492 



GhF.ANTNGS IN BEE CULTURE 



say that, during the years 1 have used those 

 cases, 1 have not one particle of evidence in 

 that direction. There are many conditions 

 which bring about a considerable variation 

 in the strength of colonies that are no evi- 

 dence of drifting. In the next place, with 

 the entrance in one case facing north and 

 south, and in the next east and west, and 

 the row of cases broken in that way, I do 

 not know of any better way of preventing 

 the drifting of bees. 



There is one thing I have noticed; and 

 that is. that the more anxious the bees are 



to get out of the hive, and the higher the 

 outside temperature, the more the bees will 

 drift, other things being equal. If bees 

 have been wintered poorly, owing to poor 

 stores or for some other reason, or if they 

 have been hauled in hot weather, a.s for 

 hauling to buckwheat, they will di'ift when 

 opened during daylight. I would ask if bees 

 drift when packed four hives in a case, and 

 the entrances changed every second case. 

 Under what conditions will they not drift? 

 I know of no better plan to prevent it. 

 Brantford, Canada. 



ANOTHER ONSLAUGHT ON AMERICAN FOUL BROOD 



BY JOS. J. ANDERSON 



On p. 586, July 15, 1916, I outlined some 

 very perplexing experiences with American 

 foul brood. 



I make this quotation : " A mile from my 

 two yards is an apiary where I know some 

 foul brood has existed. Have my bees car- 

 ried the disease from there after being shak- 

 en?" The editor comments: "In answer 

 to the last sentence we say, probably, yes. 

 We do not believe the recurrence of foul 

 brood in your yards was due to the fact 

 there was only one shaking instead of two, 

 or that the Baldridge plan was unsafe, al- 

 tho if one uses it he takes a little risk; but 

 if we had much disease in a yard we would 

 use it; for to destroy good brood in a 

 strong colony is a waste. By the Baldridge 

 plan this is all saved, except what is actual- 

 ly dead or diseased. 



" To sum up, it is possible that some of 

 this recurrence was due to the Baldridge 

 plan ; but we venture the assertion that 99 

 per cent, if not all, came from the yard a 

 mile away. We suggest that Mr. Anderson 

 buy out that yard or get his neighbor to 

 treat it. If two shakings are necessary to 

 make sure to cure American foul brood, we 

 are willing to be shown." 



With reference to the Baldridge plan, if 

 it is used at all, great care rnust be used to 

 see that the hive is absolutely bee-tight. 

 No opening anywhere cian be tolerated 

 where a single bee can enter the hive. Then 

 in.stead of the funnel I would suggest the 

 use of the bee-escape tacked over the auger- 

 hole, since I have discovered that bees will 

 enter the hive thru an eight-inch funnel, 

 tho the hole at the end be large enough for 

 only one bee to pass at a time. 



Now for a sequel to my former article : 

 July 3, finding the honey-fiow nicely start- 

 ed, I proceeded to treat the diseased bees. 

 I shook 103 colonies on this date as follows : 

 First, from each diseased colony I took all 



frames that contained no brood, tiering the 

 same up in the cellar away from danger of 

 being reached by the bees. Three helpers 

 made it possible to do this in a hurry, tho 

 there was not the least inclination to rob 

 on the part of the bees. The object of 

 removing these frames was to make the 

 work of actual shaking more rapid. While 

 doing this I marked tho weak colonies, some 

 twenty in number, on which I intended to 

 tier the brood. Here let m.e emphasize the 

 fact that, for treatment to be successful, 

 colonies must be very strong in bees, even 

 if it is necessary to double up. I remember 

 at one time treating seven colonies for a 

 neighbor. These were all shaken into two 

 hives, and they made rousing colonies that 

 stored a lot of surplus. This was seven or 

 eight years ago, and no sign of the disease 

 has since shown up in his yard. 



I next removed all brood from each colo- 

 ny, inserting one old empty comb. This 

 helps to keep the bees contented, so that 

 they are not as much inclined to swarm, out. 

 To avoid shaking out the honey which was 

 coming in heavily, I was forced to brush 

 the bees instead of shaking. I had previous- 

 ly prepared a lot of hive-covers by attach- 

 ing on the under side several narrow strips 

 of foundation. The process of removing 

 brood, brushing the combs, placing in the 

 old empty comb, and placing on the prepar- 

 ed cover, did not occupy over one minute 

 per colony. It is important that there be 

 sufficient help to remove frames, brush off 

 bees, and tier up the brood with the least 

 possible exposure. Notice that there was 

 no changing of luA'es at this shaking. 



On July 7 I administered the second 

 shaking, proceeding as folloAvs : 



A clean hive with full sheets of founda- 

 tion on wired frames was placed convenient- 

 ly near each colony to be shaken. The old 

 hive containing bees to be shaken was set 



