1910 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



25 



phenyle (orcreolin), izal, eucalyptus, camphor, naph- 

 thaline, etc., which evaporate at the ordinary temper- 

 ature of the hive, and whose vapors, while not actual- 

 y killing the bacilli, arrest their increase or growth. 



When it is remembered that this is appar- 

 ently recommended without any knowledge 

 as to the cause of any brood disease, it will 

 not be taken seriously. Surely no American 

 bee-keeper would entertain any hope from 

 such a treatment. 



It is wise at times to cast up accounts to 

 see where we stand. Let us look over the 

 field of bee disease treatment to see what 

 we know and do not know. 



We know from the experience of hundreds 

 of bee-keepers for years past that the shak- 

 ing treatment will enable the bee-keeper to 

 keep either disease under control so that he 

 can remain in the business and make money 

 out of it, if the seasons permit. This treat- 

 ment consists of removing all combs, honey, 

 pollen, and brood from the colony and put- 

 ting the bees on foundation, compelling 

 them to replace their comb, rear new brood, 

 and gather new stores. By this means the 

 diseased material is removed, and the con- 

 taminated honey and pollen which we con- 

 sider as the carrying agents are no longer 

 available to feed to the brood. We do not' 

 know what becomes of bacteria which may 

 be carried over in the honey in their honey- 

 stomachs, or possibly even on the outside of 

 their bodies. We do not know when it is 

 safe to use full sheets of foundation and 

 when we should use only starters. There 

 are many other points variously surmised 

 which are not yet settled, and we must con- 

 tent ourselves with the fact that, if a dis- 

 eased colony is shaken from its combs to a 

 clean hive on starters of foundation, the dis- 

 ease rarely reappears. Starters of founda- 

 tion are here specified, largely because re- 

 ports would indicate a larger percentage of 

 successes when they are used. If all work- 

 er comb is desired, the bees may be given 

 full sheets of foundation later. 



We do not yet know just when or how it 

 is best to shake in order to meet with the 

 least financial loss, and this is one point 

 which must be thoroughly investigated. Ten 

 frames of Langstroth size will probably con- 

 tain, on an average, four pounds of wax; 

 and to shake the bees so that they will se- 

 crete this wax with the least consumption of 

 time and stores is a problem of great impor- 

 tance. Probablv a more important point is 

 to devise a way by which the bee-keeper can 

 get out of the combs all the v/ax in them. 

 Our present methods of wax extraction are 

 exceedingly crude, and we are annually los- 

 ing a great deal of wax by the use of the 

 wax-presses now commonly employed. 



We do not know whether it is always nec- 

 essary to disinfect the hive or not; but to be 

 on the safe side we should continue to do it 

 until we know that it is not necessary. Since 

 chemical disinfectants do not promise any 

 results for American foul brood, and since 

 we do not know the cause of European foul 

 brood, we can be sure of complete disinfec- 

 tion by 'burning out the hives. If this is 



done carefully it does not injure the hive. 

 In the field work of the Bureau of Entomol- 

 ogy a blue-flame torch such as is used in re- 

 moving paints has been found very satis- 

 factory. 



We do not know of any antiseptic which 

 can be fed in syrup or given in any other 

 manner which will cure the disease. Neither 

 do we know of anv method by which combs 

 can be disinfected by fumigation or otherwise 

 to insure success. Until careful bacteriologi- 

 cal work has demonstrated the value of any 

 such method it would be folly to put any re- 

 liance in it. Furthermore the experience of 

 most American-bee-keepers up to the present 

 has shown that antiseptic feedings and fumi- 

 gations which have been tried are not of the 

 value attributed to them. It would, there- 

 fore, be unwise to recommend them. 



The logical practical treatment for both of 

 the diseases under discussion would, there- 

 fore, appear to be the shaking method. Un- 

 til something better is devised, this is the 

 only treatment which we can recommend. 

 When our knowledge of the causes of the 

 two diseases is more complete, it is to be 

 hoped that we can find something better. It 

 is also to be hoped that the present weak 

 points in the shaking treatment may be 

 strengthened by work which will give us in- 

 formation whereby we can decrease the ex- 

 pense of shaking. The main conclusion 

 which we can draw from a study of treat- 

 ment is that there is still much to learn. 



So far I have discussed the subject of con- 

 trol from the standpoint of the individual 

 bee-keeper. We have learned, however, 

 that individual action is not enough, and that 

 co-operation and outside aid are tne essential 

 points in a rational control of foul brood. 

 Although this portion of the subject of dis- 

 ease work is not specifically assigned to me, 

 I shall ask your indulgence for a few moments 

 longer on some phases of this problem which 

 occur to me as a result of some recent ex- 

 periments of the Bureau of Entomology. 



The work of the various States in provid- 

 ing inspection of apiaries is of great value to 

 the bee-keeping industry, and an earnest ef- 

 fort should be made to have proper laws 

 ;^assed where they are needed. In several 

 States such movements are now on foot. 

 When such laws are passed, however, we 

 can not afford to believe that the problem is 

 settled. It has only begun, and the State in- 

 spector can not be expected to do all that re- 

 mains to be done. 



The element of the work in controlling dis- 

 ease which will require the most labor is the 

 educational feature. It is really remarkable, 

 after all that has been written, how many 

 bee-keepers do not know that there are any 

 diseases of the bee. 



The first step in this work is to learn just 

 where the diseases exist. This phase of dis- 

 ease work has been neglected in this country, 

 and no concerted effort has been made to 

 establish the necessary facts. During the 

 summer just closing, the Bureau of Ento- 

 mology made a greater effort to locate dis- 

 eases; and in all, we have examined nearly 



