MillerThousand AnswersBeekeepingQuestions.pdf - BioBees

96 DR. miller'sAmerican foulbrood should the smoker and all tools used be disinfected?If so, how? I put the smoker, gloves, veil, etc., in ajar and poured on them lots .of gasoline, then I covered all withmany sacks, weighted them down, and left them this way for oneweek. Do you think this will be sufficient? The gasoline wasstill strong and would burn vigorously after one week.A. I don't believe gasoline kills the spores, and so I doubt itsbeing an effective disinfectant. A solution of carbolic acid is usedby some. Even carbolic acid does not destroy the spores, and Iam a little bit doubtful of the need of anything more than soapand water, only so that any remains of the disease may be removed.Q. I have 40 colonies of bees with American foulbrood. Iwould like to treat them in the spring. Would it be safe to givethem the foulbrood honey after melting the qombs, or would Ihave to boil it?A. You must boil it. If you boil it without any water, theouter part will burn while the center is not heated enough tomake it safe. So add water, perhaps half as much water as honey,slowly heating at first until all is thoroughly melted, and thenbring it to a boil and keep it there for at least fifteen minutes.Q. Is the wax worth rendering out of the combs of a foulbroodycolony, or would it still contain the microbes?A. The wax is considered all right.Q. More than once in convention reports, I have read whereit was directly stated or intimated that bees do not have foulbroodin trees, buildings, etc., and now A. W. Smyth, in an extractfrom Irish Bee Journal, says: "No one has found foulbroodin bees * * * in any home not purposely made for them." Ishould like to know on what this common belief is founded. Ifthis is the rule, I know of at least one exception, as I took acolony of bees from a house, which colony had European foulbroodand I cannot see any reason why such a home for beesshould be exempt from the disease.A. I do not think that the opinion prevails on this side of thewater that bees never have foulbrood "in any home not purposelymade for them." Indeed it has been urged that one reason whyit was so diflicult to get rid of foulbrood was because of diseasedwild colonies. Why should not a wild colony be exposed to preciselythe same dangers as one in a Langstroth hive? Your onecase is enough to prove that bees may have foulbrood in a homenot specially prepared for them.Foulbrood, European.—Q. What is the color of Europeanfoulbrood?