TENNESSEE AGRICULTURE 281 



You have now made an artificial swarm of this colony. It must be 

 given the conditions a new swarm likes, or it will leave and carry its 

 disease to parts unknown, or perhaps into some healthy hive in the 

 apiary. A new swarm likes plenty of ventilation and shade, and also 

 plenty of clustering room. To satisfy this natural desire it is some- 

 times necessary to place an empty Mve under the one containing the 

 starters for a few days. This simple precaution will generally prevent 

 the swarming out which so often happens in treating foul brood. 



All combs from the supers as well as from the brood chamber of 

 the diseased colony must be either burned or melted and boiled thor- 

 oughly before the wax is fit to use again. The honey that is removed 

 is entirely unfit for bee feed and should be burned or buried deep 

 enough to be out of the reach of any bees. This diseased honey could 

 be saved, but it has very little value after the boiling required to dis- 

 infect it. It is absolutely safe for human consumption, but it is against 

 the laws of many States to put such honey on the market, becaui.e 

 of the danger of the empty receptacles being thrown out where the 

 bees may have access to them and thus cause a new outbreak of the 

 disease. 



On the third evening after the first operation the starters and 

 what combs have been built must all be removed by shaking or brush- 

 ing off the bees as before. This time the bees should be given full 

 sheets of foundation in a clean hive, and the cure is completed. 



If directions have been followed carefully and thoroughly the treat- 

 ment should be successful. To make sure, however, the brood must be 

 examined again in about three weeks and again the following season. 

 If the disease reappears in any colonies they can be treated again. 



SAVING BROOD. 



Brood from badly diseased colonies is of no value, and dangerous, 

 and should be burned, buried or otherwise destroyed at once. Brood 

 from colonies having only a few cells diseased may be placed over 

 an average colony slightly diseased, and the queen caged. In ten 

 days treat as given above. 



SAVING COMB. 



It is never safe to use super-combs that have been on diseased 

 colonies. Even though they may appear white and clean, germs of the 

 disease are apt to lurk in them from year to year. To melt these down 

 is no serious loss, as the wax will more than mak? foundation for 

 new ones. 



