BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
Full-sized hives, with the interior space contracted by means of division-boards, so as just to take in three bar frames, serve for queen-rearing, but it is generally more expedient to use special or nucleus hives of simple construction and smaller size, which are easy to manipulate or move about.
The hive, of which a perspective view is given in Fig. 83,
is half the size of the usual full-sized hive. It takes in five standard size bar-frames, and will serve either for queen-rearing or to accommodate temporarily a small or medium swarm. It is not difficult to make, and to a beginner in bee keeping who proposes to make his own hives it will afford a preliminary exercise before taking in hand the construction of stock-hives.
A plan of the body box, and as much of the base-board as can be seen by looking directly downwards, is shown in full outline in Fig. 84; and Fig. 85 is a longitudinal section taken centrally through the roof, body, and base, or footboard.
As the hive is to hold standard frames, the size of the frame determines the dimensions of the body box. The outside measure of the standard frame is 14 in. by \(\frac{81}{2}\) in. by \(\frac{7}{2}\) in. The top bar is 17 in. long and \(\frac{8}{2}\) in. thick ; the side pieces and the.bottom bar are \(\frac{1}{4}\) in. and \(\frac{1}{8}\) in. thick respectively. The space between the frame ends and the bottom bar is \(\frac{1}{4}\) in.
Figure 85: Section of Hive for Rearing Queen Bees.
frames. A division-board or dummy on each side of the frames will effect this. Fig. 87 shows one of the division-boards, which, as will be seen, is a bar-frame with a thin piece of wood nailed to one side of it. This piece of wood is long enough to fit against the sides of the body-box snug, but not tight, and in breadth it is equal to the depth of the frame. In order to lessen the risk of crushing the bees when the frames are moved, it should not reach the floor-board, and the bottom bar should be taken off or a hole bored in it to permit bees chancing to get between the division-board and the hive side to escape.
The frames are kept the proper distance apart
by means of two racks, one of which is shown in Fig. 88. These are not required if they are fitted with the metal ends bee keepers generally use for this purpose ; but it is not difficult to space the frames without the use of either. A few pencilmarks on the hive ends may be used as a guide to accurate distancing.
A stand for the hive may be made by cutting two pieces of wood to the form shown in Fig. 89; the floor-board of the hive rests within the part cut out of the upper surface. Frames for hives are, generally speaking, best got ready-made from dealers in bee keepers' requisites, as they are made accurately to size by machinery, and are sold at a low price.
Figure 89: Foot of Hive for Rearing Queen Bees.
In marking out the timber, care should be taken as far as possible to avoid knots coming near the edges of the pieces or in the roof-board, and the heart side of the timber should always be on the outside of the hive. If this is not done, the hive when exposed to the weather is fairly certain to open at the joints. Over the roof-top a piece of calico, cut to size, should be stretched, folded round the edges, and secured by tacks underneath. A coat of thick oil paint upon the calico will make the roof watertight, and the hive itself should also receive a coat of paint. A light colour is best, as dark shades absorb the heat of the sun, making the hive intolerably hot for the bees, and perhaps melting their combs down into a confused mass.
## Chapter X Super-clearers.
The operation of removing the honey from the hive and ridding the hive of bees, although, until quite recently, the one operation dreaded by.bee keepers, can now be performed with little or no disturbance in as many minutes as formerly the operation required hours, and without the inflection of a single sting upon the operator if ordinary care be taken. This is effected by the use of a super-clearer, an American invention.
The most simple form of clearer is a cone made of perforated metal, fixed in the gable, or gables, of the hive roof, as shown by Fig. 7, p. 17. In use it is simplicity itself. The super to be cleared is gently prised up, small spills of wood (match ends will do) inserted at the corners, and through the orifice thus formed a few puffs of smoke are blown into the hive. After waiting a moment the operator should raise the super, whilst an assistant places a quilt over the body-box or super below, when the full super may be replaced above it ; the covering quilt of the super is then removed and the roof put on. The bees, finding communication with the hive proper cut off, make tracks for home through the cone, and once out they cannot return. Stray bees on the prowl (for bees are inveterate robbers) also fail to effect an entrance. By reason of the perforations in the cone, the bees are attracted to its base, where they fail to gain admission ; and robbers can find their way inside only when they are sufficiently numerous entirely to cover the cone.
