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G L !•: A N I N (I S IN B K E C \J h T U R E 



535 



fed b:ick to the bees ;iftor it lias been ster- 

 ilized by boiling it in a closed vessel for 

 30 minutes, first diluting it by adding 

 about equal parts of water to the honey. 

 If til ere are only a few colonies to bo 

 treated, it does not pay to try to save the 

 honey. The wax in the combs can be saved 

 Ity rendering them if the beekeeper is 

 iM|uipped to do this, but those who are not 

 willing to take great care in doing this 

 should burn the combs or they may spread 

 the disease among other colonies. 



The best time for treating colonies hav- 

 ing American foul brood is at the beginning 

 of the honey flow, for then they build the 

 new I'ombs readih^ and should be able to 

 store enough honey for winter. Where there 

 is a fall honey flow colonies can successfully 

 be treated now; but, if there is no fall 

 hone}' flow, colonies having this disease at 

 this time may as well be destroyed, especial- 

 ly if but one or two diseased colonies are 

 found in an apiary. If the bees are in an 

 old, wortliless hive, the hive, bees and all 

 can be carried away in the evening after 

 the bees are all at home, placed on top of 

 a brush pile and burned. 



To treat a colony having American foul 

 brood, set its hive off of its stand and put 

 another hive in its place, the new hive being 

 equipped with narrow strips of foundation. 

 Xow take on the combs of the diseased col: 

 ony and shake the bees from each, shaking 

 them upon a newspaper placed in front of the 

 new hive so arranged that the bees will enter 

 the new hive as they are shaken from the 

 combs. When the bees have been shaken 

 from all of the combs, those which cling to 

 the old hive should be dumped in front of 

 the new hive. The combs should be burned 

 or melted immediately unless several colo- 

 nies are to be treated, in which case the 

 combs can be placed in an extra hive-body 

 and put on top of one of the diseased colo- 

 nies which is to be treated three weeks 

 later after the brood has emerged. Only the 

 most careful beekeepers should attempt to 

 save the brood in this way. 



As soon as the bees have all been trans- 

 ferred to the new hive every part of the 

 old hive should be taken away and thor- 

 oughly cleaned on the inside, to be sure that 

 not a particle of honey can remain on the 

 walls of the hive. Before being used again 

 it is well to scorch the inside of the old 

 hive by means of a painter's torch or by 

 pouring kerosene on the walls, and then 

 burning it off, being sure to put on the 

 cover to smother the fire before the wood 

 is burned. 



A queen-trap or an entrance-guard sliould 

 be placed over the entrance of the new hive 

 Tor a few days to prevent the escape of the 

 queen, if the colony should swarm out after 

 treatment as they often do. 



The treatment for European foul biood is 

 quite a different matter. This disease is 

 controlled Inrgely by keeping the colonics 

 strong, especially in the spring, and keep- 

 ing only a good resistant strain of Italian 



bees. If the disease develops under these 

 conditions, dequeening for 10 or 20 days, 

 and then requeening with a young Italian 

 queen is usually sufficient. 



Liquid Capacity and Honey Capacity of Jars. 



Question. — What is the difference between the 

 liquid capacity and the honey capacity of jars? 

 Tlie liquid capacity of a jar holding one pound 

 of honey, net weight, would be 12 ounces ac- 

 cording to my understanding; therefore a jar 

 having a 10-ounce or 11-ounce liquid capacity is 

 too scant. Am I right? Josei)hine Morse. 



Massachusetts. 



Answer. — The liquid capacity is figured 

 on the basis of pure water, and, since the 

 specific gravity of honey is nearly 1..5 or 

 one and a half times as heavy as water, the 

 honey capacity of any container can be fig- 

 ured by multiplying the given liquid capac- 

 ity by 1^. A jar of 12-oz. liquid capacity 

 would therefore hold between 17 oz. and 18 

 oz. of honey. A 10-oz. jar liquid capacity 

 would hold 15 oz. or a little less of honey. 

 A 11-oz. jar liquid capacity would be just 

 about right for 1 pound of honey. A 9i/4- 

 oz. jar liquid capacity is just right to hold 

 14 oz. of honey. 



Italianizing Late in the Season. 



Question. — Is the first of September too late to 

 Italianize my bees ? Walter Steen. 



Virginia. 



Answer.— The first of September is not 

 too late to Italianize, but it is a little too 

 late to obtain the full benefit of having a 

 young queen during the fall brood-rearing 

 period when the bees that survive the win- 

 ter should be reared. By requeening in July 

 or early in August with young Italian 

 queens you not only Italianize your colo- 

 nies but also secure better colonies for win- 

 ter, if in doing this an old queen is replaced, 

 for the young queen will lay more eggs in 

 August and September than an old one. The 

 bees that are in the hives now are not the 

 ones that form the winter colony since they 

 will all die of old age before winter really 

 begins; hence the importance of having a 

 young queen during August and September. 



Appearance of Unripe Honey. ' 



Question. — What is the appearance of unripe 

 honey? W. Burden. 



New York. 



Answer. — While still in the combs, the 

 unripe honey is in cells that are not capped, 

 snd if still quite thin it can be shaken out 

 of the combs or it may spill out of the 

 cells if the combs are held in a horizontal 

 position. Newly gathered nectar is not al- 

 A'ays so thin as this, however, especially in 

 a dry climate or during a dry season. If 

 extracted before it is ripened, honey is 

 thinner than when it is well ripened and 

 weighs less than 12 pounds to the gallon. 

 Well-ripened honey weighs nearly 12 pounds 

 to the gallon or nearly 1^2 pounds to the 

 pint. Unripe honey, if kept for some time, 

 usually begins to ferment. Wlien it docs 

 this the flavor is impaired and often the 

 cans l)ecoino swollen, sometimes even burst- 

 ing. 



