408 
Beekeeping 
colony. Since it is desirable to have combs built on full 
sheets, the best policy is to replace any irregular combs with 
full sheets of foundation or good combs later in the season. 
If the treatment just described is given at the beginning 
of a good honey-flow, it is practically equivalent to artificial 
swarming (p. 283) and may result in an actual increase in 
the surplus honey, especially in the case of comb-honey 
production. The wax rendered from the combs will sell 
for enough to pay for the foundation used if full sheets of 
foundation are employed. If treatment must be given at 
some other time, so that the colony must be fed, the cost is 
materially increased. In feeding, it is best to use sugar syrup 
or honey that is known to have come from healthy colonies. 
Fall treatment. 
If it is necessary to treat a colony so late in the fall that it 
would be impossible for the bees to prepare for winter without 
assistance, the treatment may be modified by shaking the 
bees on to combs entirely full of honey so that there is no place 
for any brood to be reared. This will usually be satisfactory 
only after brood-rearing has entirely ceased. Unless a colony 
is quite strong it does not pay to treat in the fall, but it should 
be destroyed or united with another colony. In case a 
diseased colony dies outdoors in the winter, there is danger 
that other bees may have opportunity to rob the hive before 
the beekeeper can close the entrance. In case bees are 
wintered in the cellar it is more advisable to risk wintering 
before treatment, for if the colony does die the hive will not 
be robbed. 
Additional treatment for European foul brood. 
Since, as stated previously, Italian bees seem to be better 
able to withstand European foul brood than are other races, 
it is recommended that apiaries in regions where this disease is 
prevalent be requeened with young, vigorous Italian queens 
of good stock. This should be done whether or not the 
shaking treatment is given. 