For the reason last given, the cone as a cleareris unsuited for use in late autumn, or at any other season when honey may be scarce; but in late summer, or when nectar is still plentiful, its use is advantageous. If the super is disconnected from the hive in the early morning it can be left to clear itself during the day; and in the evening, the honey, unaccompanied by a single bee, can be removed indoors.
Some cones are fitted with a delicate steel spring, which, whilst not impeding the egress of confined bees, effectually stops the ingress of any intruder; the cones are also sometimes used
double--one within the other, \(\frac{1}{4}\) in. apart--for the same purpose.
Another method of using the cones is, instead of entirely uncovering the super of honey, to replace the quilt by a board furnished with several round holes, over each of which a cone is laid or fixed. Escaping bees have thus to pass a double trap, whilst double obstacles are placed in the path of marauding bees. Cones have also been tried the reverse way--that is, to make the bees return to the hive proper without passing into the open air--but have not been much of a success; and practice has proved that the slighter the connection between the hive and the super to be cleared the more quickly will it be rid of
Figure 90: Porter Bee Escape.
bees. The ideal cone should be wide at the base, about 3 in. in length, and have the aperture at the point large enough to pass two bees simultaneously.
However, when by the use of the cone clearer, owing to the lateness of the season or otherwise, robbing is likely to be induced, it is safest not to rely upon it at all, but to use a clearer that affords the bees a direct passage back into the hive without the possibility of return. This is found in the Porter bee escape, obtainable for a shilling of any dealer in bee goods.
Fig. 90 shows it with a portion cut away to expose the interior. It consists of an oblong piece of thin tinplate a, in size 41 in. by 13 in., with a 1-in. hole punched through near one end. To its underside is soldered a rectangular box b, 23 in. long, 11 in. wide, and 12 in. deep, one end of which is open. Inside this box a -shaped piece c is fixed, 1 in. long, 1 in. wide, and 14 in (full) deep, and the inner end d is bent downwards to meet the bottom of box b. To the inner sides of piece c are soldered two fine springs e of brass ribbon, 16 in. wide, which are bent inwards, as shown, until they almost meet. To an outgoing bee these springs offer little or no resistance; to an ingoer
Figure 91: Super-clearer Complete.
they offer an impenetrable barrier. If the bee, foiled at the apex of the triangle formed by the springs, tries to force a passage by their sides, the only result is that the springs are pressed the closer together, so that to gain an entrance is an impossibility.
With regard to the use of the super-cleaner on a hive, it may be said that its size depends on that of the hive, and that no definite measurements can be given beyond saying that appliance dealers usually make it about 16 in. square. Take sufficient dry pine or other wood, \(\frac{1}{2}\) in. thick, and joint it to the required width--preferably by grooving, as should it shrink sufficiently to allow a bee-space between the joints its efficiency would be lost--and on each side fix a border, as shown in Figs. 91 and 92, of 1-in. by \(\frac{3}{2}\)-in. wood.
In its exact centre cut a hole to take the rectangular box B of the escape, into which hole it should fit firmly without the need of further fixing ; and in order to allow the bees to escape, the end of the hole at the outlet end must be be levelled off, as shown at n in Fig. 92, which is a section of the clearer.
In use, the operation of removing surplus honey is the same as when using the cone, with the exception that the clearer, instead of a quilt, is interposed between hive and super, the quilts above the super remaining intact. The object of the border round the clearer board will now be apparent: a bee-space is provided above and below. The bees, finding themselves practically cut off from below, will soon discover a passage-way out, and, passing through the hole in the top of the escape, they will be guided past the
Figure 92: Section of Super-cleaner.
springs and so into the hive below, the stream of bees only ceasing when all have cleared out. When this is the case, the honey may be removed ; the honey can be extracted from the frames at once, and the combs returned to be refilled, or cleaned out ready for storing away. In the former case the clearer must be removed ; in the latter, by fitting the board with a little extra contraviance, the bees can be re-admitted without disturbance ; and, when the combs have been cleaned out dry, the super can be again cleared of bees in readiness for its final removal.
