November. 1914. 



38n 



[M^rican T^ Jonrnal j 



in a brood chamber unless utilized for 

 the solution of problems aside from 

 the office of honey production, in 

 which case it may become so profit- 

 able as to decide the issue in favor of 

 hives that exceed the orthodox limit of 

 expansion; for a hive cannot be con- 

 sidered too large so long as its capac- 

 ity is fully utilized for the development 

 of economical principles and the solu- 

 tion of impjrtant problems, unless the 

 operation interferes with lioney pro- 

 duction. Since the 10 and 12 frame 

 hives are too large for vertical expan- 

 sion and too small for the economi- 

 cal solution of any important problem, 

 they occupy an inferior position in the 

 economics of beehive architecture, 

 hence their only redeeming feature is 

 economy of equipment and manipula- 

 tion, and they do not excel in that. 



VERTICAL EXTAN.SION. 



Since the principle of vertical ex- 

 paiiison applied to 8-frame hives makes 

 tliein equal in capacity to 16 frame 

 hivcs with horizontal expansion, it is 

 clear that I have not discarded small 

 hives for large ones, but, rather, 

 changed from vertical to horizontal 

 expansion and contraction to facilitate 

 the solution of problems that cannot 

 be solved by vertical expansion. Ti e 

 size of 8-frame hives adapts them for 

 vertical expansion, by tiering up, doub- 

 ling their capacity during the breeding 

 season, and during harvest contracting 

 them to a limit that forces all the white 

 honey into the supers, depending upon 

 cheap fall honey or still cheaper sugar 

 for winter stores. 



With a man like Dr. Miller, who will 

 do the right thing at the right time, 

 this system is second to none for sec- 

 tion honey. But it is not a let alone 

 hive, hence with the careless and indo- 

 lent will rank inferior to the two larger 

 hives. It is further objectionable on 

 account of extra equipment and ex- 

 cessive manipulation, likewise for its 

 non-solution of any problem in eco- 

 nomics. 



HORIZONTAL E.XPANSION. 



The 16-frame hive admits of an equal 

 degree of horizontal expansion by 

 means of a sliding follower, without 

 handling hives, and with the advantage 

 of having a brood-nest of any desired 

 capacity from 1 to 1(1 frames without 

 giving too much room at any time ; 

 making it equal to the 8-frame hive for 

 section honey, and superior to any for 

 extracted honey; for it has a super of 

 1(11) pounds capacity practically sur- 

 rounding the brood on three sides, 

 with extracting comb's in the right 

 proximity to insure perfect super 

 work with economy in time and labor 

 of bees, which in connection with its 

 economical solution of intricate prob- 

 lems makes it a general utility summer 

 and winter hive, economical in con- 

 struction, simple in equipment, and 

 positive in results. 



THE SOLUTION OF PROBLEMS. 



There are problems to solve aside 

 from the legitimate office of honey 

 production, bearing directly upon the 

 economics of beehive architecture, and 

 the correct solution of these prob- 

 lems demands a hive capacity that ex- 

 ceeds the orthodox limit of expansion, 



hence the advent of the 10 frame con- 

 vertible hive. This refers to the in- 

 crease problem, the swarming prob- 

 lem, and the wintering problem ; for 

 1() frames is the minimum capacity for 

 the correct solution of these problems, 

 as briefly demonstrated herein. 



THE SWARMINC PROBLEM. 



Another season with these hives has 

 proven that swarm prevention is not a 

 matter of hives and excessive manipu- 

 lation in looking for queen-cells, etc., 

 but rather a matter of correct methods 

 of requeening. Extra hive capacity 

 facilitates the operation. Here is the 

 method ; 



At the approach of the honey flow, 

 place all colonies in condition to do 

 super work, by uniting and equalizing, 

 and at the beginning of harvest take 

 two frames of brood with adhering 

 bees, including the queen from each 

 colony, and place them in a separate 

 hive; now insert a ripe queen-cell in 

 a cell-protector, between the combs. 

 This will prohibit swarming with little 

 manipulation, regardless of hives; 

 meantime, remove queen-cells that may 

 be found while looking for the queen. 

 This method also materially aids the 

 economical solution of the increase 

 problem. 



THE INCREASE PROBLEM. 



