BEE-spoke-data/bees-v0 huggingface dataset:
Hive " is nothing more than a large flat-topped skep. There are three sizes, viz., 16-inch, 18-inch, and 20-inch hives ; that is their width inside measure, and they are all 12 inches deep. When well filled they weigh respectively 60 pounds, 100 pounds, and 130 pounds. They are made in Ayrshire of wheaten straw, neatly and firmly built. These hives are largely used in the North of England and in Scotland ; and Mr. Pettigrew quotes instances where the Bees have in them gathered as much as 164 pounds gross weight of contents. When using such large skeps the Bees cannot be expected to store any honey in supers, and in a great measure the quality of the honey is sacrificed without any adequate benefit. The combs in the main hive must of necessity become soiled from the labours of the immense population ; while, had half the store been gathered in a super, this half would be worth as much as double the quantity from the breeding hive. To those who determine on the use of straw skeps.I would recommend the pattern of Fig. 6, of about 14 inches in diameter by 8 deep, inside measure. These will be found a very manageable size, admitting the use of a super when required. For exceptionally good localities larger hives may be used. It is highly important that the material of which they are made should be good sound straw, and the bands of adequate thickness ; for on this, be it remembered, depends in a great measure the well-doing of the stock. Each hive will require a sound wooden floor board--if 1\(
rac{1}{2}\) or 2 inches thick, so much the better. In country districts these are well and economically cut out of the bolt of a filled tree. It should be at least 1 inch greater diameter than the hive, and have a projecting front for the Beesto alight on (see the floor board on Fig. 10), which should, with the remainder of the margin of the board, be levelled off for the rain to run off. However well the skep may be made, it would be simply folly to expose them to the weather without protection from the rain, and many plans may be adopted to guard against this. A very rural way is to make a conical straw hackle, Fig. 7, fitting over the hive, and throwing off the water like the thatch of a barn. Another way is to cover the hive with an inverted flat milk pan, such as is used in dariies to set the milk in. It matters little what is used so that the desired result be obtained, for it must be borne in mind that a dry hive in winter is one of the first essentials for prosperity. The straw hackle, Fig. 7, can be made without difficulty, thus: The straw having been well soaked, as for thatching, is securely tied with basket-maker's twigs or tarred string. Hoops are then fastened within at K, L and M, N. The hackles are then fitted over and adapted to the form of the hives, then left to dry, stiffen, and set. A wooden peg or two passed through the hackle above the hoop into the hive side will prevent the wind disturbing it.
Neighbour's Improved Octage Hive.--This has been a popular hive for many years, and is pretty and interesting to those who are satisfied with a transitory view of their industrious labourers. It consists of a circular straw lower compartment, or main body of the hive, having three windows with outside shutters. A thermometer is fixed across the centre window, so that the Bees cannot work between it and the glass, and thus intercept the view of the graduated scale. The stock hive, encircled with a hoop, rests on a stout floor board fashioned with a projecting landing-place for the Bees. The top is also of wood, having three or more circular openings of about 3 inches in diameter, to receive as many bell-glasses, having fixed on their tops internally a tube of perforated zinc for ventilation, to which guide combs may be fastened and which also forms a convenient support for the Bees when commencing their labours; over all is fitted a cover of straw (alsoa manual of bee-keeping.
Loop bound) closely fitting the top of the stock hive, and permitting removal with great facility to allow inspection of operations ; this straw cover is surmounted by a ventilator forming a neat finish. The price of this, \(35s\), is, however, a bar to its general use, more especially as, unlike most hives of an equal cost, the combs are immovable.
The Cheshire Crystal Palace Prize Hive.
