74 



CHAPTER VII. 



OBSERVATORY BEEHIVE FOR TEMPORARY USE. 



THE leading features of unicomb or observatory 

 hives for temporary use are the same, the differ- 

 ences being in the details of construction and mode 

 of setting up. Indeed, all that is required is a case 

 glazed on opposite sides, within which a single 

 cake of comb can be suspended in such a manner 

 as to allow no greater distance from the glass than 

 is sufficient to allow the bees to cover the comb 

 on both sides. This distance may be taken as about 

 2|- in. ; a little less might be allowed without in- 

 convenience, provided selected combs, perfectly flat 

 and even in thickness, are used. 



The width and depth of the case will depend on 

 requirements, and as it is best to stock an observa- 

 tory hive with frames containing comb from a 

 colony already established in a bar-frame hive, the 

 dimensions must be adapted to the size and number 

 of frames it is proposed to use. The smallest size 

 will be that suited to a single standard frame 14 in. 

 by 8j in., but it is more common to have these ob- 

 servatory hives to hold two, three, four, or six 

 frames. 



The observatory hive, illustrated by Fig. 69, is 

 to hold three frames of the size above mentioned, 

 but to show its construction better, only the cen- 

 tral frame is drawn in position. Fig. 70 is a vertical 

 cross section, Fig. 71 a horizontal section, and Fig 

 72 a sectional plan of the top. 



Mahogany or pine is a suitable wood for making 

 the hive, or both may be used. The internal frame 

 A (Fig. 69) chiefly determines the sizes of the other 

 parts of the hive, and for this reason it should be 