Holes from 1 in. to 1\({}_{\frac{1}{2}}\) in. diameter may be bored through the clearer-board in one or more
corners, as shown in Fig. 91, and covered with slides of tinplate or sheet zinc, as guides for the working of which tacks or small nails will suffice. In ordinary use the holes are closed by the slides ; but when the dripping combs are returned from the extractor, and all is covered up snug, the slides may be withdrawn, allowing the bees free entrance, an invitation they will not be slow in accepting ; and if the combs are returned in the evening, the slides may be again closed next morning, when the bees will again pass below through the escape, permitting the now dry combs to be removed later.
In cases where hives are made perfectly square to permit the combs to be hung at right angles to,
Figure 93: Cleaner in Use between Hive and Super.
or parallel with, the entrance, and the frames of successive bodies or supers to be placed at right angles to those immediately below, the clearer board may be the same size as the outside measurement of the hive, and may be provided with a plinth (see Fig. 93) to keep it in place during the period of its use and so prevent undue loss of heat. In Fig. 93, the hive walls are shown in full black lines, the super-clearer being hatched.
The method adopted by a well-known honey producer for removing supers may be given with advantage, as by its adoption smoke--which does not improve the flavour of honey if applied too freely--is unnecessary. Dip a square of unbleached calico into diluted carbonic acid (1 oz. to a pint of water), wring it out as dry as possible, and place the clearer on a stand by the hive. Gently prise up the super as before described, and, shaking out the carbolised cloth, hold it in the hands whilst removing the crate of honey, and by the same movement drop it over the frames beneath, which will cause every bee to disappear rapidly. Place the super on the clearer, quickly remove the cloth, and put clearer and super on the hive, to be left until clear of bees. The same operation can be gone through when taking the clearer off, but on no account must the carbolised cloth remain near honey for any length of time, or the flavour of the honey will be spoiled.
bee smokers.
This chapter will describe how to make two kinds of smokers--the Bingham and the Clarke. A Bingham smoker can be made at a cost not exceeding one shilling if the worker can use tins-smiths' tools. These include snips for cutting the thin tinplate; a hatchet stake for turning over the metal for wiring edges or making joints; a large soldering bit; mallets and hammers; punches; and odd pieces of iron.
A hatchet-stake may be improvised from a 2 ft. length of so-called half-round iron, 13 in. wide, and $ in. thick. The edges are smoothed with a file, and the iron is supported in a vice.
As to materials for the construction of the smoker, get a piece of best quality tinplate, 12 in. by 18 in., wood, leather, a small bit of $ in. brass tube, and about 3 ft. of hard brass wire 16 gauge.
Fig. 94 is a general view of the smoker complete. It consists of fire tube, T; funnel, F; handguard, g; strip to secure tube to bellows, H; and bellows, b. The fire tube is 2$ in. in diameter and 6$ in. long. The piece of tinplate should be cut accurately square, 8$ in. by 6$ in. The two short edges are then turned over a little more than $ in. from the edges, one being turned up and the other down. The piece of tin is bent into a cylinder, and the bent edges hooked into one another and hammered down tight, using a piece of thick round iron or steel as a stake on which to hammer. Run a little solder along the joint to strengthen it.
When the cylinder has been made fairly circular, it will be found to be 2$ in. in diameter.
Bee Smokers. 103
Both ends of this cylinder ought now to be quite 'flat ; but if they are not, the file should be used until they are made so ; $ in. at one end must now be turned out all round at right angles to the body of the cylinder, and this can easily be done with the good tin being used by means of a hammer and the stake, or the sharp edge of a cast-iron lathe bed, which is more solid. The cylinder will thus be reduced to its final length, 64 in. Within 3 in. of the flanged end, a 1 in. hole is punched through the tin.
This hole is to be coned inwards, as shown in Fig. 93, the object being to direct any of the blast which might impinge upon the sides of the hole inwards into the smoker, rather than between the fire-box and guard. The cone can be shaped with the pane of a light hammer.
