DISEASES OF BEES. 



13>* 



DISEASES OF BEES. 



.NOTHEK COAIB BADLY AFFLICTED WITH FOUL BKOOD OF THE KOPY OR AMERICAN TYPE. 



go to the trouble of writing to the Bureau 

 if J^ntomology of the United States govern- 

 iient to iind out whether he has foul brood, 

 )ut had best begin his treatment at once. 



There is a kind of pinhole perforation 

 hat is perfectly normal in healthy brood, 

 md should not be confounded with the 

 )erforations for foul brood. Sometimes in 

 lot weather the bees leave their young 

 )areheaded, as it were; that is, there will be 

 ,mall openings in the cappings ; but these 

 )penings are circular, and in the center of 

 he cell : and if one peeps through he will 

 ;ee that the grubs are white, and that all is 

 veil. But beginners who have discovered 

 his peculiar condition have jumped to the 

 'onclusion that it was foul brood, without 

 lue investigation. The matter is here men- 

 ioned so that they may not be confused. 



IREATMENT AND CURE OF AMERICAN 

 FOUL BROOD. 



Years ago this disease got quite a start in 

 )ur own apiary before we realized what it 

 A-as ; and had we at that time an engraving 

 ir photo like what we have already shown 

 ive should have discovered the disease long 

 before we did. As it was we had to treat at 



1 great disadvantage something like eighty 

 colonies during that summer. Some of them 

 kve burned outright — hives, bees, frames, 

 ^ornbs, and all. Others we treated with sali- 

 cylic acid, carbolic acid, or phenol, but not 

 with very satisfactory results. Indeed, If 

 we had treated all colonies at the start by 

 the McEvoy plan we might have had the 

 rlisease under control, and probably would 

 not have had to exceed two dozen affected 

 :;olonies all told. The method that finally 

 ?ave us relief was as follows : As soon as a 



colony was discovered having a cell or two 

 of the diseased brood it was closed immedi- 

 ately, and a brick or stone was laid on the 

 cover. Just before dark, and while all the 

 bees of the apiary were in the hives, and all 

 danger from robbers was past, we removed 

 the hive from its stand, and put another one 

 just like it in its place. This hive contained 

 frames filled with full sheets of foundation. 

 The bees were shaken off from the diseased 

 combs, either on top of the frames or in 

 front of the entrance of the new hive now 

 on the old stand. The combs, as soon as free 

 of bees, were put back into the old hive, and 

 the whole thing was carried to the boiler- 

 furnace, where the frames were burned in a 

 hot fire. The hives were then disinfected 

 by scorching out on the inside in a manner 

 to be explained. 



THE M'eVOY treatment; DISINFECTING 

 HIVES. 



We said we boiled or burned the hives; 

 but Wm. McEvoy, Woodburn, Ont., Can., 

 foul-brood inspector for Ontario, and in the 

 government employ, reports having treated 

 successfully hundreds and perhaps thou- 

 sands of colonies by putting the bees back 

 into the same hive from which they came. His 

 treatment is given thus in his own language: 



In the honey season, when the bees are gathering 

 freely, remove the combs in the even inn and shake 

 the bees into their own hive ; give them frames with 

 comb-foundation starters on and let them build 

 comb for four days. The bees will make the start- 

 ers into comb during the four days, and store the 

 diseased honey in them which they took with 

 them from the old comb. Then in the evening of 

 the fourth day take out the new combs and give 

 them comb foundation to work out, and then the 

 cure will be complete. 



