Imperial Valley press., 1919-02-12
BEE BUSINESS.
Of \ A | | { !.
ENDANGERED.
BY C0NTAG|ON.

County Bee Inspector George, in
communication RECEIVED by The
Press and publisheT below, announ-
/ ces his intention IF combating and
eradicating the headly>foul brood
which is ravagibg the thousands of
colonies owned IN the Valley. His
letter follows:
Ell Centro, Calf, Feb. IL, 1919
Imperial Valley Press-Gentlemen l
wish through your publication to
sound note of warning to the gen.
eral public who may feel disposed to
go into the bee business, either for
pleasure or profit.
The average person imagines that
all that is necessary to secure an
abundance of honey for his own ta-
BILE or to produce it in commercial
way is to get swarm of bees, get
them into box and then the bees
will do the rest.
Some are so sure that there is
easy money in the business that they
will invest thousands of dollars in
bees and equipment when they have
not the slightest idea of the chance
they are running of losing the entire
investment in one year.
| will cite one example which
should be sufficient warning to any
one who may read this article.
H. M. Kinne, who lives about five
miles east and north of Ell Centre
bought 115 colonies of bees last
April (or about that time). The
bees were in good ten-frame SIM
plicity hives and on Hoffman frames.
Mr.. Kinne thought he was getting
something that was all right, in fact,
fine combination. He was all right
in his surmise with one exception,
and that exception spilled all the
BEANS Mr.. Kinne was ignorant of
bee knowledge and did not know he
was buying an apiary that was rot
ten with American foul brood
When we inspected Mr.. Kinne's
bees few days ago we found that
Mr.. Kinne had twelve colonies of
bees left from his 115 colonies pur-
chased last April, and of those twelve
many are weak, and by the time they
receive treatment for the disease he
will probably have about five colonies
left.
M. Kinne paid $4,000 for his out
fit and what he has left is expert
ence.
That does not tell all of the story.
Mr.. Kinne has neighbor who had
about 100 colonies of bees. We have
inspected the neighbours bees and
found twenty-nine cases of foul
brood and without question his en-
tire apiary will develop the disease
before the season is over, which will
cause the owner to loose almost all
Of his honey crop this season; also
an immense amount of work for the
inspector and unearned work for the
owner, all of which was caused by
Kline without the shadow of doubt.
The point | wish to make is this: !
That anyone contemplating buying
Gees should insist that the seller fur
nish a certificate of health from the
inspectors office for the bees that
are being sold; and after the pur-
chase he should inform himself as to
the workings of the bees, and also
their requirements to be kept in a
healthy condition, so that they will
not become a menace to others who
may be keeping bees in the same vi
cinity, for a single colony of bees
that becomes diseased and is neg
lected will endanger all other bees
within a redius of several miles.
This article is not intended to dis
courage onyone from buying bees.
NO, buy all that you may want to;
but for the purpose of warning per-
sons from investing their money
where they stand ninetynine
chances out of every hundred of
losing their money, for l am sorry
to say that all bee men are not hon
est There are some who will not
hesitate to take advantage of the
ignorance of the other fellow.
In conclusion, | will say that in
order to eradicate the bee diseases in
this Valley, the bee inspector will
use every effort, but to attain the
best results he must have the CO.
operation of all who have any bees.
With that end in view, | will ask
everyone who has even one colony
of bees on his premises to report
same to me, giving number OF colo
MES, also exact location (section or
tract number if possible) and | will
endeavor to find out Just what con-
dition said bees are in.
Also as to whether bees are I'M
common boxes or in movable frame
hives.
The bee industry is of such great
Importance in this valley that every
one should feel enough interest in
the Welfare of the Valley to report
to the inspector whatever bees he
may have. The inspection will cost
him nothing.
Yours very truly, J. w. GEORGE,
Bee Inspector for Imperial County.