BEE-MOTH. 



your surplus combs for winter you place 

 them two inches or more apart, you will sel- 

 dom have any trouble, even should you leave 

 them undisturlied until the next July. There 

 is no danger from worms, in any case, in the 

 fall, winter, or spring, for the worms can not 

 develop unless they have a summer temper- 

 ature, although they will live a long time in 

 a dormant state if not killed by severe freez- 

 iug weather. We have kept combs in our 

 barn two years or more ; but they were not 

 removed from the hives until fall and were 

 kept during the summer months in a close 

 box where no moth could possibly get at 

 them. We have several times had worms 

 get among them when we were so careless as 

 to leave them exposed during warm weath- 

 er; and one season we found nearly a thou- 

 sand combs so badly infested that they would 

 have become almost worthless in less than a 

 week. The combs were all hung up in the 

 honey-house, and about a pound of brimstone 

 was thrown on a shovel of coals in an old 

 kettle. This was placed in the room, and all 

 doors and windows carefully closed. Next 

 morning we found most of the w^orms dead ; 

 but a few encased in heavy webs still lived. 

 After another and more severe fumigation, 

 not a live one was to be found, and our 

 combs were saved. We have several times 

 since fumigated honey in boxes in the same 

 way. The following extract from Burt's 

 Materia Mrdica contains some hints valuable 

 to apiarists as well as to doctors : 



III the form of sulphurous-acid fumes, or gas, sul- 

 ])hur is the most powerful of all known agents as a 

 disinfectant and deodorizer. To disinfect a room and 

 clothing from infectious diseases, as smallpox, etc., 

 first close up the chimney and paste up all crevices 

 of the windows and doors to prevent the escape of 

 gas. Now raise all carpets, and hang up the cloths 

 BO that the fumes of gas may have complete access 

 to them. When this is done, set a tub in the center 

 of the room with six inches of water in it. In the 

 center of this water place a stone that comes just 

 above the water. On this stone set an iron vessel 

 with two pounds of sulphur broken up intoquite fine 

 pieces or lumps; on this pour a few ounces of alco- 

 liol, to make the sulphur burn readily; set the alco- 

 hol on Are, and leave the room, closing the door be- 

 hind you. It is well to repeat this fumigation three 

 or four times. 



After the bees have died in a hive, it 

 should never be left exposed to robbers and 

 moths, but should be carried indoors at once, 

 or carefully closed up. If you have not suf- 

 ficient bees either by artificial or natural 

 swarming to use the combs before warm 

 weather, kee]) careful watch over them, for 

 a great amount of mischief may be done in 

 a very few days. We once removed some 

 combs, heavy with honey, in August, and, 



50 BEE-MOTH. 



thinking no worms would get into them so 

 late, we delayed looking at them. A month 

 later honey began to run out on the floor ; 

 and upon atteicpting to lift out a comb it 

 was found impossible to do so. When all 

 were lifted up at once, a mass of webs nearly 

 as large as one's head was found, in place of 

 honey and combs. So much for not keeping 

 a careful watch over such property. 



The practice in late years is to use bisul- 

 phide of carbon— the same drug that is 

 spoken of under the head of Ants. The 

 combs to be treated are placed in a tool-box 

 or small room. A pint or a quart of the 

 liquid, depending on the size of the inclo- 

 sure, is then placed in an open vessel above 

 the combs. The stuff is very volatile and 

 evaporates quite rapidly; and the fumes, be- 

 ing heavier than air, settle dow^n, passing 

 around and through the combs. 



One should be very careful in handling 

 this drug lest he inhale the fumes of it, al- 

 though a few breaths would probably cause 

 no harm except a little dizziness. Every 

 thing being in readiness, pour out the 

 liquid in the right place, and shut up the 

 inclosure. On account of the fearfully ex- 

 plosive nature of bisulphide of carbon, it is 

 advisable to use a large box or cupboard 

 outdoors. One can, of course, use it in a 

 building or room; but first be sure there is 

 no lighted fire, a lamp, nor any thing that 

 might ignite explosive gas. 



HOW TO KEEP EMPTY COMBS. 



When combs are left in spring, after the 

 death of the bees in a hive, there is no safer 

 place to put them than in the care of a good 

 strong colony. Brush off the dead bees and 

 put the combs in a clean hive on the stand 

 of a strong colony, and then place the colo- 

 ny over this hive of empty combs, so that 

 they will be obliged to pass through tlie hive 

 of combs to go in or out. In other words, 

 give the bees no entrance except that of the 

 lower hive, allowing free communication be- 

 tween the two. The combs will then be kept 

 free from worms and mold, with no care 

 whatever on your part, except to keep the 

 entrance so small for two or three days at 

 first that robbers wull not trouble. 



After the weather has become warm, three 

 or four stories of empty combs may be piled 

 over a queen-excluder on top of a liive con- 

 taining a colony ; then a frame of brood in 

 the upper story will make sure that the bees 

 traverse all the combs. 



BEE-3IOTII IN HIGH ALTITUDES. 



In Colorado, at least in the region of 

 Denver, where the elevation is fully a 



