Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1862-05-02
straw Bee Hive

Mr.. LGngstroth, III the fevleo0 eUteoo
of his work, says: "a serious disadvss.
tagc attending all kinds Of wooden hivse
is the ease with which they condsot heat,
causiug them to become cold and damp y
wintcr, and, if exposed to the sun 20 boz
in summer as often to melt the somhs.;
In another place when speaking Of Straw
as Material for hives, he says: Il has
been used for ages, aud is warm in winter
and cool in summer. The def6cnlty ef
making them take and retain the proper
shape for improved bce-keeping is ~ iasa-
peyabe objection to their use. ;" From
this it is evident that had some form Of
straw hive been offered suitable for i'm.
proved Observation-Disclosures for surplus
boxes and movable combs-that he woulA
have preferred such to those Of wood.
The experience of myself and others -
far as have been able to ascertain is N
favor of straw, the bees passing the winter
in better condition and throwing out
swarms eight or ten days earlier. Bees
formerly seemed to prosper with little or
no care on the part of the owner indeed,
many deferred by superstitious notisns.
never presumed to invert stock even for
examination, but allowed it to take it,
chance nearly or quite as undisturbsd ~
if buried in the depths of the forest. That
bees could subsist and even multiply ia the
absence of all care can be explained IN
part, at least, by attributing their prosper.
ity to the straw hives then used. The I'd.
vantage of earlier swarms is an important
point. The honey season is sometimes
very short; ten days earlier or later may
be in good season or very late. A strong
swarm will often collect in the highest Of
the season three pounds per day, and il
follows that u gain of ten days at thss
time is equivalent to twenty-6v or thirty
pounds Of honey.
The bees in wood hive that stands in
the open air are subject to much annoy.
ance from accumulations Of frost and lee
inside the hive, resulting from the mois.
ture arising from the bees in cold weather.
If ventilation is given them by opening
the holes to the chamber, much Of the
needed warmth goes with the upward Cur.
rent of air. Many of the bees are lost
by the sudden changes of weather frsn
warm to cold. The bees having spread
themselves over the combs while the
weather continued mild, are overtakea by
the sudden chill, which is quickly felt n
a wooden hive, and those on the outside
of the cluster failing to follow the rapidly
contracting mass are soon frozen. This
process may be repeated through the win.
ter till the colony is ruined or very much
injured. In the Spring also, after breed.
ing has commenced, sudden changes can.
not be otherwise than detrimental. A few
warm days may encourage the queen to
deposit eggs for extensive breeding, when
cold storm which is quickly felt inside
the hive interteres and stops it all. In .
few days they commence to brood again.
perhaps to succeed no better. 1t is in.
portant to understand how hive made q
a non-conluctor Of heat would tend to OBJ
yiate these wills. With ourselves. wo
find that the rubber coat conducts the heat
away from the body and retains the mois.
turc, while the coat of wool retains the
heat and dsposes Of the moisture. The
wood hive is like rubber garment-ths
particles composing it lie close and forn
a conductor of Neat. The walls Of the
straw hive are filled with little cells like
wool, through which heat slowly passes.
\ colony OF bees inhabiting straw hive
needs no special upward ventilation in
cold weather; the moisture arising from
them is readily absorbed and passes cut
there are no accumulations of ice inside
to annoy the bees or badly mold the combs.
The warmth generated by the bees is most
ly retained in the hive, making them moro
comfortable and saving their stores. In
Spring it promotes early and regular
breeding, which is, without doubt, the
principal cause Of such hives throwing out
the earliest swans. The advantages OF
straw as material for hives has been -
long apparent that attempts have been
made to secure the same with double walls
OF wood, having dead air space between
the boards composing it. This secures the
warmth and the desired shape. but dses
not dispose Of moisture without ventila.
ton. which takes away all the advantages.
More than year since succeeded in
making straw hive adapted to the NOV.
able combs. | immediately transferred
the frames, combs and bees ints it, aad
left it in the cold to watch results. No
frost could be found on the combs even
when the mercury was ten degrees below
zero. My success was reported without
auy description of hive. As l did not
suppose that | had the bost form, invit-
ed others to assist in devising better and
give us ec-kccpcrs something worthy Of
our attention.
Daring the year 1851 two straw hives
have been patented. One by Mr.. s. Ias,
Of East Shelby, Orleans county, N. Y.
beautifully finished hive. The walls
are made double, Enclosing dead air space.
the inner of straw, tho outer Of wood
The wood serves to protect the straw from
the weather and of course will increase
its durability. The other is by Mr.. NJ.
StiIlwel, Nanlius, n. Y, moro simple il
construction, costing less, perhaps lsss du-
rable, walls single, but thick enoxgh to
give all the protection 10 bocs reauired.
1t is very much like the one l made
Any one satisfied with plain, cheap hive.
would like this. They are both adapted
to the movable combs, and just now .
mobabc comb hive is what VIC Reed, as ]