STATE bee-keepers' ASSOCIATION. 163 



Mr. Wheeler — Have you learned anything definitely this 

 last year about fumigating? 



Mr. France — I took one apiary badly infected where there 

 were several hundred combs, and from the fact that formal- 

 dehyde gas is one of the best disinfectants the medical world 

 has to-day, 'there wa^ a great possibility, and I had a box 

 made by one of the best carpenters, which was perfectly air- 

 tight, all jointed, and white lead put in the joints. I put in 

 that box quite a number of combs, leaving about an inch and 

 a ihalf space between each two combs. I had Mr. Weber's 

 lamp and followed his directions with one exception — I gave 

 twice the amount, and doubled the time in which it was fumi- 

 gated. I aired the combs, and two days later I put them back 

 into clean hives, put the bees back on those combs, and went 

 to Los Angeles to the National Convention; came home, went 

 immediately up there, and by the time I got back they had the 

 brood hatched. In about three-quarters of those hives I 

 found foul brood beginning to appear. I went to further in- 

 vestigation on !the case and I found this, that every frame I 

 had fumigated had here and there a cell that was capped over 

 at the time. Those that were not capped over the bees had 

 cleaned out,, and I could not see any foul brood, but where 

 they haki not taken that capping off, seemingly the chemical 

 properties of the acid had not destroyed the germs, and the 

 brood in those cells was diseased. So that if I were to fumi- 

 gate combs I should first uncap everything sealed and put it 

 in an extractor, and I would throw that brood till I was satis- 

 fied ,1 had thrown everything out of it possible, and then 

 fumigate it. There is a possibility, but bear in mind we are 

 running a great risk and I would not recommend it. I have 

 carefully weighed the combs, carefully weighed the wax ren- 

 dered from a set of combs, and considered the price of foun- 

 dation, and in Wisconsin we can change a hive infected with 

 did and black combs to comb foundation at the cost of 12 

 cents per colony. Why do we put any stress upon the loss 

 in that line? Those bees have as much new vigor and ambi- 

 tion to work on foundation, over the other one, as a boy has 

 over a new suit of clothes. 



Mr. Wheeler — We have heard a good deal about fumiga- 

 ting the hive with a spray; there is a man in California that 

 has practised that. He sprays the bottom-board and allows 

 the fumes to go up in the combs. 



Mr. France — I have tried that somewhat, but there is a 

 marked difference between California's dry atmosphere and 

 here. I question, with the experience I have had within the 

 last two years, if the hive is thoroughly clean that there is 

 any danger. I put the bees right back into the same hive on 

 comb foundation, land I have no trouble. 



Mr. Wheeler — Do you shake them out twice? 



Mr. France — Yes. I tried two apiaries by shaking once, 

 and -in the (majority -^of cases it cured it, but here and there 

 would be a case in an apiary where it did not, and it would 

 not be safe. W'e do not lose a great deal if we do this at 

 the beginning of the honey-flow. As an illustration, up in 



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