94 DR. miller's 



A. Yes, it may disappear, to all appearance, although the 

 seeds of disease are there all the while. 



Q. Can foulbrood be cured without destroying all the bees? 

 If so, how? 



A. No need to destroy the bees; the disease is only in the 

 brood. The McEvoy plan is generally used in curing. In the 

 honey season, when the bees are gathering freely, remove the 

 combs in the evening and shake the bees into their own hive; give 

 them frames with comb-foundation starters and let them 

 build comb for four days. The bees will make the starters into 

 comb during the four days and store the diseased honey in them 

 which they took with them from the old comb. Then in the eve- 

 ning of the fourth day take out the new combs and give them 

 comb foundation to work out, and the cure will be complete. 



Q. How early in spring can bees be treated if they have foul- 

 brood? 



A. Usually no treatment is undertaken until bees are busy 

 gathering. 



Q. How many days shall I wait after treating a colony by 

 shaking before I can give honey or brood, if they really need it 

 to keep from starving or dwindling on account of no young bees? 



A. Perhaps five days. There ought really to oe no need of 

 feeding, for the attempt at cure should be undertaken only at a 

 time when honey is coming in. 



Q. How long is a colony immune to the disease after starting 

 all over with fresh foundation? 



A. Just as long as you are immune to the itch after being 

 cured of that troublesome malady. In other words, if the cure 

 of foulbrood is complete today, and tomorrow the cured bees have 

 access to some foulbroody honey, you may count on their being 

 diseased again. 



Q. If a colony that has a few cells of American foulbrood 

 swarms and that swarm is put into a hive containing frames with 

 full sheets of foundation will it be in danger of having American 

 foulbrood later on? Or is it necessary to use something like the 

 McEvoy treatment? 



A. Yes, it is in danger; but that 'later on'' must not be carried 

 too far. If the disease does not appear in the first batch of brood, 

 you need not expect it "later on." But if there are, as you say, 

 only a few diseased" cells in the parent colony, the probability is 

 that the swarm will be healthy. 



Q. Ought I to use brood-frames which contain perfect combs. 



