20^ 



FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT OF^ THE, 



combs made out of the starters, and 

 give the bees full sheets of comb-foun- 

 dation, and feed plenty of sugar syrup 

 each evening, until every colony is in 

 first class order. Make the syrup out 

 of granulated sugar, putting one pound 

 of water to every pound of sugar, and 

 bring it to a boil. As previously stated, 

 all the old comb must be burned, or 

 made into wax, and so must all new 

 combs made during the four days. No 

 colony is cured of foul brood by the 

 use of any drug. 



A. I. Root, of Medina, Ohio, says: 

 "The starvation plan, in connection 

 with burning the combs and frames 

 and building the hives, has worked the 

 best in treating foul brood. It never 

 appeared after each treatment, though 

 it did in some cases where the hives 

 were honey-stained and not boiled, 

 thus comflrming the theory or fact of 

 \ spores.'" 



All the difference from the McEvory 

 treatment that I practice is this: I 

 dig a deep pit on level ground near 

 the diseased apiary, and after getting 

 a fire in the pit, such diseased combs, 

 frames, etc., as are to be burned are 

 burned in this pit in the evening, and 

 then the fresh earth from the pit re- 

 turned to cover all from sight. Often 

 I use some kerosene oil, a little at a 

 time being poured on old broodcombs, 

 or those having much honey in, as they 

 are hard to burn. If diseased combs 

 with honey in are burned on the sur- 

 face of. the soil, there is great danger; 

 the honey, when heated a little, will 

 run like water on the soil, and in the 

 morning the robber bees will be busy 

 taking home the diseased honey that 

 was not heated enough to kill germs 

 of foul brood. 



I also cage the queen while the bees 

 are on the five or six strips of founda- 

 tion. It helps to keep the colony from 

 deserting the hive and going to other 

 colonies. 



R. L. Taylor, Michigan University 

 Experimental Apiary, reports: "The 

 plan that the colony be shaken out 

 into another hive after being allowed 

 to build comb for four days, I have 

 proven, in 100 cases, to be unneces- 

 sary." 



In Wisconsin I, too, have cured sev- 

 eral cases by the one transferring, 

 when honey was not coming in very 

 freely, but it is better, and a great 

 saving of time to both bees and owner, 

 to exchange in three or four days. 



those foundation starters, for full 

 sheets of foundation. Diseased brood- 

 combs and those with honey in, if 

 melted in a sun or solar extractor, the 

 wax, honey or residue is not hot 

 enough to kill germs of foul brood. 

 This I have proven by several experi- 

 ments. It must be boiled and well 

 stirred while boiling, to be safe. 



I do not believe in, or practice, burn- 

 ing any property, such as hives, bees, 

 beeswax or honey, that can be safely 

 treated and saved. Many times it is 

 poor economy to save all, and so many 

 bee-keepers are not^so situated as to 

 keep all diseased material from rob- 

 ber bees while taking care of it; the 

 best and oly safe way is to burn the 

 diseased combs and frames. 



i Utah. 



Utah has county inspectors, and 

 from one who has remarkable success 

 I copy the report of his method of 

 treatment: 



"Wherever found it should be dealt 

 with earnestly and with dispatch. If the 

 colony is weak, I recommend something 

 to kill the bees, and, in order to 

 do this without letting a bee escape, 

 take a tablespoonful of sulphur and 

 place it in the hive entrance of the 

 hives; if there is any breeze, turn the 

 hive so it will blow in the entrance. 

 Then fire the sulphur and it will soon 

 kill the bees. This should be done 

 early in the morning, before any of the 

 bees are flying, as one bee escaping 

 fro mthe hive might carry the disease 

 to any colony with which it may take 

 up its abode. If the colony is a strong 

 one, I would keep the entrance partly 

 closed, so as to prevent any other bees 

 from getting in. Then as soon as fruit 

 blossoms come out so the bees can 

 obtain honey, I treat them. I procure 

 an empty box of any kind, so it is 

 clean, then find the queen, put her in 

 a screen wire cage, which is easily 

 made. Take a small piece of screen 

 roll it up and tie a string arond either 

 end; cork up one end, then place the 

 queen and a few workers, for company, 

 in the cage, and place in the other end 

 cork. Put same In this box, and shake 

 all the bees out of their hive into this 

 box. This must be done in the even- 

 ing, when no bees are flying. Keep the 

 queen in this box for 24 to 48 hours, 

 allowing the bees to fly in and out as 

 they please. Next take a clean hive, 

 with good, healthy combs or founda- 



