SEPTEMBER 1, 1913 



619 



Heads of Grain from Different Fields 



Honey from Diseased Colonies ; Rendering up 

 Foul-broody Combs 



I wish you would be so kind as to give me the 

 following information: Do you think one is liable 

 to contaminate healthy colonies of bees by the use 

 of supers and fixtures in the production of comb 

 honey that have been used over colonies having 

 American foul brood — that is, if frames, supers, 

 and slats have been used over colonies, using new 

 sections and starters in the supers? Do you think 

 comb honey produced over a foul-brood colony has 

 the germs of foul brood in them ? Do you think it 

 is necessary to char or scorch the super boards used 

 over foul-brood colonies ? 



I should like information as to the best method 

 of separating honey and wax from diseased brood- 

 combs. I have no extractors or wax-press, but have 

 a fruit-press. 



Pittsburgh, Pa., July 30. G. L. Craig. 



[As a general thing it is wise to err on the safe 

 side. Any thing that has been in contact with a 

 diseased colony, especially combs or honey, is liable 

 to convey the disease if it is placed over or in con- 

 tact with a healthy colony. We say liable. We do 

 not mean by that that it is sure to do so; but it has 

 been customary on the part of producers to sell hon- 

 ey produced in sections or extracting-combs that 

 came from colonies having disease. Whether the 

 practice will be prohibited some time in the future 

 we do not know. Honey from a foul-broody colony 

 will not affect human beings ; but the danger is right 

 here : If the housewife or maid does not burn the 

 sections after the combs are cut out, and if she 

 tlirows those same sections into the garbage-can or 

 into the back yard, the chances are that the bees in 

 the vicinity will help themselves to the honey drip, 

 and thus carry the infection to their hives. 



Yes, comb honey produced over a foul-broody 

 colony may have the germs. 



It is advisable to scorch the inside of hives, supers, 

 and super-boards, not enough to char, but just enough 

 to blacken the wood that has come from infected 

 colonies. Our experience has shown that such hives 

 and hive parts may transmit bee disease. Some 25 

 years ago we were unable to clean up foul brood 

 where we shook back into the same hive; but we 

 had no trouble after the insides of those hives were 

 scalded out or scorched out. If you have combs 

 which are infected with foul brood they should be 

 removed from the hives, and frames of clean foun- 

 dation should be put in their place. The old combs 

 should then be extracted, and afterward melted up 

 in a wash-boiler containing hot water. Fork the 

 mass out with a stick after the combs are melted. 

 When you are through, burn the frames or subject 

 them to a further treatment in boiling water. But 

 we would advise you to destroy them, as the hot 

 water has a tendency to spoil them. 



The wax may be dipped off from the surface of 

 the slumgum. But a much better way is to cut the 

 combs out of the frames, put them in a burlap sack, 

 and weight them down under hot water. The sack 

 is then punched with a stick to break the combs 

 and free the wax. But such a method of rendering 

 is very wasteful ; and if you have very much of it 

 to do, you would save money by buying a regular 

 wax-press. The fruit-press you have would not be 

 heavy enough nor strong enough to squeeze the wax 

 out of refuse comb. When wax brings from 30 to 33 

 cts. per lb. it is well to get as much of it as possi- 

 ble. If you have only four or five colonies the wash- 

 boiler method may be good enough for the time be- 

 ing. But when through with the work be sure to 

 clean every thing thoroughly ; and the honey that is 

 extracted should be sealed at once in metal or glass 

 cans. To render it free from danger it should be 

 heated over a slow fire for at least twenty minutes 



— that is to say, it should boil for that length of 

 time. But such boiling will generally spoil honey 

 for purposes of marketing; and we should be afraid 

 to give it back to the bees for fear of starting dis- 

 ease again. — Ed.] 



Some Observations upon Winter Cases and Mois- 

 ture 



During the discussion of a paper relating to win- 

 tering, which I had the honor of reading at the 

 annual meeting of the New Jersey Beekeepers' As- 

 sociation, on Dec. 20 last, some light was thrown 

 upon the question of how the moisture in the hive is 

 disposed of under a sealed cover. 



I assumed that the hive walls are always colder 

 than the atmosphere in the hive, and that, conse- 

 quently, moisture is certain to condense thereon; 

 and if the wall surface is waterproofed, the water 

 of condensation will run down and out without 

 further harm. I also stated that water trickling 

 from the corners of the hive entrance is sufficient 

 evidence that things are operating in accordance 

 with my assumption. 



These propositions looked good until Mr. C. H. 

 Hoot, of Red Bank, who is probably the largest prac- 

 tical honey-producer in the State, asserted that he 

 never had any water coming from his hive en- 

 trances," and then asked, " How is the moisture dis- 

 posed of in such a case? " This was a poser until 

 Dr. Phillips gave the solution by saying " the mois- 

 ture is not condensed, but remains suspended in the 

 atmosphere as vapor, and passes out by way of the 

 entrance ill that form, the inside of the hive being 

 maintained at a temperature above the dew point," 

 which is the degree at which condensation takes 

 place. 



Now, it is plain that such a condition is excep- 

 tional; but having seen Mr. Root's winter-hive cases 

 I began to realize and appreciate their value and 

 effectiveness. They are certainly more effective than 

 anv double-walled hive so far brought forward. 



In the matter of winter protection, first cost may 

 decide what method to adopt ; but within reasonable 

 limits it may be wiser to consider effectiveness in the 

 long run as an offset to first cost. I can not state 

 the cost of these cases ; but it must be considerable. 

 They, however, last for years, and render full value 

 every season. Mr. Root stated that he may lose in 

 winter one, two, or three colonies among the 300, 

 more or less, which he has. This is certainly a most 

 remarkable record, and no stronger endorsement 

 of his method could be desired. 



A somewhat similar winter case vi:as described 

 and illustrated in Gleanings for Jan. 15, 1908. 

 Briefly described, Mr Root's case is made 4 to 6 

 inches deeper than a hive-body, and without top or 

 bottom. It has double walls four to five inches thick, 

 outside measure, and is packed with planer chips 

 or sawdust. It telescopes down around the hive-body 

 closely, and rests upon the hive-stand. When so 

 placed the vacant space above the sealed cover on 

 the brood-nest is packed full of leaves, and a regular 

 hive-cover is put on. Suitable provision is made in 

 the case for the entrance. During the summer these 

 cases are stacked up out of the way, with a hive- 

 cover on top. 



The advantage of such winter cases lies in the 

 fact of keeping the hive so very warm that positively 

 no moisture condenses anywhere, and consequently 

 no harm is done. Everything considered, it appears 

 there is in winter never any danger of keeping the 

 bees too warm out of doors. Then there is the other 

 advantage that there is no heavy or clumsy encum- 

 brance of the hive as with the permanent packed 

 double hive. Having operated a season with hives 

 having double walls 2 to 3 % inches thick, I appre- 

 ciate the greater convenience of the single-walled 



