19 



1. Stamping out Method. By the stamping out method all affected 

 bees, combs and frames are destroyed, and the hives thoroaghly disinfected. 

 Oowan (4) thinks that if foal brood were nnder government inspection, and 

 all oases promptly dealt -with by destruction, the disease could be stamped 

 out. The British Bee-Keepers' Aasociation has asked the Board of A.gricul- 

 tnre to secure legislation on this line, because it thinks that in this way the 

 trouble would be removed and the industry would receive an impetus which 

 would benefit bee-keepers, farmers and fruit growers. 



The earliest advocate of this system was Delia Bocca (18), who main- 

 tained " in extreme cases that it was necessary to burn everything without 

 pity, as there was no other resource.'' Since Delia Eocca's time, this method 

 has been frequently resorted to in severe cases that would not yield to treat- 

 ment either by starvation or by the use of chemicals ; but to have any lasting 

 effect, it would have to be universally carried out, and would involve the 

 difficult question of compensation. 



2. Starvation Methods. The starvation method was first proposed by 

 Schirach (3) who advised that the combs be removed and boes allovred to fast 

 during two days, and then be placed upon clean new comb, and fed on a syrup 

 prepared with a little hot water mixed with honey, nutmeg and saffron. 



Since Schirach's time different modifications of this method have been 

 made, and it has been largely used in the United States and Canada, whilst 

 in Europe treatment by medicated syrups has been more in vogue. In 1879 

 L. 0. Boot (58) gave his approval to this method, but he advised that the 

 bees be confined in a cool, dark place for 24 hours, in order that all the honey 

 which they carried with them might be consumed, and that the bees be then 

 put into a hive filled with healthy comb or foundation and the condemned 

 hive scalded with boiling water and thoroughly scraped. At a later date 

 McEvoy (44), the Ont»rio Provincial foul brood inspector, introduced another 

 modification and has himself described his method as follows: "In thi 

 " honey season, when the bsea are gathering freely, remove *"ih? combs in the 

 "evening and shake the bees into their o^n hives; give them frames with 

 " comb foundation starters on and let them build comb for four days. The 

 " bees will make the starters into comb during the four days and store the 

 " diseased honey in them, which they took with them from the old comb. 

 " Then in the evening of the fourth day take oat the new combs and give 

 " them comb foundation to work out, and then the cure will be complete. 

 " By this method of treatment all the diseased honey is removed from the 

 " bees before the full sheets of foundation are worked out. All the old foul 

 '■brood combs must be burned or made into wax after they are removed 

 " from the hives, and all the new combs made out of the starters during the 

 " four days must be burned or made into wax, on account of the diseased 

 " honey that wonld be stored in them. 



" All the curing or treating of diseased colonies should be done in the 

 " evening, so as not to have any robbing done or cause any of the bees from 

 " the diseaeed colonies to mix and go with bees of sound colonies. By doing 

 " all the work in the evening it j^ives the bees a chance to settle down nicely 

 " before morning and then there is no confusion or trouble. 



" This same method of curing colonies of foul brood can be carried on at 

 " any time from May to October, when the bees are not gathering any honey 

 " by feeding plenty of maple syrup in the evenings to take the place of the 

 " honey flow. 



" Jt will set the bees robbing and spread the disease to work with foul 

 " broody colonies in warm d*ys,when bees are not gathering honey,and for that 

 " reason all work must be done in the evenings, when no bees are flying. 



