1900 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE. 



683 



form of fumigation, and put it on the market, 

 or store it away for better prices, and in a 

 short time see it all marred up by the little 

 destroyers, the wax-worms, is a problem that 

 I have never been able to solve. 



Just a few days ago I called at a place 

 where I saw a beautiful lot of honey, all nice- 

 ly filled out in the nobeeway sections ; but 

 when I picked a section up and inquired who 

 the producer was, I really become hot. Yes, 

 there it was, all over the face of the honey — 

 the little seams of powdered comb — something 

 I never saw on comb honey properly fumigat- 

 ed either with sulphur or bisulphide of car- 

 bon. The latter is preferred by me in prefer- 

 ence to any other, as it is a dead shot every 

 time, and easily applied ; and for the benefit 



of the bee keeping fraternity permit me to 

 give my meth^id, illustrated by a cut of my 

 fumigator, which now contains 48 combs of 

 honey. This honey is taken from colonies 

 that have swarmed. When making the change, 

 on the fifth day after returning the swarm, as 

 per my method, it is fumigated, and will be 

 stored away in my honey-room for spring feed- 

 ing. 



Having used bisulphide of carbon I will 

 guarantee that not a living worm or egg re- 

 mains within or about the 48 combs you ob- 



serve hanging in the fumigator. Thus by 

 looking at the cut any one can construct a 

 fumigator for a few cents. This one is 6 feet 

 and 4 inches high, 2034f inches wide, and 15 

 inches deep, inside measure, made from plow- 

 ed and grooved lumber, and as nearly air-tight 

 as possible. Cleats upon which the frames 

 rest are 1^ in. square lumber, and thorough- 

 ly nailed in place. The cleats uppn the side, 

 on which the door hangs, project out past the 

 binding, so that, when placing a frame in at 

 opposite sides, the frame rests on the cleat, 

 and pushes back. Each apartment holds ten 

 brood - frames having six compartments, in 

 which 60 combs can be fumigated at each 

 time, or 363 3>^X5X1>^ sections of comb hon- 

 ey at each fumigation. The cross-strip at the 

 door-button is a tie to keep the cupboard from 

 spreading. The board which you see full of 

 holes rests on side cleats, and is used for sec- 

 tion honey to rest on, also for spreading the 

 fumes evenly to the sections A perfect-fitting 

 door with a ^ hole at the bottom and top of 

 fumigator, with stoppers, completes one of the 

 most essential pieces of furniture belonging 

 to an apiary. 



When placing section honey in my fumiga- 

 tor I use two boards, one placed half way, as 

 there would be too much weight resting on the 

 lower sections if but one was used after plac- 

 ing on three tiers. I have a set of strips of thin 

 lumber, XXl, which I place over the top of 

 sections, spaced to rest on sections at corners ; 

 then I continue placing sections, leaving a 

 small space between the face of sections ; thus 

 a more thorough fumigation is achieved. 



To fumigate I place a Mason pint glass jar 

 as shown in cut, and pour in a small portion 

 of bisulphide of carbon, and close the door 

 and remove the stoppers from the top and bot- 

 tom, leaving it thus for an hour, the little 

 draft forcing the fumes to every section at the 

 same time, when the stoppers are replaced 

 and left for ten hours ; then remove the jar 

 containing the bisulphide ; close the door and 

 remove the stoppers, and remove your honey 

 at any time, with the assurance that no wax- 

 worms exist about it. Brood-combs require 

 at least 48 hours ; and, if badly infested with 

 the moth, pour a small portion of bisulphide 

 in a plate and set it on fire and close the fumi- 

 gator. Thus the fume is strengthened by the 

 fumes of carbonic acid and monoxide of car- 

 bon, which penetrates through the entire mass, 

 and every living germ is destroyed. Only 

 brood-combs are thus treated. 



Mr. Davenport, in his valuable article in 

 GivEANiNGS, page 564, makes mention of two 

 kinds of bisulphide of carbon. I think there 

 is but one — carbon disulphide or bisulphide 

 (sometimes called), inflammable, with strong 

 characteristic odor and aromatic taste. This 

 is more inflammable than ether, and great care 

 should be observed when using it. It also 

 should be kept in a dark cool place in well- 

 stoppered bottles. So far as bisulphide fumes 

 injuring comb honey, if so I have never been 

 able to discover it, nor have any of my pat- 

 rons ; and if properly used it is safe, effectual, 

 and valuable to apiarists, and a blessing. 



Reinersville, O., July 25. 



