X 



264 



is avoided, and the normal working of the colony is 

 not disturbed. 



Recoimnendalimis for Autmim. 



Apart from those cases in which the presence of 

 disease has become evident in autumn, and as regards 

 which I have already recommended destruction, there 

 are those others where the parasite is present to a lesser 

 extent, and external symptoms are not evident. A 

 proportion of such stocks will survive the winter, and 

 thus be the means of continuing the disease into the 

 following spring unless before that time the parasites 

 have been destroyed. Since however the general body 

 of beekeepers cannot distinguish such stocks from clean 

 ones, it is therefore recommended that after foraging 

 and breeding has largely ceased, but before the bees 

 have settled to form their winter cluster, the following 

 routine should be carried out with all stocks. 



1. Fumigation, (a) With sulphur in smoker. The 

 material may be prepared simply by sprinkling flowers 

 of sulphur on the usual smoking material. Corrugated 

 paper is very satisfactory for the purpose. There should 

 be a daily routine of this nature for at least a week, and 

 again at intervals of a few days until the bees settle for 

 winter. At dusk, a few puffs of the sulphur smoke 

 should be blown in strongly from the top of the frames, 

 and the hive quickly closed down while the door is 

 contracted. The fumigation should be carried out by 

 a beekeeper sufficiently experienced as to be able to 

 avoid overcoming the bees and yet give the maximum 

 safe dose. A limited amount of loss of older or weaker 

 bees — possibly infested members of the colony^ — should 

 not be regretted. 



(b) With Sulphur and Nitre. A variation of the 

 foregoing procedure which, though a slightly more 

 expensive method of preparation is one which gives a 

 smoke of more uniform composition and on the whole 

 better results. It is to use corrugated paper, made up 

 in a roll to fit the smoker, and treated as follows : 