The Judges at the Great Aiparian Exhibition, after having examined the many Hives shown, awarded the palm to Mr. Cheshire for this hive; and I may say **I**quite concur in their judgment, and those who can afford its purchase will find it easy to work with, as well as giving the minimum of disturbance to the Bees, and affording every facility to investigate all parts. I extract the following description from the pages of _The Country:--_
"The hive consists of two main portions **;** the super "ever, the upper half of what may be denominated "the body **;** and the hive proper, the lower portion in "which breeding is carried on, and where the Bees "pass the winter. Over the entrance is a porch**,** its roof "consisting of a stout piece of pine, about 3in. wide, "and running completely along the hive face. This is "chamfered off towards the end, the more effectually "to carry away drip, and has a channel near its front "edge, which acts as a gutter, by which the rain is "conveyed to its ends. This gutter is shown in the "cross section, Fig. 12 at E. The bottom board of the "hive projects 21in. along the front, so as to form a "very convenient alighting board **;** 10in. of the central "part of this is grooved as seen in the figure, so "that should it be reached by driving rain the convex "parts remain free of water, affording the Bees a dry "passage-way to the interior. The flight hole is also "10in. in length, and is formed by cutting from the "hive-wall a piece a full **;** deep (see G, Fig. 12). F. "Fig. 12, is screwed on beneath the porch roof to give it "additional stability and also to provide the groove "for two sliding shutters (shown in Fig. 11), by which "the entrance way may be regulated as occasion may "require. Upon the upper part of the ends of these "are two small studs preventing the shutters from "meeting, so that the entrance can only be reduced to Figure 12:
"Fig. 13 shows the arrangement of the frames, which "are kept at their correct and relative distances by "means of small nails known amongst carpenters as "panel pins. Combs 1 to 6 are shown _in situ_, and by "having the dummy as in the figure, a small swarm, "instead of weakening itself by excessive distribution, "would be easily confined to about half the hive; and "in some cases it might be an economy of heat, and in " other ways advantageous to still further reduce their "working" space. It is here worthy of remark that "removing the dummy from the end of the hive " beyond frame 11, where it would usually remain, and * "placing it in any part does not prevent the eleven "frames being accommodated as before, for if the "dummy stands as in -the figure outside No. 6, the "frame beyond it--_i.e._, No. 7--will touch the dummy "at one of its ends, and so give space for the full "length of the distance pin of the last frame.
* "Fig. 14 represents the crown board, the edge of " which is seen at C, D (Fig. 12). This consists of "five strips or slats, clamped at their ends to prevent "warping; they are each \(17
rac{1}{3}\) inches long." The width of the central strip is 5 inches, while "that of the others is \(3
rac{1}{2}\) inches. The central one "is pierced with a hole \(1
rac{1}{2}\) inches in diameter, and "over this is placed a feeding stage. At E, F and G, \(f H\), "the top board is cut away \(
rac{1}{4}\) inch in width and \(10\) "inches in length. Notwithstanding the removal of "these parts, the board completely covers the hive "top, but if the outside slat (A, I, C, \(f K\)) be made " to change places with the one next it, E, F will occupy " the position E, F, and will form a long hole or slat, " which will give the Bees ingress to the super, the " frame of which occupies the position of the dotted " lines, \(a\), \(b\), \(c\), \(d\). The same being done on the other side, " the Bees are freely admitted to the super, while the " Queen, the Nurses, and the pollen gatherers of the " brood nest beneath are prevented by an unbroken " ceiling from passing up into and spoiling the honey" comb in the super."
This hive is made by Lee, of Bagshot, and sold at \(23s\), to \(45s\), according to completeness and workmanship.
Abbott's New Frame-bar Hive.--This hive, which has been latelyintroduced, is somewhat different to others in previous use in England. Its first and most striking feature is its peculiar shape internally, 17 inches from front to rear, and 11 inches deep. It contains 8 frames--giving much greater cubical space than the " Woodbury." This peculiarity of shape is no novelty, having been adopted and described by Mr. Quinby, of New York; and Langstroth says, "A hive from _front_ to _rear_, and " moderately low and narrow, seems, on the whole, to " unite the most advantages." The frames have no bottom bar, a questionable _advantage_ which was before tried and abandoned; such an arrangement is figured in _King's Bee-keepers Tect Book_; as " Taylor's Frame." The intention in the present hive is to give the Bees liberty to build their combs deeper, but it is doubtful if safety in handling be not sacrificed; to this ; the frames also have greater tendency to warp, when, if the sides of the hive are approached too closely, the Bees fix all fast. The price of this hive is \(\sharp 1.17s\). \(6d\), and the advantagesclaimed for it are, that it is free from the principal defects of other hives, having no rabets, notches, racks, pins, or distance tacks, nor any crevices or acute angles for the Bees to waste their time in propolizing, no space between the tops of frames and adapter, and no bottom rails to frames. Its floor board is reversible, being exactly the same on both sides, and may be withdrawn and returned without disturbance. The hive is fixed on four stout legs, so needs no separate stand, and is surmounted by a super-covered roof to keep all dry, its body box being double-walled with dead air space between.
