FOUL BROOD 
367 
The shaking treatment, to be carried out 
as it should be, requires some precaution to 
prevent absconding. The Bureau of Ento¬ 
mology has recommended a mode of pro¬ 
cedure which the author most tlioroly in¬ 
dorses. As government experts have made 
foul brood a more careful study than any 
other men in the United States, the reader 
should follow faithfully the treatment rec¬ 
ommended in Farmers’ Bulletin 1084, 
“Control of American Foiilbrood,” by Dr. 
E. F. Phillips, in Charge of Apiculture, 
Bureau of Entomology. For convenience 
of the reader we give it here. 
SHAKING TREATMENT. 
The shaking treatment consists essential¬ 
ly in the removal of all infected material 
from the colony, and in compelling the col¬ 
ony to take a fresh start by building new 
combs and gathering fresh stores. This is 
done by shaking the bees from the old combs 
into a clean hive on clean frames. 
Time of Treatment .—-The shaking treat¬ 
ment should be given during a flow of hon¬ 
ey, so that other bees in the apiary will not 
be inclined to rob. If this is not possible the 
operation may be performed under a tent 
made of mosquito netting. The best time 
is during the middle of a clear day when a 
large number of bees are in the field. It is 
sometimes recommended that shaking be 
done in the evening, but this is impossible 
if many colonies are to be treated. The col¬ 
ony can be handled more quickly when the 
field force is out of the hive. 
Preparation .—All implements that will be 
needed, such as queen and drone trap, hive 
tool, and lighted smoker, should be in readi¬ 
ness before the operation is begun. A com¬ 
plete clean hive with frames is provided, as 
well as a tightly closed hive body in which 
to put the contaminated combs after shak¬ 
ing. An extra hive cover or some similar 
apparatus should be provided to serve as a 
runway for the bees as they enter the new 
hive. The new frames should contain strips 
of comb foundation from one-fourth to one 
inch wide. Full sheets are not desirable, 
and if combs built on full sheets of founda¬ 
tion are desired they may be built later. 
Operation .—The old hive containing the 
diseased colony (A, cut below) is lifted to 
one side out of the flight of returning field 
bees, and the clean hive (B) set exactly in 
its place. The cover (G) is now taken off 
and a few frames (E) removed from the 
center of the hive. If unspaced frames are 
used, those remaining in the hive should be. 
pushed tightly to either side of the hive, 
thus making a barrier beyond which the 
bees can not crawl as they move to the top 
of the hive after shaking. This largely pre¬ 
vents them from getting on the outside of 
the hive. If self-spacing frames are used, a 
couple of thin boards laid on the top-bars 
on either side will accomplish the same re¬ 
sult. The runway (D) is put in place in 
front of the entrance. The old hive is now 
opened for the first time. The frames are 
removed one at a time, lowered part way 
into the new hive, and with a quick down¬ 
ward shake the bees are dislodged. The 
frames are then put into the extra hive 
body (C) and immediately covered to pre¬ 
vent robbing. After all the frames are 
shaken the bees remaining on the sides of 
the old hive (A) are shaken out. 
If honey is coming in freely, so that thin 
honey is shaken out of the combs, cover the 
runway (D) with newspapers and shake the 
bees in front of the new hive (B), leaving 
all frames in place and the cover on. After 
the operation the soiled newspapers should 
be destroyed. In shaking in front of the 
entrance the first one or two frames should 
be so shaken that the bees are thrown 
against the entrance, where they can locate 
the hive quickly. They then fan their wings 
and the others follow them into the hive. 
If this is not done the bees may wander 
about and get under the hive or in some 
other undesirable place. 
After the bees are mostly in the new hive 
a queen and drone trap (F) or a strip of 
perforated zinc is placed over the entrance 
to prevent the colony from deserting the 
hive. The queen can not pass thru the 
openings in the perforated zinc and the 
workers will not leave without her. By the 
time that new combs are built and new 
brood is ready to be fed, any contaminated 
honey carried by the bees into their new 
hive will have been consumed and the dis- 
Apparatus for shaking treatment: A, Hive containing diseased colony (formerly in position of B) ; 
B, clean hive; G, empty hive to receive comhs after shaking; D, hive cover used as runway; E, frames re- 
moved from B to give room for shaking; F, queen and drone trap; (?, cover for clean hive, B. 
