586 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



SOME UNSATISFACTORY EXPERIENCE IN CURING FOUL BROOD BY 



THE BALDRIDGE PLAN 



BY JOSEPH J. ANDERSON 



I.ast season when I had a very heavy 

 percentage of American foul brood among' 

 my colonies in three yards I decided to 

 shake every colony in these yards (more 

 than three hundred), as I hoped to get rid 

 of the disease at one stroke. This I did at 

 the beginning of the honey-flow. I got a 

 fine crop of first-class honej^, and about two 

 tons of beautiful wax. 



The gi^eatest care was used in handling 

 combs and in rendering the wax. The melt- 

 ing was all done during a heavy honey-flow. 

 A few of the combs were filled with honey, 

 this was extracted, and strong formalde- 

 hyde used in disinfecting the extractor-tank 

 and tools. I got a splendid lot of fine new 

 combs drawn out. 



However, I made only one shaking, put- 

 ting the bees on full sheets of foundation. 

 With some of the colonies, perhaps a third, 

 ] used the modified Baldridge plan, as de- 

 scribed in one of the June issues of Glean- 

 ings of last year. I used funnel-shaped tin 

 tubes about 8 inches long, with the end 

 opening only large enough to permit one 

 bee to pass out at a time. I set the diseased 

 hive at right angles to the new one, with 

 the end of the tube about two inches above 

 the entrance, according to the orthodox 

 method. But the bees defied all rules, and 

 passed into the hive as well as out through 

 the tube. 



In my first inspection this spring I dis- 

 covered twenty-six eases among those treat- 

 ed last summer. 



•I was disposed to lay my troubles to the 

 Baldridge plan, which I now denominate 

 the tin-horn method, since the one yard 

 where I did not use this plan showed no 

 recun'ence. 



We have had rains, clouds, and wind the 

 last two weeks, so that no work could be 

 done among the bees. Three days ago, May 

 16, we got a few hours of sunshine, and I 

 started to inspect the second time. I exam- 

 ined four and found the infection in each 

 one — only a cell or two — but it was there 

 sure enough. Perhaps when I get to the 

 yard where I did not use the Baldridge plan 

 I shall find the infection, although at the 

 first inspection I passed all as clean. 



The query I am putting to myself is this : 

 Are my troubles due to the use of the Bald- 

 ridge plan or to the single shake or both? 

 Perhaps had I shaken twice my colonies 

 would ha\e been clear of the infection. My 

 experience with foul brood teaches that. 



while one knows a colony is diseased Avhen 

 he sees the symptoms, he can never be ab- 

 solutely certain that a colony is not infect- 

 ed, since a single c^ll containing the disease 

 may be overlooked, no matter how careful 

 the inspection. A second inspection may 

 reveal the trouble as in the case of the four 

 colonies. 



"Where am T?" is the big question now. 

 If T am anywhere, how shall I proceed? I 

 may and will treat the diseased colonies, 

 bringing them in to the home yard where 

 I have a cellar and other equipment for 

 handling the infected combs. 



But when I do this, am I certain no more 

 infection exists among the rest? Shall I 

 proceed to make ray increase artificially as 

 hitherto, thus incidentally eliminating al- 

 most absolutelj- all swarming? Or shall I 

 let the bees swarm to avoid the chance of 

 spreading disease? How much danger is 

 there of a swarm from an infected colony 

 developing foul brood when hived on full 

 sheets of foundation? Of one thing I am 

 certain, I shall do no more fooling with the 

 Baldridge plan, modified or otherwise. 



There is a strong feeling among many 

 prominent beemen that the only efficient 

 way of treating foul brood is to burn up 

 brood, hive and all. But when I reflect that 

 these men do not get rid of foul brood, but 

 have to burn every year, I am led to believe 

 that shaking properly done is just as ef- 

 fectual, and certainly far less expensive. 



It seems that foul brood is with us to 

 stay, and that it can never be completely 

 eradicated. 



A second inspection has shown thirteen 

 cases recurring among the bees (75 colo- 

 nies) above referred to, where I did not use 

 the Baldridge plan, and 100 cases among 

 those 160 colonies where I did use it some- 

 what. A mile from my two yards is an 

 apiary where I know some foul brood has 

 existed. Have my bees carried the disease 

 from there after being shaken? 



Salem, Idaho. 



[Last winter we spent a couple of days 

 with Mr. J. J. Anderson ; and during that 

 time we looked over two of his outyards 

 that had been placed in winter quarters. 

 Pictures of these will be given in September 

 or October. It is sufficient to state that Mr. 

 Anderson is one of the most successful 

 conib-hoiiey producers in the United States. 

 The ci'iticism cannot be made that he did 

 not follow directions for treating foul 



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