568 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



July 1 



CARBON BISULPHIDE AND ITS USES IN KILL- 

 ING BEE-MOTH. 



To what extent is carbon bisulphide be- 

 ing' used for wax-worms in comb honey? Is 

 it preferable to sulphur? In a box made 

 as nearly air-tight as possible, and to hold 

 100 lbs. of honey, give length of time and 

 directions for treatment. Are not the fumes 

 of carbon bisulphide, when inhaled, poison- 

 ous to people? and is there not considerable 

 danger from this source? 



Clarence T. Cole. 



Solsville, N. Y., June 14. 



[The use of carbon bisulphide is compar- 

 atively new in bee culture, for it is only 

 during the last two or three years that it 

 has received any attention whatever in the 

 bee journals. At the last National conven- 

 tion in Buffalo it was up for extended dis- 

 cussion, during which several leading bee- 

 keepers, including Prof. Frank Benton, of 

 the Department of Agriculture; Sec. A. B. 

 Mason, and several others testified to the 

 effectiveness of the drug for killing the 

 moth-worm, and even moth-eggs, in combs. 

 Experience has shown that a good sulphur-" 

 ing will not always kill the moth-worms — 

 the big hearty fat ones that wiggle around 

 so disgustingly — nor the eg-gs. But it was 

 shown at Buffalo that the bisulphide, when 

 properly applied, is much more effective, 

 and is far less trouble. 



Perhaps the best way of using it is to put 

 the wormy combs, spaced about an inch 

 apart, in a series of live or six hive-bodies. 

 These should be stacked up one above the 

 other, on a tight bottom-board. On top of 

 the upper set of combs (never under) should 

 be placed a saucerful of the bisulphide, 

 and, over all, a super or cover that fits 

 tight. As the fumes of the drug are con- 

 siderably heavier than air, they will grad- 

 ually descend all through and among the 

 combs, killing every worm and even the 

 eggs, so it is said. 



We have had no wormy combs in our api- 

 ary for so many years that we have had no 

 opportunity to test this new agent ; but 

 when good reliable men testify to its effec- 

 tiveness as compared with brimstoning, I 

 think we may safely conclude that it is all 

 right. Of course, the combs can be " bi- 

 sulphided " in a room if the door is shut 

 tight ; but a much larger quantit3' of the 

 drug would have to be used in that case. 



But the most serious objection to using it 

 inside of a building is its awful explosive- 

 ness. I have taken a teaspoonful of it and 

 poured it into a little dish, and lighted a 

 match and threw it into the dish at a dis- 

 tance of six feet. While there was no dis- 

 tinct bang, like the'crack of a gun, it gives 

 an awful puff; and from the way it " went 

 off " I should conclude that a saucerful of 

 it evaporat«ed in a closed room 8X10 would 

 wreck it completely. It is, therefore, very 

 necessary that it be used outdoors or in 

 some inclosure where no great damage will 

 be done in case of an explosion. 



I once used bisulphide of carbon myself 



inside of an inclosed room of a church to 

 kill wasps and hornets that had come in 

 over the window and established their head- 

 quarters. At that time, for the purpose of 

 experiment, I inhaled the fumes of it ; and, 

 while it made me feel slightly dizzy, I 

 should not be at all afraid of handling it 

 under ordinary circumstances — not even in- 

 doors — that is, providing I could feel sure 

 that no fire were present. 



It is well, however, to avoid inhaling the 

 gas, as I am told it is liable to cause head- 

 ache as well as dizziness. 



Bisulphide of carbon can be obtained at 

 drugstores in self-sealing tin cans retailing 

 anywhere from 25 to 50 cents. The 25-cent 

 package will take care of several hundred 

 combs. — Ed.] 



THAT TOBACCO QUESTION. 



Friejid Ernest Root: — As much as I value 

 what your father has written on the tobac- 

 co question from time to time, I think what 

 you have said on page 509 is the best thing 

 I ever saw on the subject; that is, it is the 

 most practical argument against the use of 

 tobacco, which is expensive and unnecessa- 

 ry. My sentiments in regard to the use of 

 it are exactly in line with yours, and I am 

 happy to say that my only son, who is now 

 21 years of age, is firmly established on 

 the right road — the road of clean habits 

 and thrift. I know full well that the dan- 

 ger period in reference to these bad and ex- 

 pensive habits is in early boyhood. M}' boy 

 has passed the danger period unscathed, 

 and I have no fears for your boy after read- 

 ing what you said. I think sometimes that 

 a boy is the most cruel of all masters. He 

 will thoughtlessly and ruthlessly bind 

 heavy burdens on his future manhood that 

 must be borne to the grave. 



The aches, the pains, the sad resrets, 

 The heavy chains of habit borne, 



Are but thedebt that must be paid 

 To selfish childhood's youthful scorn. 



June 23. Harry Lathrop. 



COCKROACHES — HOW TO GET RID OF THEM. 



What do you do when hives are troubled 

 with cockroaches? They will run down 

 among the bees and hide, and it is almost 

 impossible to destroy them. If many, they 

 eat the honey as fast as the bees bring it 

 in. W. W. CozART. 



Dutchville, N. C, May 31. 



[I have never heard that cockroaches did 

 any serious damage, although I supposed 

 they were qtiite annoying at times. Per- 

 haps some of our friends who are located 

 in the South will be able to tell how these 

 bee-enemies can be disposed of. — Ed.] 



BLOOD WILL TELL. 



I have a queen from J. P. Moore that I 

 got in June, 1901, and put her on four 

 frames of hatching brood when she arrived. 

 She built up a strong colony, and it gave 

 the best yield of extracted honey from the 