At the close of basswood harvest, 

 after the honey crop is secured, cage 

 the queens in thenuclei just mentioned, 

 and take six frames of brood with ad- 

 hering bees from each 16-frame colony 

 an I place them in each nucleus hive 

 which will now contain 8 frames, and 

 the parent colonies 10, and both have 

 laying queens. This gives 100 percent 

 increase in connection with a full crop 

 of honey, with little manipulation, and 

 this method of horizontal contraction 

 likewise operates for the economical 

 solution of the wintering problem. 



THE WINTERING PROBLE.M. 



Mr. Barone is viewing the hive situa- 

 tion from the standpoint of outdoor 

 wintering, but fails to provide suitable 

 winter protection for the North, assum- 

 ing that large hives and correspond- 

 ingly large clusters of bees are suffi- 

 cient protection. It is my opinion, 

 however, that in the latitude of north- 

 ern Ohio, good winter protection is 

 imperative. Sixteen frames is the 

 minimum capacity for the economical 

 solution of the wintering problem, and 

 here is the method : 



About Sept. 20 choose a warm day 

 when bees fly freely, and place each of 

 the contracted colonies resultin ■ from 

 increase in an 8 frame box 12K inches 

 deep without bottom, and rU-inch thick ; 

 said box including bees and combs is 

 placed on the floor inside of a 16-frame 

 hive without changing the position of 

 the entrance; the frames extending 

 lengthways with the hive. It creates a 

 space of 3 inches between the walls of 

 said box, creates a space of 3 inches 

 under the frames, and a 16-frame super 

 holds 7 inches of packing on top of 

 the winter nest. 



It is thus that I change a single wall 

 summer hive to a perfect wintering 

 repository with the greatest economy, 

 and the lO-frame convertible hive is so 

 competent and the system so organized 



in every detail that the solution of one 

 problem materially aids the solution 

 of the next. It costs approximately 50 

 percent less to construct a Ki-frame 

 hive than to make two 8-frame hives. 

 The fact that hive excels in honey pro- 

 duction also, stamps it as an improve- 

 ment not to be ignored. Upon this 

 platform I stand, and upon this hypothe- 

 sis is constructed "the lO-frame con- 

 vertible hive." 



Birmingham, Ohio. 



A Bee Cellar 



BY lOHN HENDRICKS. 



I AM intending to build a bee cellar 

 this fall. As I have had no experi- 

 ence in cellar building and cellar 

 wintering, I approach the task with 

 considerable misgiving. Since my 

 knowledge of cellar building and win- 

 tering is all to be learned, I wouW like 

 to ask some one of more experience 

 for advice on a few points. 



I intend to build the cellar 20x40 

 feet. The site selected is on the north 

 side of mv bee house, and at the top of 

 a little hill of about 25 feet rise. I in- 

 tend to excavate about 4^2 or 5 feet 

 deep, and put up a frame-work of 6>^ 

 feet, posts to support the roof. Over 

 the rafters I shall put first a layer of 

 straw, and then sufficient earth to keep 

 out rain. I shall use enough straw to 

 have the layer of straw about 18 inches 

 thick after being pressed down by the 

 earth. For ventilators I intend to 

 make six boxes 4 inches square inside 

 of boards long enough to extend from 

 the floor to several feetabove the earth 

 of the roof. I shall put about .500 colo- 

 nies in the cellar this winter. 



Will these six ventilators give enough 

 ventilation? How many colonies could 

 be placed in a cellar of this size with- 

 out endangering successful wintering ? 

 I expect to set the hives in six rows 

 lengthwise of the cellar. These rows 

 stacked six high would give room for 

 about 900 colonies. Would this be too 

 many to put in such a cellar? The en- 

 trance of the cellar will be to the east 

 with a vestibule and double doors. 



Powell, Wyo. 



[The principal requirements of a 

 bee cellar are dryness, pure air and 

 sufficient warmth. A cellar in which 

 the temperature would go below the 

 freezing point would be objectionable, 

 because it would cause the bees to 

 consume too much honey, and their 

 bowels would become loaded with 

 fecal matter. But a room in which 500 

 colonies are kept is already pretty well 

 warmed by them, and there will be very 

 little danger on that score, in the cellar 

 proposed, since it will be well covered 

 with straw and earth. 



Pure air would perhaps be more 

 positively secured if instead of six 

 tubes extending to the bottom you 

 made half of them to extend only from 

 the inside of the roof to the outer air. 

 These would secure a greater amount 

 of circulation. Otherwise, the upper 

 part of the chamber would retain the 