The end or bottom E (Fig. 95) is of tinplate, its radius being just 1\(\frac{1}{2}\) in., $ in. of the edge being turned up all round, like a cover of a canister; the flanged edge of the cylinder is laid in it, and the edges turned in to embrace the flange and keep all tight, as shown at E (Fig. 95). The edge of the bottom can be turned up on the end of a piece of thick round iron.
The funnel may next be made, its pattern being shown by Fig. 96. The arcs of circles should be scribed on the sheet of tinplate, the inner being 1\(\lx@sectionsign\) in., and the outer 6\(\lx@sectionsign\) in. in radius; measure off
8\(\lx@sectionsign\) in. on the circumference of the outer arc, and draw lines to the centre; the piece may then be cut out, turned up and down at the edges, and connected in the same way as the body tube. Donot, however, turn down quite so much at the edges so as to make the large end of the funnel big enough to embrace the tube T (Fig. 94 and 95). The end of the funnel should be hammered, so as to make about \(\frac{1}{2}\) in. of its wide end parallel to fit on the cylindrical body. The body of r could be tapered very slightly to assist the putting on of the cone.
The piece M is a sort of additional support to the barrel. It is simply a piece of tinplate 1\(\frac{1}{2}\) in. square, having two edges turned down and hammered flat, making it \(\frac{1}{2}\) in. wide. It is then bent at right angles, having one leg \(\frac{1}{2}\) in. long, and the other \(\frac{1}{2}\) in. long. It is attached to the hand-guard and support H by the short leg, while the long one is hollowed out to fit the curve of the body of the flower.
The hand-guard is a piece of tinplate, No. 16
Figure 96: Pattern of Funnel.
B.W.S., 6% in. by 4% in. wired all round with thin wire. The wiring is easily done by first cutting small pieces off the corners of the tin, then turning up the edges all round, laying the wire in the edges, and then hammering down so as completely to cover the wire, and leave a nicely formed bead. The hand-guard is bent to a semicircle.
The support is made of a strip of tinplate 712 in. long and 1% in. wide. Lines must be seribed on one surface $ in. from each edge, thus marking it into three parts, the centre one being $ in. wide. At 13 in. from one end, and at 11 in. from the other, nick the sides into the lines, and turn over the edges of the end pieces, thus doubling the tin at the ends and making them only $ in. wide. The centre must also have its edges turned up, but only at right angles, to the middle part, thus making a sort of trough which will fit on the piece of wood s (Fig. 95) nailed to the bellows board. The ends of this piece of tinplate are now turned up in the opposite direction to the trough, the short one at right angles, and the longer one at an angle of 135 with the middle part. This last end is to be bent again, a little more than 1 in. from the first bend, so as to lie parallel to the centre part.
For riveting these parts together, obtain four rivets $ in. thick and 11 in. long. One rivet con
Figure 97: Smoker Diaphragm.
### BEE Smokers.
nects the support H, the hand-guard G, and the little piece M, all together towards the front, while another 11 in. from the back holds H and G together. A $ in. hole should now be made in H and a $ in. from the back, and the whole may be attached to the barrel with the two rivets shown. The rivet holes are punched. The top of M should be filed hollow to fit the curve of the barrel, the front part of H being hammered to a similar curve.
The diaphragm p (Fig. 95) is of sheet iron, and the legs are sometimes riveted on, but it is easier to cut it out of the iron in one piece as in Fig. 97. It should be punched with $ in. holes. The diameter is just a little less than 21 in., and the legs are 1 in. long ; they are turned up at right angles to the body. The leg L (Fig. 95) is riveted on.
The only difficulty likely to be experienced in the coned blast pipe P (see also Fig 98) is the coning of the mouth to $ in. This, however, is easy after cutting two nicks in the piece of $ in. tubing as in Fig. 98. Anneal the brass by heating it in the fire, and when cool, the point can be hammered cone-shape without much trouble. A touch of solder will mend the cut afterwards. This is not a professional method, but is quite good enough for the present purpose.
The piece of wood s (Fig. 95) bears the whole weight of the tin portion. Oak will be found the best material ; and suitable dimensions are 43 in. by $ in. by $ in. At $ in. from one end make a $ in. hole to take the blast-pipe ; the upper edgesare to be be levelled off and hollows cut to take the heads of the rivets in h (Fig. 95).
