53 



Treatment may be successfully undertaken at any time when honey 

 is being freely stored. When going through the hives in spring make a 

 note of those showing signs of diseased combs (which are readily detected 

 at that time), for treatment later on, and be very careful that robbing is 

 not started. When the honey season has set in, keeping the bees busy, 

 treatment should begin. All operations in this connection should be carried 

 out in the evening, when the bees are quiet. 



Prepare a clean hive and bottom board with narrow starters of comb- 

 foundation in the frames. Eemove the infected hive and stand to one 

 side, and put the prepared one in its place, prop up the front about an inch, 

 lay a sack near the entrance, and shake and brush the bees as quietly as 

 possible close to the entrance, and when finished remove every vestige 

 of the infected hive away where bees cannot get at it. The combs, if not 

 too badly infected, may be melted into wax, or, if insufficient in quantity 

 for that purpose, they, with their frames, had better be burned right away 

 and the ashes buried. The hive, bottom board, and cover, if sound and 

 worth saving, should be cleaned and thoroughly disinfected with a strong 

 solution of carbolic acid or izal, or singed inside by fire. 



On the evening of the fourth day following, the necessary number of 

 frames for the hive should be furnished with full sheets of comb-founda- 

 tion, to be exchanged with those the bees have been working on. This 

 can be done by removing the frames one at a time, shaking the bees back 

 into the hive, and inserting the others. The comb built on the starters 

 during the four days may be cut out and melted up, and the frames dis- 

 infected. 



The theory of this treatment is that during their four days' comb-building 

 the bees use up all the infected honey contained in their honey-sacs when 

 taken from their old hive, so that when shifted again at the end of the four 

 days they start clean. 



Feeding and Disinfecting. 



In all cases when treatment is going on and honey is not being stored 

 freely, feed sugar-syrup liberally after shifting the bees on the fourth day. 

 Mix half a pint of water with each pound of sugar used, stir well, and bring 

 it to the boil ; when cool it is ready. Always feed within the hive and in 

 the evening. 



Be suxe to remove out of the way of the bees, and disinfect or bum, 

 everything used during the operations of treatment ; and a solution of izal 

 should be kept for disinfecting the hands, knives, &c., after handling an 

 infected colony. Directions are given on the bottles, and the solution will 

 not harm the skin. Also dig the groimd over around the diseased-hive 

 stand. 



After-inspection. 



In from three to four weeks, when the new brood begins to emerge, 

 keep a look-out for any suspicious-looking brood-cells, and if any are seen 



