10 FARMERS' BULLETIN 1713 



from robber bees, as both calcium cyanide and gasoline act as repel- 

 lents for only a short time. 



Before the bees are killed, a pit 18 inches or more deep, and wide 

 enough to hold all the material to be burned, should be dug in a place 

 not likely to be plowed or otherwise disturbed. A hot fire should 

 then be kindled, with plenty of scrap material and with cross mem- 

 bers stout enough to support the weight of the frames and placed so 

 as to permit plenty of ventilation underneath. A brisk hot fire is 

 necessary thoroughly to burn the brood and honey. 



The hives containing the dead bees should be carried intact close 

 to the pit and the bees and frames fed to the fire as fast as circum- 

 stances permit. The bottom board, hive bodies, inner covers, and 

 tops are not burned. By placing the hives on pieces of burlap or 

 stout paper it will be easy to gather up and burn the bits of comb 

 honey or dead bees which may be dropped during the operation. 

 After everything has been completely burned, the topsoil surrounding 

 the fire should be raked into the pit to prevent bees from healthy 

 colonies from having access to any dead bees or honey. The pit 

 should then be filled. 



If the killing of the bees and the burning are done at night, the 

 danger of interference from robber bees will be lessened. It is 

 essential, of course, to have everything well planned and all necessary 

 material at hand. 



No beekeeper should wait for an inspector to discover and burn his 

 infected colonies, but should, himself, periodically inspect all colonies 

 and promptly destroy every diseased one. 



It should be understood that the burning of all diseased colonies 

 in an apiary gets rid only of the colonies in which American foul- 

 brood in an active form is plainly manifest. If there has been any 

 equalization of the brood, if supers or combs have been transferred 

 from one colony to another, or if diseased colonies have been robbed 

 out, it is highly probable that the disease will show up later in other 

 colonies. So even where burning is done carefully and thoroughly, 

 it is usually at least 3 or 4 years before the disease can be stamped 

 out of an apiary. 



DISINFECTING EMPTY HIVES AFTER BURNING 



After the burning, the hive bodies, bottom boards, inner covers, 

 and taps should be taken into the honey house, thoroughly scraped 

 to remove all propolis and wax, and then scrubbed, both inside and 

 out, with a hot soap or lye solution and a stiff brush. The scrapings 

 should be burned and the wash water disposed of in such a manner 

 that it is not accessible to the bees. 



Washing with soap and water is also the best way to remove spores 

 from the hands, clothing, tools, and extracting equipment. Disin- 

 fectants strong enough to kill the spores are injurious to the hands. 



If it is not feasible to wash the hive bodies, they may be stacked 

 7 or 8 high to form a chimney, the inside walls sprinkled with kero- 

 sene, and ignited. A little ventilation and fuel at the bottom of the 

 stack will produce a hotter fire. Gasoline can also be used for this 

 operation, but extreme precaution is necessary. As soon as the in- 

 side is scorched, the fire should be smothered by placing a board 