The boards of the bellows can be made of any tough and thoroughly seasoned wood. Two pieces for the cheeks of the bellows are 5 in. by 5 in., two other pieces x (Fig. 95) are 4 in. by 1 in., 1 in. thick at the back and rather more at the front, so that when the backs of the two boards are brought together the front joint will not open. The piece x is 1 in. square and 2 in. long, and another piece is 1 in. square and 3 in. long. The wood piece for the valve is 2 in. square and 1 in. or so thick. When all the pieces have been nicely planed and rubbed on a sheet of glasspaper, bore a hole for the valve in one bellows board and one at w for the blast pipe in the other. The latter is 1 in. in diameter, and 1 in. from the back end of the board ; the former is 1 in. in diameter, and its centre is 2 in. from the back end of the board. The burrs which may have been formed in the boring of these holes should be carefully glasspapered off. The pieces x should then be glued and tacked across the front edges of the boards, and the piece x similarly fixed on the lower one, 1 in. behind x, its ends being equidistant from the edges of the board.
The springs (Fig. 100) must next be made ; each is a piece of wire bent into two parts, and as there are two springs there will be, in effect, four wires pushing the boards apart. To make the springs, drive a couple of wire nails \(\frac{\mathrm{a}}{\mathrm{e}}\) in. thick into a piece of wood 6 in. apart. Cut the 16 gauge wire 14 in. long and straighten it, place it against the wire nails with the ends projecting equally at both sides, and turn the ends round the nails, one to the right and the other to the left. Give two and a quarter turns to each end, which will leave them at right angles to the middle part as in Fig. 101. Then bend the middle part at m into a curve so as to bring the coils together and the loose ends\(B_{RE}\) Smokers.
lying side by side. Then with pliers turn down the points to prevent them from sticking in the boards, and give a little bend just near the coil (see Fig. 100). The ends of the piece of wood which have been prepared, \(\frac{3}{7\delta}\) in. square and 31 in. long, are rounded and passed through the coils of the springs, and a little bit of thin wire ties them together to prevent their slipping off. This axle, as it may be called, of the springs is then placed between the pieces x and y (Fig. 95), and the lower board then resembles Fig. 102, this illustrative
ing the bottom board of the bellows with springs in place.
The valve is a piece of leather 3 in. by-2 in., to which the 2 in. square piece of wood is secured at one end by a tack passing through near its centre. If it were glued to the wood, and the latter warped, the valve would not close. Three edges of the wood valve will coincide with three of the leather, and an inch of the leather will project beyond the wood. By means of this tongue the valve is secured to the board with two tacks. A light spring (shown in Fig. 95) presses very
As a general guide in procuring the leather it may be said that a strip 18 in. long, tapering from 31 in. in the middle to 11 in. at the ends, does for the three sides, an inch being left at each end to overlap the hinge. When the leather has been put on, the bellows ought to be able to work nicely; but, for the sake of appearance, it is customary to put a narrow strip of red leather
all round the edges of the boards, and to secure it with small brass tacks.
Before the bellows are put together it will be much better to fasten to the upper board the piece s with glue and a couple of screws from the inside, the blast holes in both bellows and support being over one another. A piece of wire-gauze w (Fig. 95) should be put between the two, covering the blast hole in such a way as to pre
Figure 104: Clarke Smoker. Fig. 104.Section of Clarke Smoker.
Figure 103:
vent ash or cinder from the smoker finding its way into the bellows. The contracted piece of brass pipe can now be pushed into place, and the body of the smoker fastened to s with the piece of tinplate h, which has its edges turned down so as to embrace it; four little screws or tacks will hold it on very firmly.
The smoker is now finished and ready for the fuel, which can be brown paper, sacking, or anything that will smoulder. It should be inserted in such a way as to afford passages for the air through it. If it is packed tightly the smoke cannot be expected to travel through the entire length of the barrel.
The form of spring used in the real Bingham smoker entails a good deal of unnecessary labour, and probably a spiral spring of the proper strength could be substituted. Then the front edges of the bellows boards could be brought together, and the four pieces of wood there found could be dispensed with.