198 JOURNAL OF ECONOMIC ENTOMOLOGY [Vol. 10 



to this disease, some may be found strong notwithstanding the fact 

 that they are diseased. 



No one who has not had the opportunity to note the different ideas 

 among beekeepers as to what constitutes a strong colony, can form an 

 idea of this difference. So great is it, that what one would call a 

 strong colony another might consider only a nucleus. 



Too small a colony was often the cause for failure to overcome this 

 disease by this modified treatment. 



It is highly desirable that the colony be strong in young bees since 

 these are the ones which are credited with cleaning up the combs. 

 Economy demands that the colony be properly strengthened without 

 an unnecessary drain upon the strength of other colonies, hence it is 

 desirable to know the minimum strength of a colony which may 

 reasonably be expected to clean out the disease. 



Doctor Miller and the Dadants have been successful in combating 

 European foulbrood by the dequeening plan and they agree on the 

 amount of brood and bees in the colony necessary for success. While 

 the size of hive and frame used by each is different, they consider an 

 amount of brood approximating that equal to five Langstroth size 

 frames well filled, or about 500 square inches, and enough bees to cover 

 well six Langstroth size frames, sufficient. 



To secure the proper strength, adding to the weakened colony frames 

 of emerging brood is usually recommended. When this is done, 

 frames of comb must be taken from the infected colony to make room 

 for the added frames of brood and these removed frames may be a 

 source of infection when placed in another hive. For, it must be 

 borne in mind, this plan makes no provision for the destruction of 

 combs. An equally effective and safe way is to shake combs of bees 

 in front of the colony to be strengthened. The old bees fly back to 

 their hive and the young bees enter the colony needing them. 



Dequeening 



The object of dequeening, or caging the queen within the hive, is to 

 stop brood-rearing; thus checking the multiplication of the bacterium 

 responsible for disease by bringing on a dearth of suitable soil in which 

 it may develop, and giving the bees an opportunity to catch up with 

 their house cleaning. Simmons did not give any definite time for 

 leaving the colony queenless, but the plan as given by Alexander calls 

 for 27 days during which no eggs are produced in the hive. His 

 theory was that all brood should be allowed to emerge before the 

 deposition of eggs was allowed. 



Even the most casual observer has not failed to note the striking 

 difference in the ability or inchnation of different colonies to clean out 



