' How TO Control American Foulbrood 13 



drop that may fall from, a cell. .Therefore, there is no more 

 danger of the disease being carried on clean hive parts than 

 on the body of the bee. If the disease is spread at all outside 

 infected honey or comibs, it would seem that the bacteria 

 would adhere to the body of the bee and continue as a source 

 of infection indefinitely, for we know that the spores of the 

 bacteria may live over for several years. On the other hand, 

 in every case where the diseased brood and infected honey is 

 removed the disease is eliminated; and we must conclude that 

 the bacteria are not carried over on the body of the bee. The 

 same is true of hive bodies and frames — if they are absolutely 

 free of honey the bacteria are not carried over on them. 



In a large number of teists the hive body, bottom board and 

 cover were taken from a diseased colony instead of from- a 

 clean hive. Clean frames with full sheets of foundation were 

 used and the bees brushed on to them. The percentage of 

 successful treaj:ment was as large in every, case as with 

 scorched hive parts. The danger of using old hive, bodies lies 

 in carrying them over until the next season and notthorOugh- 

 ly cleaning them of drops of .infected honey 'which ma.y have 

 gotten on to them after removal from the bees. 



If all hive parts and frames are thoroughly scraped and 

 washed with hot lye water so that all particles of liquid or 

 crystalized honey are removed there is no danger of reinfec- 

 tion from this source. 



Where a number of colonies are to, be treated, hive bodies 

 free of burr combs may be taken from treated colonies and 

 used to shake qther diseased colonies into if done at once. 



Never use a hive body from a diseased colony on another 

 colony having drawn combs without scraping and cleaning. 

 Clean not only the inside of the hive but the outside and edges 

 as well. Take special care to clean up all honey from behind 

 the rabbets. 



Scorching out the hive body is no safer than scraping and 

 washing unless every inch of surface both inside and out is 

 treated. Many beekeepers carefully scorch out the inside of 

 the hive but overlook honey behind the rabbets or smeared 

 on the outside of the, hive. 



Frames Should Be Saved 



It is not economy to destroy the frames from diseased 

 colonies except where one or two colonies out of a large num- 



