;J2 DISEASES OF BEES 



to its greatest simplicity, the method consisted merely in shaking 

 the bees from an infected colony into a clean hive that contained 

 frames having one-inch foundation starters. If there was little 

 brood in the infected colony, combs and small amounts of honey 

 were melted. Hives that contained much honey were usually 

 salvaged. If many colonies in an apiary were infected, the brood 

 combs were stacked on a queen-right but diseased colony and the 

 brood was allowed to emerge, when this colony in turn would be 

 treated, thus saving bees, wax, and honey. So-called improvements 

 in this method came into use. Beekeepers established what were 

 known as hospital yards, which were usually removed some distance 

 from the regular apiaries. All diseased brood was allowed to emerge 

 in the hospital yard. Other variations in the shaking treatment 

 and in the methods of disposing of diseased material were advocated. 

 One unique method was to place an infected colony in a tank, 

 replace the cover with a clean hive, and drive the bees into it by 

 slowly filling the tank with water. The theory was that the bees 

 could be transferred with practically no disturbance and thus carry 

 little contaminated honey into the clean hive. Various other 

 contraptions and methods were used for transferring the bees from 

 contaminated to clean hives. The shaking treatment, however, in 

 some form or other continued to be used and the practice finally 

 became well standardized. 



In 1916 the State of Wisconsin again took the lead in the control 

 of American foul brood. In full recognition of the contagious nature 

 of the disease, and also of the inefficiency of a system whereby one 

 inspector examined only the apiaries from which requests had been 

 received, the area clean-up method was invoked, in which the 

 State inspector with several assistants examined all the bees in a 

 given locality, whether or not they were suspected of being diseased. 

 Under this plan the same area would be re-inspected the second year, 

 and while, owing to limited funds, some portions had to be neglected, 

 the inspectors made a conscientious effort to do a thorough job 

 wherever they went. The State of Texas also early adopted this 

 system and organized a highly efficient State inspection service. 



Most of the leading beekeeping States now follow some modifica- 

 tion of the area clean-up plan, usually organized on a county basis. 

 In several States the counties make definite appropriations for 

 American foul brood control, and such funds are matched by grants 

 from the State. The responsibility for control is thus placed to a 

 certain extent upon the beekeepers of a county. A number of the 

 large States expend as much as $25,000 to $30,000 annually for 

 the control of American foul brood. 



The next phase in the control of this disease consisted in the 

 strengthening of statutes relating to inspection work, and several 

 States wrote into their laws the prohibition of entry of bees on combs. 

 In other words, only package bees could enter a State. Other States 

 permitted the entry of bees on combs provided they were accom- 



