February, '17] CARR: CONTROL OF FOULBROOD 197 



SOME NEW AND PRACTICAL METHODS FOR THE 

 CONTROL OF EUROPEAN FOULBROOD 



By E. G. Carr 



Whether the treatment for the control of European foulbrood, with- 

 out destroying the combs, which shall be discussed, is new or old, it has 

 received little or no official endorsement up to the present. The 

 advantage of a practical method whereby the diseased brood combs 

 are easily made fit for further use is so great that it seems worth while 

 to encourage every effort made with that end in view. 



There are three principles involved in the treatment of European 

 foulbrood without destroying the combs. These are, a strong colony, 

 the cessation of brood rearing in the diseased combs for a time and 

 good Italian stock. 



Occasionally the disease disappears from a colony with only two of 

 these conditions present. 



Many working on the problem have suggested requeening, queen- 

 lessness and Italian stock, either singly or in combination. 



Simmons^ in 1904 gave the combination practically as now used, 

 but it seems to have attracted but little attention until 1905 when 

 it was published in the November 1 issue of Gleanings in Bee Culture 

 and called the Alexander treatment, Mr. Alexander claims to have 

 been using this method for three years when it was published. He does 

 not say it was original with him nor how he came by it. 



At this time the method was tried by many and while a few re- 

 ported success, the majority reported failure. 



This apparent failure of the plan put a check on its further trial by 

 many. In fact, a great cry of protest went up from beekeepers and 

 bee-inspectors and the editor of Gleanings regretted having published 

 the plan. 



It is a common fault with beekeepers (it may be true also of others) 

 to adhere strongly to their own preconceived notions and, unconsciously 

 perhaps, modify a plan so that it lacks some essential feature. This 

 is just the way all failures of this plan with which the writer is familiar, 

 came about. 



The Strong Colony 



The first step in treating a colony having European foulbrood by 

 this modified method is to make it strong if not already so. The 

 chances are much against a colony infected with European foulbrood 

 being strong. However, since some colonies show* a high resistance 



1 Simmons, S., 1904. Modern Bee Farm, revised edition, London. 