The Sherrington Hive.This hive is an exceedingly well-made article of straw--internally fitted much after the style of that last described--the roof is intended to allow space for supers. Those Bee-keepers who have a preference for straw over wood can, with
ingeniously constructed turn-table, giving passage to the Bees by a tunnel to the external air. It makes a handsome ornament for a drawing-room or study, placed in a window; a small aperture in the window frame will give passage to the Bees. This observatory hav has the evil of all other glass hives, the cold nature of its material, and the narrow width prevents the Bees clustering, the consequence being that no stock can be trusted to the rigours of winter in it; but its special advantage is that the framed combs can be taken from an ordinary Woodbury hive at the approach of summer and returned to their old place when summer is gone. In such a hive every Bee can be brought under observation, and when the Queen be not found on one side turn to the other and there she must be. This hive is made by Neighbour & Sons, Regent Street, London.
The Slindox Hive.--This hive, lately introduced by Mr. F. R. Jackson, of Slindon, gives great promise of becoming very useful in this class, if so much glass be not found inimical to the Bees by condensing the moisture. It has double glass back and front; the top is in four sections, three of glass and one of wood, with a quilt of Indian grass or some such material placed in winter between crown board and frames to afford ventilation. When requisite to open the hive for any purpose, only that portion of the crown need be raised where it is intended to operate. Shutters back and front are used in winter. The inventor claims that the Bees are as warm in this as in any wooden bar-frame hive, and that it affords adequate protection for housing Bees throughout the year, admitting at all times full inspection of the BeesFigure 17:
and their operations without disturbing the domestic economy of the hive by opening it. The cost is \(35s\).
Figure 18:
Many observatory hives of a more or less fancy description have been designed, and are generally, in their designers' opinion, _perfect_ ; but other people in practice yet find _nucl_ to be desired.
Hives on the collateral principle seem to have fallen greatly into disuse; although they may still occasionally be found, their advantages are more than counterbalanced by those particular hives I have described. The varieties of hives are very numerous: more than fifty were shown at the Crystal Palace first Bee Show, and this by no means exhausted the list. Many of them, doubtless, are excellent in design, and have some desirable specialities; but there is no such thing as _the best live_ under all circumstances; either of these I have been describing will give good results if properly managed. So I would say to my numerous correspondents, who are continually asking me to recommend the _best live_, having pointed out the advantages and disadvantages of each, I must leave the selection to their own judgment.
It must not be forgotten that the opinions here expressed are those of an individual only, in most of which some Apianians of equal or greater experience would be found to differ. But I say again, adopt either hive, manage it with proper care, and the result will be satisfactory, although, perhaps, you may afterwards, from experience, effect an improvement. One thing, however, tending to the easy and suecessful management of an apiary is desirable, that is, if frame-hives are adopted, however we may vary in minute, is to have _all frames of the same size_, in order that they may be interchangeable with those of other hives in the apiary.
Stewarton Hive.This is a very celebrated hive in common use about Stewarton, in Ayrshire, where, as elsewhere, it has produced most excellent results; and, when better known, will be found worthy of more general employment. In the Apiarian Exhibition at the Crystal Palace, in 1874, a magnificent display of the finest white clover honey was made in the Stewarton supers ; the purity, quantity, and beautiful regularity of the combs were worthy of the prize and general high commendation it obtained. This hive is octagonal, with sides strongly dovetailed together. It consists of two or three body or breeding-boxes, whose inside measure is 14 inches across from side to side, or from back to front. The height of the box, measured inside, is 6 or 7 inches. The bottom is perfectly open. The top is quite flat, and contains usually ten moveable bars or frames, placed parallel to each other in the direction from back to front. The spaces between the bars are capable of being closed by strips of wood, which slide in grooves made in the sides of the bars, and which can readily be drawn out behind when required. Windows with sliding shutters are placed in the back and front of each box, and an entrance is cut out of the front, 5 inches in width by 1 an inch in height. In addition to the set of breeding-boxes, shallow honey-boxes, 4 inches in depth, and without an entrance in the front, but otherwise made in precisely the same manner, are used as supers. They are furnished with buttons and hooks for the purpose of securing them together.
