191 THE PRACTICAL BEE GUIDE. 



by the use of sulphur, or bi-sulphide of carbon. Remove a 

 couple of sods beside the hive, and open a hole about a foot 

 square and, say, three inches deep. In the centre of this hole 

 place the lid of a small tin box, and into this lid put about a 

 tablespoonful of sulphur. Drop a red coal into the sulphur, 

 and immediately lift the hive from its floor board and set it 

 down over the sulphur, taking care that no bees escape between 

 the hive and the ground . In a couple of minutes, the bees 

 will be dead. Now, thoroughly saturate the mass with petro- 

 leum, and set it on fire ; and when all has been burned, throw 

 in the earth, and, put the sods in their places. To kill with 

 bi-sulphide of carbon: — Close the doors of the hive: separate 

 two frames, and push down between them a piece of tow, 

 cotton, or wool : on this pour a tablespoonful of bi-sulphide of 

 carbon : drop a lighted match upon it, and immediately set on 

 the quilts and roof. In less than a minute, the bees will be 

 dead. There will be a slight explosion when the lighted match 

 comes in contact with the bi-sulphide ; but there will be no 

 danger to the operator, if he be careful to keep his head back 

 from the hive. It must be said, however, that bi-sulphide of 

 carbon is a highly inflammable substance, and should be 

 handled always v.'ith extreme caution. When the bees have 

 been smothered, they can be brushed into a hole, burned, and 

 covered with the earth and sods. The frames, combs, sheet, 

 quilts, and all hive fittings that have been in contact with the 

 disease, should also be burned and buried. The hive, if too 

 valuable to be destroyed, should be thoroughly disinfected 

 before being used again. This may be done by painting all 

 the inside parts with petroleum, and setting it on fire for a 

 moment or two, when, if a wet sack be thrown over it, the fire 

 can be extinguished, and the wood be scraped clean. A 

 painter's blow lamp may be used to scorch the wood. After- 

 wards, the inside should be well painted over with a strong 

 disinfectant (Recipe 363), and should be left in the open air 

 until the smell of the disinfectant has disappeared. 



356. Treatment by Artificial Swarming When the owner is 



disposed to direct his energfies to the cure of the disease in its 

 advanced stages, he should proceed by the method of artificial 

 swarming (222). Prepare a skep, with a feed hole on top (318), 



and place it on the stand of the infected hive, with a hiving 

 board (233) in front. Or, better still, instead of a skep, procure 

 a hdless box (Fig. no) ; let into two opposite sides two laths 

 i-J" wide, and 3" or 4" apart, nailing them securely, and attach 

 to the four edges of the laths four slips of foundation running 

 from end to end and not more than i" deep. A flig^ht hole must 

 be bored lust over the bottom in one side. The box illus- 

 trated has been successfully used by the author for the purpose. 

 The slips of foundation were attached to the laths bv small 



