods of management, or to some other 

 cause, in any case many of our best beekeepers are convinced that two 

 shakes are more sure than one. Therefore if anyone has doubts as to the 

 certainty of one treatment, it will be well to follow it with another, 

 even if he does lose some bees thereby. 



Many bee-trees are said to contain colonies infected with foul brood. 

 To be sure, when a colony in a tree or the side of a house, dies, the combs 

 are apt to be webbed up by the bee-moth, thus preventing further use 

 of the space by the bees, but on the other hand it may happen that a 

 fresh swarm may take possession and work for a time, eventually dying 

 out, sometimes to be replaced again and again. Such a colony is a 

 menace to every beekeeper within quite a radius, and in places where 

 the disease exists, it will be well to put in some carbon disulphide or 

 even a little gasoline and then to plug up the hole tightly or to fill it 

 with cement. In case any colonies die during winter, the entrances to 

 their hives should be tightly closed before the bees commence flying in 

 the spring. 



— R. H. PKTTIT. 



