THOUSAND ANSWERS 95 



i. e.,_ those showing no signs of foulbrood, if purchased in a lot 

 of hives, part of which I suspected were infected? 



A. There is danger. Don't use them unless you keep a close 

 watch. 



Q. Are combs that have contained American foulbrood, and 

 later filled with honey by a diseased colony, then extracted, safe 

 to use again on healthy colonies over queen-excluders? 



A. No. Never use again combs which have been in a colony 

 which had American foulbrood. 



Q. Are extracting-supers that have been used on hives in- 

 fected with American foulbrood, after being extracted, safe to use 

 on healthy colonies? 



A. Some say_ yes, some say no. I suspect that the truth is 

 that sometimes the disease is thereby conveyed, and sometimes 

 not. It will be the safe thing to avoid using them. 



Q. What is the best method to treat brood-combs so as to be 

 doubly sure that there will be no chances of foulbrood getting 

 into the apiary from those bought brood-combs? I have a chance 

 to buy old combs. 



A. I don't know of any way. At one time it was claimed 

 that formaldehyde would disinfect them, but I think that is given 

 up. Your only safe way is to buy them where you know there has 

 been no disease. 



Q. Please tell us when we shake on foundation for foulbrood 

 whether the frames should be new, or can we cut the old comb 

 out clean and use the frames again? I don't want to buy frames 

 for 50 hives if it is unnecessary. 



A. Generally it is considered best to burn up the old frames, 

 but when one has so large a number as you have I think it pays 

 to clean them up and use again. At any rate, that is what I did 

 with quite a number. After cutting out the combs, I put the 

 frames into a big iron kettle holding half a barrel of water into 

 which was put two pounds of concentrated lye. The water, of 

 course, was heated, and the frames were kept in the kettle until 

 all wax and glue was melted ofif. Then the frames were rinsed in 

 cold water to get off the lye. 



Q. Is honey from a foulbroody colony fit for table use? I 

 never heard of any foulbrood in this neighborhood and there are 

 lots of bees here. 



A. If nice and clean in appearance it is all right. Foulbroody 

 honey that is death to bees' larvae is entirely wholesome for 

 human beings. 



Q. After shaking one or more colonies of bees that had 



