192 



NINTH ANNUAL, REPORT OF THE 



no longer available to feed to the 

 brood. We do not know what be- 

 comes of bacteria which may oe car- 

 ried over In the honey in their honey 

 stomachs or possibly even on the out- 

 side of their bodies. We do not know 

 when it is safe to use full sheets of 

 foundation and when we should use 

 only starters. There are many other 

 points variously surmised which are 

 not yet settled and we must content 

 ourselves with the fact that it a ctis- 

 eased colony is shaken from its combs 

 to a clean hive on starters of founda- 

 tion, the disease rarely reappears. 

 Starters of foundation are here speci- 

 fied largely because reports would in- 

 dicate a larger percentage of suc- 

 cesses when they are used. If all 

 worker comb is desired the bees may 

 be given fuU sheets of foundation later. 



We do not yet know just when or 

 how it is best to shake in order to 

 meet with the least financial loss and 

 this is one point which must be thor- 

 oughly investigated. Ten frames of 

 Langstroth size will probably contain, 

 on an average, four pounds of wax 

 and to shake the bees so that they 

 will secrete this wax with the least 

 consumption of time and stores is a 

 problem of great importance. Prob- 

 ably a more important point is to de- 

 vise a way by which the bee-keeper 

 can get out of the combs all the wax 

 in^them. Our present methods of wax 

 extraction are exceedingly crude and 

 we are annually losing a great deal of 

 wax by the use of the wax presses 

 now commonly employed. 



We do not know whether it is al- 

 ways necessary to disinfect the hive 

 or not but to be on the safe side we 

 should continue to do it until we know 

 that it is not necessary. Since chemi- 

 cal disinfectants do not promise any 

 results for American foul brood and 

 since we do not know the cause of 

 European foul brood, we can be sure 

 of complete disinfection by burning 

 out the hives. If this is done care- 

 fully, it does not injure the hive. In 

 the field work of the Bureau of Ento- 

 mology a blue flame torch such as is 

 used in removing paints has been found 

 very satisfactory. 



We do not know of any antiseptic 

 which can Ije fed in syrup or given in 

 any other rnanner which will cure the 

 disease. Neither do we know of any 

 method by which combs can be dis- 

 infected by fumigation or otherwise to 



insure success. Until careful bacter- 

 iological work has demonstrated the 

 value of any such method it would be 

 folly to put any reliance in it. Fur- 

 thermore the experience of most 

 American bee-keepers up to the pres- 

 ent has shown that antiseptic feed- 

 ings and fumigations which have been 

 tried are not of the value attributed 

 to them. It would therefore be un- 

 wise to recommend them. 



The logical practical treatment for 

 both of the diseases under discussion 

 would, therefore, appear to be the 

 shaking method. Until something bet- 

 ter is devised, this is the only treat- 

 ment which we can recommend. When 

 our knowledge of the causes of the 

 two diseases is more complete, it is to 

 be hoped that we can find something 

 better. It is also to be hoped that the 

 present weak points in the shaking 

 treatment may be strengthened by 

 work which will give us information 

 whereby we can decrease the expense 

 of shaking. The main conclusion which 

 we can draw from a study of treatment 

 is that there is still much to learn. 



So far I have discussed the subject of 

 control from the standpoint of the indi- 

 vidual bee-keeper. . We have learned, 

 however, that individual action is not 

 enough and that co-operation and out- 

 side aid are essential points in a ra- 

 tional control of foul brood. Although 

 this portion of the subject of disease 

 work is not specifically assigned me, 

 I shall ask your indulgence for a few 

 moments longer on some phases of this 

 problem which occur to me as a result 

 of some recent experiments of the 

 Bureau of Entomology. 



The work of the various states in 

 providing inspection of apiaries is of 

 great value to the bee-keeping indus- 

 try and an earnest effort should be 

 made to have proper laws passed 

 where they are needed. In several 

 states such movements are now on foot. 

 When such laws are passed, however, 

 we cannot afford to believe that the 

 problem is settled. It has only begun 

 and the state inspector cannot be ex- 

 pected to do all that remains to be 

 dona 



The element of the work in control- 

 ing disease which will require the most 

 labor is the educational feature. It is 

 really remarkable after all that has 

 been written how many bee-keepers 

 do not know that there are any dis- 

 eases of the bee. 



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