Evening Republican, Volume 17, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1913 — BEE AND BEE KEEPING [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

BEE AND BEE KEEPING

TREATMENT OP FOUL BROOD. Will Enable the Beekeeper To Cop* With the Disease. The rational treatment of an apiary, infected with foal brood, like many other bee problems, depends to a great extent, on good, sound, common sense, combined with general knowledge of the disease, and is more or less modified by the time of season, says a writer in Gleaning; in Bee Culture. On finding had brood no one should become undulyplanned, or ac* too hastily, as it may or may not be foul brood. Examine again in a few days; and if the disease is found to be progressing and you are sure of its being foul brood, proceed as follows: Do not give surplus room, but keep the cdlony crowded as much as possible, thus inducing it to swarm early; and if it will not sWarm naturally, compel it to do so by the “shook swarm” route just as soon as it becomes real strong. In either case after swarming remove the old colony to a new stand and hive the swarm on the old stand in a clean hive on foundation, and leave it entirely alone- for one week. Let the old stock, as usual, raise a queen; ond on the evening of the 21st day after the swarm issued, the brood being then all hatched and the young queen commencing to lay, shake the bees from the comlm on to foundation, after which the bid combs can be rendered into wax.

If the apiary is large, anij a conpound to be promiscuously infected throughout the yard it is better to remove all the infected colonies, after swarming, to one end of the yard, preferably separated from the other colonies by at least fifteen feet. In this manner the disease is constantly removed from the midst of the apiary, and, if desired, the hives may be so placed that two can be readily united when rehlved on the 21st day. The ground in front of all treated colonies should be sprinkled thickly with salt, otherwise the infection may be carried right back into the hive on the feet of the bees during wet weather, from dead brood, which is sometimes carried out by the-bees- ia*«.n effort to clean up.

Should the diesase develop late in the season—-too late to build up before winter—either of two plans can be safely used. If possible, and you know that the combs a.re free from Infection (a rather difficult question to answer in an Infected apiary), rehive the infected colony; after broodrearing has ceased for the season, on a sufficient number of well-filled combs and render the wax; otherwise, carefully mark every hive showing infection, and tie following spring proceed _as above by the swarming route if the disease reappears.

In all cases of treatment where the colonies are hived on full sheets of foundation it must be understood that they be let absolutely alone for at least five days—better one full week—as the comb-bulldersv take all the honey when the others go to the field; and, if not disturbed so as to break the wax curtain, will consume it all in the production of comb before young brood can hatch. If disturbed before that time so as to cause them to fill up or exchange honey, on again going to the field they will deposit their honey in the first empty cell they can find, and are thus almost sure to retain infection and make the treatment of nd effect. Should It become absolutely necessary to disturb a colony up to the fourth day, remove all comb built up to that time, otherwise rehivlng Is not necessary. With the exception of the natural swarms, of course tall work should be done late In the day after tbe bees are done flying, and the usual precautions used against robbing.

If possible,' all treatment should take place during a flow of honey. In some instances during flows of certain honeys the disease will voluntarily disappear of itself and stay cured; but In all such cases those colonies will bear close watching the next season.