The accompanying sectional sketch will illustrate the make of the bars or frames.
Figure 19: contains usually ten moveable bars or frames, placed parallel to each other in the direction from back to front. The spaces between the bars are capable of being closed by strips of wood, which slide in grooves made in the sides of the bars, and which can readily be drawn out behind when required. Windows with sliding shutters are placed in the back and front of each box, and an entrance is cut out of the front, 5 inches in width by 1 an inch in height. In addition to the set of breeding-boxes, shallow honey-boxes, 4 inches in depth, and without an entrance in the front, but otherwise made in precisely the same manner, are used as supers. They are furnished with buttons and hooks for the purpose of securing them together.
These hires are made in great perfection at Stewarton, and are marvellously cheap. Two breeding-boxes and one honey-box, without floor board, are, I believe, sold for \(12s\), \(6d\).
An eminent Aparian, who writes under the _nom de plume_ of "A Renfrewshire Bee-keeper," has contributed to the _British Bee Journal_ so able an article on the Stewarton hive and system, that I cannot do better than extract it almost verbatim :--
"The general mode of manipulating the Stewarton " hive is to lash a couple of breeding-boxes together at " the weighing hooks with cord. After the bars of the " boxes have been duly furnished with comb, or em
"based wax sheet, run in the sliding door of the " upper, and withdraw all the slides of the lower com
"partments; then close the openings with the little peg
"accompanying the boxes. With the free communica
"tion between, the _too_ become, to all intents and
"purposes, _one ;_ the Bees may then be introduced--\(a\)
"_prime seurin, of course._ Some eight or ten days there
"after a second prime swarm, if procurable, is hired in
"the third breeding-box, and at once set down close to
"the earlier one, and at dusk the last named is placed
"on the top of it. The lower of the two first boxes--
"now the central--has its door run in, and the slides
"of the lowest are removed and pegged as before.
amongst Bec-keepers, and there are few of any note who have not partly or wholly adopted it at one time or another.
The following is Mr. Woodbury's own description of the hive, as it appeared in the _Journal of Hotifi-culture_ :--
" Frame hives are made of inch wood, 141\(
rac{1}{2}\) inches " square, and 9 inches deep inside, dovetailed and put " together with paint, the ends of the dovetails being " pinned through with stout iron wire driven from the " top and bottom, and meeting in the centre. A window " 71\(
rac{1}{2}\) inches long by 4 deep affords a slight view of the " interior from the back (not the front as engraved), " but is much obstructed by the frames. The crown " board which is raised in the engraving (Fig. 23) is " keyed to prevent warping, and is secured by four long " brass screws passing through the ends of the keys. A " 2-inch central hole for feeding is the only aperture, " and this is closed when not in use by a circular block " of 11\(
rac{1}{4}\)-inch wood 5 inches in diameter. A 3-8th rabct " is cut out of the top inner edge at the back and front, " and below this are notches 7-8ths wide by 3-8ths " deep, in which rest the ends of the frames. This " arrangement affords the Bees a free passage above " the frames, as well as below at their sides. The " annexed sketch (Fig. 24) of the interior angle of the " hive is drawn the full size, and will serve as a guide " for the arrangement of the frames.
" The slips of wood forming the frame are 7-8ths of " an inch wide, and 3-8ths of an inch thick ; and the " projections at the top are 5-8ths of an inch long. " When in its place the whole forms a frame 13 inches " long by 71\(
rac{1}{4}\) inches high (inside measure), with a " the greatest facility."
