AMONG THE BEES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18762, 16 July 1924, Page 14

AMONG THE BEES.

WORK FOR JULY. 1 . PREVENTION OF DISEASE. ?%r CARE OF THE HIVES. BT AFI3. The recent extraordinary long spell of Btormy -weather will have resulted in a heavy call upon the stored food supply, and where this happened to be scant when the colonies wero closed down for winter it may be- running short, and the slortsd supply bo below what it should be at this time. In. any case it will be well to examine a- hive or two to ascertain their condition with regard to food as a guide to that of the whole apiary, and if likely to run short, feed at once Sagar syrup is undoubtedly the best food that can be give?} as there is no risk of conveying germs of disease by it, but in tho -winter months it is necessary to make it more dense than at other seasons as it is mors difficult to evaporate the excess moisture, when stored in the combs, to make it a suitable food, than m spnng or summer. Instead of half a pint of water to each pound of sugar, it should be" the same amount of water to two ponnd3 of sugar. Beginners in the past have lost more colonies under similar conditions prevailing at present than at any other season of the year, and that through starvation, w don't hesitate, at the little, expense of food ■where it is required, as the returns from j> saved colony may recoup the owner taniold or- ,moro . later on.. The . best &eder to use in winter and. early spring is tho "Division-hoard" feeder .which is suspended in the hive like a frame or comb. Breeding rn strong healthy colonie3 except in the extreme South rarely ceases altogether at any period of the year. Provided they axo well supplied irith food, and with tho exception of such stormy weather an we havo had lately, bees are on tho wing every day in New Zealand gathering more or less nectar. In the second hah* of this month breeding in ail cases where the food supply is normal increases daily and more food is consumed, but in average seasons nectar secreting flora also increases, bo that as ii rafo tho gathering of food keeps pace ■with the increased breeding.

Now 13 the time to detect poor queens imd queeoless colonies. A poor queen •wiH have little or no brood, and when breeding is on the increase in normal colonies her breeding will be little more than at a stand-still. The best thing to do in such cases is to catch and destroy the queen and to unite the, bees to another cokmy in the manner described last month.

Diseases of Bees. Tie only bee disease that gives any trouble in New Zealand is generally known as "foul-brood," its technical name being; Badlfcta larva. Although deadly when negieefcd, li is the easiest cared of any disease, when taken in hand at- the outset. The next few weeks is the best time for amateurs to detect it, by closely noting the following symptoms, beginners should have no difficulty in at once jecognking tho disease when present. Healthy brood in the larva stage—that fe, before it is sealed or capped—presents a clear pearly whiteness, but when attacked, which is usually, about the time c£ capping, changes to a light buff, then to brown. It is, however, when the brood has been capped that (ihe novice is batter able to detect the presence of disease. *'-•'.

In the early stage of an attack a capped fcell here and there appears somewhat different from the surrounding healthy nrood. Instead of tho capping or seals being bright, full, and of convex form, characteristic of healthy brood, $hey are bf a dull blackish-brown colour, and flat •or sunken, an indication that the cells contain dead pupaa. The disease rapidly spreads to surrounding cells and combs, if allowed to take its course, till finally no brood can.emerge, sad the colony sucenmbs. On opening some of the- cells a thm glue-IDco coffee-cctloxircd mass will ba noticed, which on the rnsert-ion of a splinter of wood adheres to the point, and can b® drawn rope-Eke for scap» little distance oat of the cells.

Other symptoms are " pin holss-** and tagged perforations .m the cappings of the cells and a very disagreeable smell resembling that of heated glue or tainted meat, which may bo sometimes, thongh rarely, detected at some yards away from a badly infected hive in close ■weather. The characteristic odour cannot easily be detected in the eaiJiest stagra, even when an infested comb is placed close to the nose, but some slight difference can be noticed between that and healthy comb at all times. Treatment of Disease.

The- -following is the most effective, and in fact the only treatment now generally adopted for coring colonies of the above form of foul-brood; ita effectiveness has been proved in many thousands of jcascs in New Zealand. Wbere the disease is so far advanced as to have left few bees in the colony, then it will be safest to destroy by fire everything that has been in contact with it. ** Tinkering " with such a colony iWoold bo both useless and dangerous. Treatment may bo undertaken at any time of the year, providing the weather is not too ooH to prevent the bees building comb. In the southern parts of New Zealand, if treating in the cold season, the bees (should be put on to drawn-out combs and fed as below, -with warm syrup, or the bees put on to frames of clean honey, if procurable, and left until the spring. , All operations in this connection should ;he earned out in the evening, when the Jbees are quiet. Prepare a clean hive and bottom board with narrow starters of. comb-foundation in the frames. Remove the infected hive and stand to one side, and put the prepared one in its place, prop up the front about an inch, lay a sack near the entrance, and shake and brush the bees as quietly as possible close to the entrance, and when finished move every vestige of the infected hive away where bees cannot get at it. The combs, if not too infected, may bo melted into wax, .*nv if insufneient in quantity for that purpose, they, with their frames, had better he burned right away and tho ashes [buried. The hive, bottom board, and cover, if sound and worth saving, should be cleaned and thoroughly disinfected with a- strong solution of carbolic acid or izak pr-singed inside by fire. Comb Foundation Frames.

On ike-evening of the fourth day follow, fng, tho necessary number of frames for tho hire should be furnished with full sheets of comb foundation to be exchanged -with thosp the bees have been 'working on. This can be done by removing the frames one at a time; shaking the ibees back into the hive, and inserting the others. The comb built on the starters •during the fours days may bo cat out and melted up, and the frames disinfected. The theory of this treatment is that •during thair four days' comb-building tho Ibees uso up all tho infected honey conStained in their honey-sacs when taken irom their old hive, so that -when shifted lagain at the end of four days they start clean. Ifc has, however, been reported Ei several occasions that time has been ved and a cure effected by shaking the fbees onto full sheets of comb-foundation fci the firs* instance, I have dealt, successfully with hundreds of colonies on the given above, and I certainly would £ot recommend beginners to try any other jplan. Be sure to remove out of the way of fcbe bees, and disinfect or burn, everyjthing used during tho operations of treatment; and a solution of izal or other idisinfectact should be kept for disinfecting the hands, knives, etc., after hand-, ling an infected colony. Directions are given on tho bottles, and the solution should not harm the skin. Also dig the ground over around the. diseased bivctetsndL.