I live in a densely populated area north of Washington, DC.  Defensive
hives must be dealt with immediately.  There is no time to requeen a hive
and wait.   Various management practices are normally sufficient to get a
colony to an acceptable level and, in a pinch, the hive can be moved to an
orchard where it's less of an issue.

Our state bee inspector has a permethrin spray to kill a hive that is
infected by AFB, as required by law.

I only had to outright kill one defensive hive that I couldn't calm down no
matter what .  The method was taught to me by our (now retired) head bee
inspector, Jerry Fischer.

Into a 5 gallon bucket 1/3 full of water put dishwashing detergent and
shake it up till the foam fills the bucket.  At night, close the bottom of
the hive.  Pour the mixture in the top.  It might take a couple of these to
completely do the job.  Afterwards, rinse the combs with a garden hose and
let them dry and they can be reused.

Marc Hoffman

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