THOUSAND ANSWERS 
99 
healthy which has been slightly diseased the previous year. If a 
colony has been very badly diseased this year, next year you may 
look for it at the very start with plenty of diseased larvae, proba- 
bly because of the millions of spores that are present. 
Q. In treating colonies with European foulbrood by dequeen- 
ing or caging the queen all agree the first thing to do is to make 
the colony strong. I find that ideas differ on this matter of strong 
colonies. What is the minimum strength with which you could 
expect success? 
A. You have struck a new question, yet now that it is asked 
the wonder is that it was never asked before. Without being 
dogmatic about it, I should say that the colony should be strong 
enough to have six Langstroth frames well filled with brood — to 
be more specific about it, each frame being three-fourths filled. 
I think it also important that there be a good force of young 
bees, and without this it would not be likely that six frames 
would be well filled with brood. Old bees that have begun work 
afield are not the ones that do house-cleaning, and it may well 
be questioned whether doubling up such bees to any extent 
would answer the purpose. 
Q. Are the germs of European foulbrood transmitted by 
honey, or, in other words, would a frame of sealed or unsealed 
honey (with no brood) from an infected colony infect a healthy 
one? 
A. I think it would in some cases. I know that in some cases 
it does not. I would have little fear of surplus honey from an 
infected colony. I would not feel quite so safe about a brood- 
comb, even if it contained no brood. With American foulbrood 
the case is different. However, in either case, I should prefer 
both honey and combs that had never been within a mile of a 
foulbroody hive. 
Q. Would combs that have never contained brood be affected 
in any way, even if they had been drawn out by colonies affected 
with European foulbrood? Would it be safe to use any of those 
combs? Now I have 200 self-spacing frames all drawn-out combs. 
They have been exposed to the diseased colonies, but not used 
for brood-rearing. The diseased colonies had stored honey in 
them, and I extracted it. Would it be all right to use them, or 
would it be better to make wax out of them? Everybody’s bees 
are affected around here, as one of the beekeepers left his hives 
out to be cleaned up where bees had died. 
A. I have used such combs without bad results. Whether it 
would always work so well I cannot say. If I had never had the 
