220 



THE AMERICAN APICULTURIST. 



upper story, while the hive was 

 disinfected by the atomizer. It ap- 

 pears that the bees had labor and 

 time enough to cleanse their bodies 

 from the spores of the disease and 

 honey enough to bury them all. 

 Objections may be raised that a 

 swarm might issue. So it may. 

 But the danger is less with Italian 

 bees than with blacks. A removal 

 of their combs and hive seems to 

 have completed the cure. 



At the beginning of this last 

 honey season (June '84), I discov- 

 ered again two colonies affected 

 with foul brood. Honey came in 

 pretty lively. These two colonies 

 were subjected to the same treat- 

 ment as the colony of the previous 

 season and the same result was ob- 

 tained. The success in each one of 

 those three cases was complete as I 

 examined them carefully before I 

 commenced this article. No sali- 

 cylic acid had been used excepting 

 that the bottoms of the new hives 

 were sprayed with the atomizer. 

 My experience with those three 

 hives may not warrant a success in 

 every instance. Why should it, 

 when neither two cases nor two bee- 

 keepers, in their manipulations, are 

 alike? But it may prove a valua- 

 ble hint to a number of our friends. 



When many colonies in a large 

 apiary are diseased, it would be a 

 serious loss and labor to brimstone 

 all while the remedy mentioned 

 above would be in no comparison 

 to either. Again, it would be folly 

 to resort to it in any case when the 

 colony is weak in numbers. 



Old hives with cracks and crevi- 

 ces should be burnt up, while good 



hives may be disinfected ; to do 

 which, I proceed as follows : by 

 the means of a paint brush or a 

 good atomizer I dampen, with the 

 disinfectant, the inside, top, front 

 and most of the outside of the 

 brood chamber, scrape it clean and 

 dampen again. Not a crevice must 

 be missed. If two stories were 

 used, I disinfect the whole. My 

 disinfectant is the same as given on 

 page 24, "Practical Hints," viz. : 16 

 gr. salicylic acid, 16 gr. soda borax 

 and one ounce of water. For appli- 

 cation to brood combs with larvae 

 this mixture Is too strong ; 100 per 

 cent of water should be added. 



To those who have not yet ap- 

 plied brimstone but wish to do so, 

 the following may be of use : con- 

 fine your bees to the lower story. 

 After dark, when all are in, close 

 up the entrance, take the cover from 

 the brood chamber, place a brick 

 bat (or its equivalent) on the 

 frames on which to set some tin 

 plates with the sulphur, light it, 

 put second story on and cover up. 

 Sulphur fume, being heavier than 

 air, settles slowly but surely and 

 in a few minutes every bee is gone. 



The greatest point to keep in 

 view, with any treatment we may 

 adopt, is to put out of existence at 

 once all and everything which has 

 belonged to the diseased colony or 

 colonies. Implements used as well 

 as your hands should be disinfected 

 before you proceed to handle a 

 healthy colony. 



Cincinnati, Sept. 23, 1884. 



