208 



THE AMERICAN BEE-KEEPER 



September, 



the moonlight. At this time we have 

 little to fear from, robbers or from in- 

 fected bees fljang to healthy colonies. 



The method of procedure is about as 

 follows: 



Spread the canvas over the old stand 

 place the hive on the canvas. Gently 

 shake the bees of the old combs into 

 the hive, and brush all the bees of 

 the old combs into the hive body. Re- 

 move the hive from the canvas, which 

 should be gathered up by the corners 

 in order to allow the bees to be shak- 

 en from it into the hive; then add the 

 frames of foundation starters. Be 

 sure that every bee is secured and 

 placed in the hive, for a single escap- 

 ing bee might fly to a neighboring hive 

 and infect the colony. 



During the whole operation care 

 must be exercised to prevent robbing. 

 Before the work is done, all scattering 

 drops of honey must be removed by 

 washing with the corrosive sublimate 

 and all bits of comb must be picked 

 up. Never let one drop of honey get 

 away to infect other colonies. 



When you have a set of combs part- 

 ly full of honey, it seems a sin to de- 

 stroy them, but unless you have up- 

 wards of ten colonies to treat, it will 

 not pay to try to save an ounce of 

 honey or wax. If you are a careful 

 person you may make the combs into 

 wax, and the honey may be saved by 

 adding a little water and keeping it at 

 the polling point for two hours. 



The old hive bodies may be scraped, 

 the scrapings burned, and the inside 

 painted with kerosene and set on fire. 

 When it gets to burning well, throw in 

 about two tablespoonfuls of water and 

 and clap on the cover. The water will 

 l30 turned to steam and this will scald 

 the inside of the hive. 



If this operation be performed with 

 sufficient care, the colony will be free 

 from the disease, but it will require 

 close attention and the best of care 

 because of* the tender condition in 

 Avhich the bees will be after the severe 

 treatment, and the discouragement fol- 

 lowing the loss of all thoir brood. This 

 treatment may be used at any time 

 dui-ing the summer but preferably 

 when honey is coming, as the danger 

 fi-ora robbing is then at a minimum. 

 There are doubtless many instances 



where a mild case of foul brood is 

 taken for chilled brood, and it is possi- 

 ble that a case of foul brood may ap- 

 pear in a mild form early in the 

 spring, and then disappear as the sum- 

 mer opens, only to reappear later in 

 the season. It is possible that this 

 state of things is due to the fact that 

 the honey in the cells is infected with 

 the germs, and when the spring honey 

 begins to come in freely, it is used to 

 feed the brood, which spring honey be- 

 ing free from germs, is eaten by the 

 brood with impunity until the combs 

 become full of healthy brood and the 

 dead larvae nearly disappear. 



Perhaps the favorable condition for 

 the spread of the disease occurs when 

 it becomes present in the yard of the 

 bee-keeper who does not examine his 

 colonies frequently. A colony becomes 

 weakened from the failure of the 

 brood to mature and the keeper may 

 not know that anything is wrong witB 

 the colony. Soon the honey flow stops 

 and robbing commences. Weak colo- 

 nies are attacked fii'St and in this way 

 honey from this weak, diseased colony 

 is taken to nearly everj- hive in the 

 yard and especially to the stronger 

 ones with disastrous results. 



The extractor is an important factor 

 in spreading the disease. A case of 

 extracted combs, taken from a dis- 

 eased colony, and after extraction put 

 back into half a dozen diilerent hives, 

 may bring infection to each of them. 



Another way _ in which the apiary 

 may become infected is by the care- 

 lessness of the owner. Combs, partly 

 filled with honey or brood are left ly- 

 ing on the top of the hive "for the 

 bees to clean up." The waste from 

 the wax extractor is thrown out where 

 the bees can have access to it. A hive 

 ill which the colony has died is not at 

 once taken out of the reach of the 

 bees, but allowed to stand in the yard 

 and the entrance of the bees not fully 

 prevented. This is wrong. Even if 

 there were no danger from disease, the 

 hive should be closed as soon as the 

 colony is dead, and the refuse from 

 the wax extractor burned, never leav- 

 ing it where the bees can get at it 

 such carelessness encourages robbing 

 and is an important factor in the 

 spread of the disease. The extractor 



