THE TREATMENT OF AMERICAN POULBROOD 11 



over the top super. The outside of the hive bodies should then be 

 thoroughly washed to remove all traces of honev. A gasoline blow- 

 torch is a handy tool for scorching, but its use is rather slow. 



SHAKING NOT RECOMMENDED 



For many years the Department of Agriculture recommended the 

 treating of infected colonies by the shaking method, whereby the 

 bees in a diseased colony are shaken from the old combs into a clean 

 hive on clean frames. This procedure reduces the losses due to the 

 disease, and a careful operator, who thoroughly understands the dis- 

 ease, may be able to maintain his apiaries in this way. The disease 

 is rarely eradicated by this method, however, and it usually has to be 

 adopted as a routine manipulation. Treated colonies have to be 

 nursed along, and the very act of shaking, if not done with meticu- 

 lous care, is apt to spread the disease. Moreover, there is always a 

 doubt as to whether the shaking is successful. A treated colony or a 

 colony on disinfected combs cannot be pronounced clean for 2 years. 

 Now, after many years during which colonies have been shaken to 

 get rid of the disease and at the same time save as much as possible 

 in the way of bees and equipment, the disease situation in the United 

 States has not materially improved. 



OBJECTIONS TO THE USE OF DISINFECTING SOLUTIONS 



Disinfecting solutions are of only limited value in the treatment 

 of American foulbrood. In the first place, their use for treating 

 brood combs does not obviate the shaking treatment, as the bees must 

 be removed before the combs are disinfected. Moreover, the careless 

 handling of combs during the disinfecting operation may result in 

 failure. When disease reappears after a colony has been shaken and 

 later placed on treated combs, it is impossible to tell whether the 

 method of shaking was at fault, the disinfection inadequate, or the 

 colony reinfected. 



Although there are several disinfectants which, when properly 

 used, will kill the spores of American foulbrood without destroying 

 the comb, none has yet been found to sterilize the spores in sealed 

 honey without destroying the comb and making the honey poisonous 

 to bees and brood. Individual sealed cells are easily overlooked and 

 it is probable that many, if not most, of the cells of honey in the 

 brood chamber of a diseased colony are contaminated. 



Another disadvantage in the use of disinfectants is that bees are 

 loath to accept treated combs, and as a result the size of the honey 

 crop is reduced. 



DISINFECTING SUPER COMBS 



Disinfectants can be used effectively in treating super combs that 

 have never contained brood. Super combs are ordinarily used on 

 whatever colony needs them and are not set aside for designated 

 colonies. After all the diseased colonies in an apiary have been 

 disposed of, it is often not possible to know wJiether any of the 

 general suppljjr of super combs have become contaminated by being 

 used on colonies with foulbrood. Therefore, it is safest to disinfect 

 all the super combs in an outfit in which there has been appreciable 



