234 



Gleanings in Bee Culture 



J. B. Holsinger's apiary in tlie outskirts of Jolinstown, Pa. 



reappeared in the fall, and in the spring I 

 found both colonies affected, and treated 

 them as follows, from ideas I got from .1. E. 

 Hand and Geo. M. Steele. 



On .June 20 I set one colony on top of the 

 other on one end of Hand's switch bottom- 

 board, and took both queens away. On the 

 other end of the switch bottom-board I plac- 

 ed a wood-and-zioc queen-excluder, and on 

 this a hive with full sheets of foundation in 

 frames. I then shifted the switch lever; 

 and when a goodly number of bees were in 

 the new hive I ran one of the queens in at 

 the top and put two tubes, 8 inches long, 

 back of the lever, with holes large enough 

 for drones to pass; but they became clogged 

 with drones that the bees were removing, so 

 I removed the tubes and used a Porter bee- 

 escape instead, which worked all right. I 

 removed the queen-excluder from under the 

 hive after four days, and soon had a power- 

 ful colony of bees in the new hive, with a 

 good-sized swarm hanging out until I open- 

 ed the side entrance. I am not sure, how- 

 ever, that the queen-excluder was necessary. 

 Four days later I put on the first super, and 

 a week later I put on a super that was well 

 started by one of the colonies before treat- 

 ment. This was rather risky; but as the 

 honey-flow was good I think it is all right, 

 as up to Oct. 20 there were no signs of dis- 

 ease. About 30 days after treatment I re- 

 moved the diseased hive and used a little 

 sulphur to destroy the few remaining bees, 

 when the combs were destroyed and the 

 frames boiled in a strong solution of concen- 

 trated lye and rinsed in hot water, which 

 made them like new. 



From this colony I took 158 well-filled 

 sections of honey. I am so well pleased 

 with the switch bottom-board that I expect 

 to use it on each stand another season. I 

 am aware that sr me mal<e light of this use- 



Super of honey taken ofT early in September. 



