Page:Bee-Culture Hopkins 2nd ed revised Dec 1907.pdf/33

 if sound and worth saving, should be cleaned and thoroughly disinfected with a strong solution of carbolic acid or izal.

On the evening of the fourth day following, the necessary number of frames for the hive should be furnished with full sheets of comb- foundation, to be exchanged with those the bees have been working on. This can be done by removing the frames one at a time, shaking the bees back into the hive, and inserting the others. The comb built on the starters during the four days may be cut out and melted up, and the frames disinfected.

The theory of this treatment is that during their four days’ comb- building the bees use up all the infected honey contained in their honey- sacs when taken from their old hive, so that when shifted again at the end of the four days they start clean.

In from three to four weeks, when the new brood begins to emerge, keep a look-out for any suspicious-looking brood-cells, and if any are seen cut them out at once, together with the adjoining cells. ‘‘Eternal vigilance’’ should be the watchword of every beekeeper who hopes to keep down disease.

On rare occasions colonies swarm out during treatment, but this is not likely to occur when honey is being gathered freely. It can be guarded against by caging the queen for a few days, or by giving a wide entrance and placing queen-excluding zinc across.

When several colonies are to be treated and there is a large quantity of healthy brood in the combs, put a queen-excluding zinc honey-board over the frames of one of the least-affected hives, and put all the healthy brood above this to emerge. When this has been accomplished remove everything and treat the colony in the manner advised. The zinc prevents the queen making use of the affected combs while the brood is emerging

When it is desired to treat colonies in the autumn after brood-rearing has ceased, just put the bees into clean hives provided with ample winter stores in the shape of frames of honey from clean colonies. The disease is not likely to reappear.

In all cases when treatment is going on and honey is not being stored freely, feed sugar-syrup liberally after shifting the bees on the fourth day. Mix half a pint of water with each pound of sugar used, stir well, and bring it to the boil; when cool it is ready. Always feed within the hive and in the evening.