37 



3.: — When the bee-keeper has been in contact with diseased 

 stocks, tlie appliances used, and also the hands, must be 

 washed with carbolic soap, or with a solution of one ounce 

 Calvert's No. 5 carbolic acid in 12 oz. of wat^r. Before 

 washing the appliances and the hands with the disinfectant; 

 all propolis, which is insoluble in water, must be removed by 

 rubbing with a small piece of cloth saturated with methylated, 

 or other, spirit. 



4.. — It was formerly thought that honey was the only source 

 of infection, and that if bees were starved until they had got 

 rid of the honey carried by them from the diseased stock, a 

 cure would be effected. It is now known that the starvation 

 method often fails when it is not supplemented by disinfection 

 of hives, &c. 



5.- — When the disease is discovered in a weak colony, the 

 destruction of bees, combs, frames, and quilts, together with 

 a thorough disinfection of the hive, is by far the best course 

 to pursue. The spores are then destroyed, and the source of 

 infection removed. The bees may be kilM by pouring ^ oz. of 

 saturated solution of cyanide of potassium into the bro'od 

 chamber of the hive, turning back a .corner of the quilts for 

 this purpose, having first taken the precaution of seeing that 

 the quilts fit. properly, and also that the entrance is securely 

 stopped .up with earth to .prevent the escape oi the fumes. 

 Another method is to sprinkle powdered sulphur on the 

 fuel in the smoker, see to the quilts and block up Ihe entrance 

 with earth, as described above, then make a hole through 

 the earth just large enough to admit the r.ozzle of the snicker 

 so that the sulphur fumes may be blown into the brood 

 chamber until all the bees are suffocated. When the bees 

 are all dead destroy the combs, quilts, and dead bees by burn- 

 ing. This is best accomphshed by digging a hole in the ground 

 eighteen inches deep and one yard in diameter, in which the 

 material is burnt. When this is reducsd to ashes fill in the 

 hole with earth so that the possibility of infection is entirely 

 removed. Both these operations must be earned out at night, 

 when the bees have ceased to fly. The hive should then 

 be disinfected by scorching the interior with a painter's blow 

 lamp, or, failing this, the interior should be painted with 

 petrol or paxaffin oil, which, whenhghted, will disinfect by 

 scorching the surface of the wood. After the outside has been 

 well painted with oil paint, the hive will again be ready 

 for use. 



6. — If an affected colony be still strong, the bees may 

 be preserved by ^ making an artificial swarm inki a skep cr 

 swarm box. The bees should be confined in the skep or 

 box, in the former case by tying over the mouth some open 

 m_aterial for ventilation purposes, such as scrim cloth; in 

 the. latter case ventilation is already provided. They should 

 be kept confined, in a cool place, such as a. cellar, for 48 hours 



