PUTTING ON AND TAKING OFF BOXES. 145 



only safe Avay, preferring to have the combs a little darker 

 to the risk of their destruction by the worms. But I ob- 

 ject to dark combs ; and leaving the boxes on will effectu- 

 ally prevent empty ones from taking their places, thereby 

 involving a loss of surplus honey. I will offer a few more 

 remarks in favor of my view, and then give my remedy 

 for the worms. I have found in all hives from which the 

 bees have been removed in warm weather, say between 

 the middle of June and September, moth eggs enough 

 among the combs to destroy them in a very short time, 

 imless kept in a very cool place. This result has been 

 uniform. Any person doubting this, may remove the bees 

 from a hive fuU of combs, in July or August. Close it to 

 prevent the entrance of a moth, and set it away in a tem- 

 perature ranging from 60° to 90°, and if there are not 

 worms enough to satisfy him, he will have better success 

 than I ever did.* 



Whether the foregoing theory is satisfactory or other- 

 wise, we will proceed to the remedy. Perhaps you will 

 find some boxes that will have no worms about them ; 

 others may contain from ten to twenty when they have 

 been off a week or more. All the eggs should have time 

 to. hatch, which in cool weather may take three weeks. 

 They should be watched, that no worms get large enough 

 to materially injure the combs. Get a close barrel or box 

 that will confine the air as much as possible ; in this put 

 the boxes with the holes open. Leave a place for a dish 

 in which to burn some sulphur matches, made by dipping 

 paper or rags in melted sulphur. When all is ready, ignite 



* Dr. Kirtland, of Clereland, 0„ in a lecture before the students of the Medu;al 

 College, in Cleveland, gave substantially this theory, in accounting for the 

 presence of the worms in the liive. Whether it originated with him or net, he 

 does not sav. 