This, which we may call the father of our frame hives, although very good, has shown sundry inconveniences easily remedied. In the first place the crown board, although "keyed," is very liable to warp, and thus gives the Bees more air than is at all times desirable ; again, when firmly propolized down by the Bees, it was difficult to move without a great shock and irritation to them, so now it is usual to make the crown board in three or four pieces (strips) and not screw them down at all. The Bees will soon make them fast, and indeed oftimes too fast ; then one piece at a
Figure 24:
Figure 25:
time can be removed, thus exposing but a small surface of the hive's interior if desired, and a small piece of wood of course is more easily detached from the pro- polis adhesion than a large. It is also a very doubtful point whether so much vacant space between the top of the frames, and the crown board is an advantage, the balance of opinion is that it is _not_ **;** and in this the Bees, who should be good judges, appear to concur, for they often try to fill it up; in which effort, if the colony be strong and space scarce, they generally succeed, giving their masters considerable trouble to clear away the comb which they have made in a wrong place. The notches forming resting places for the ends of the frames have often been found a great nuisance; the Bees, who are careful architects, will insist on firmly fixing each bar in its place; and where removal is frequently desired, considerable trouble occurs in detaching them, the small dividing blocks between the notches often breaking away, until three or four are run together. These two latter evils are now remedied either by reducing the height of the back and front of the hive to 8\(\sharp\) inches, and the sides to 8\(\sharp\)ths, leaving the upper surfaces plain; the frames when in position will be flush with the sides and baeks, this will necessitate an alteration in the shape of their tops, which may be made of the annexed form 17\(\sharp\) inches long.
Fig. 26.
This will allow of a projection of \(
rac{1}{4}\) an inch back and front, and present a flat surface for the crown board to be placed directly on the frames, the place between the frames by the increased width given to the top bar of the frames being filled up. Another way is to reduce the height of back and front to \(8
rac{1}{3}\) inches, and instead of the notches to form one plain rabbet, in which the frames are placed; but here we must have some contrivance to keep them a proper distance apart. One of the most useful is to drive a stout wire pin or French wire nail into the side of the frame, about \(
rac{1}{3}\) an inch from the ends, projecting just far enough (about 17-32ths of an inch) to keep them at proper distance; two on each frame will be found sufficient, one at the top left side, the other at the bottom right side, with a similar peg in the left side of the hive _front_, and ditto right side _back_. It will be found very convenient to place between the crown board and the frames a square of Brussels carpet, or close matting, such as fish baskets are made of; this allows ventilation; and although the Bees will be sure to propolize it to the frames, it can be torn or stripped off without much disturbance; a hole may be cut in the centre to correspond with the feeding hole in the crown board. These hives are sold at various prices, from about \(10s\) to \(25s\), according to workman-ship and completeness, with stand, cover, supers, &c.; but its manufacture is so simple that any man who can handle a few tools can make his own. Dvotailing is of course notabsolutely necessary; if they be strongly nailed and cornered with iron angle pieces, every purpose will be answered. Those to whom expense is of importance, will find a variety of old packing cases purchaseable at most grocers, &c., for a few pence, which will provide all the necessary material, so that scrivecable frame hives need not be more costly than straw skeps with their floor boards and covers complete.
**A MANUAL OF BEE-KEEPING.** 69
**S U P E R S.**
Supers are receptacles intended to be placed on the top of the hive, for the Bees to store their surplus honey in, and in a great measure to prevent the necessity of swarming. Favourite supers, which may be used on hives of any shape, are bell-glasses ; they may, of course, be had of any capacity, to hold from one to fifty pounds of honey. Nothing looks cleaner, or could be handsomer as a breakfast-table ornament, than a bright bell-glass, on an appropriate stand, well filled with luscious golden honey. Glasses of any fancy shape may be used ; at the Manchester Exhibition of 1873, a glass model of the Crystal Palace appeared filled with eighty-five pounds of comb and honey. For frame hives, square supers--a combination of wood and glass--are very suitable, and are easily made by any handy man, and I extract a description from the _British Bee Journal_ of one of the best and cheapest of this kind :--**