28 Beekeeping 



may be done by stimulating breeding, and since more space 

 is then needed it can be supplied by giving two hive-bodies 

 for the brood. Later, when brood is less to be desired, the 

 breeding space may be reduced. 



Another type of frame is sometimes used and should 

 perhaps be mentioned, although its use is decreasing. 

 These frames have end-bars wide enough so that they 

 touch each other and the bees cannot pass around the ends 

 of frames. The chief advantage stated is greater v/armth 

 in winter. Some frames of this type are suspended from 

 the top, others from the middle of the end-bar and some 

 are supported from below. 



Frames of any description must be spaced so as to give 

 room between the combs to allow brood to be reared in the 

 cells and also to provide space enough for 

 the bees between the combs. The spacing 

 usually adopted is If inches from center 

 to center but some beekeepers prefer 1^ 

 FIG. 22. Spacing inches. 1 The closed-end frames when 

 of Hoffman frames, brought together are properly spaced. 

 While the larger number of beekeepers do 

 not use the closed-end type, various devices are in use for 

 the spacing of open-end frames. The frame most commonly 

 used has the end-bars wide enough for a short distance so 

 that they touch at the top (Hoffman frames, Fig. 22). The 

 metal-spaced frame is possibly an improvement. Some 

 honey-producers object to spacing devices because they 

 interfere in uncapping, and this objection is largely over- 

 come by the use of staples in the side of the end-bar. 



To obtain regular cells in the comb, comb-foundation, a 

 thin sheet of pure beeswax embossed to correspond with 

 the bases of cells, is placed in the frames. On this as a guide, 

 the bees build the side walls of the cells, utilizing to some 

 extent the extra wax in the foundation. Foundation is 

 made in various thicknesses, the thinnest being .used for 

 comb-honey, and in both worker and drone cell size. 



1 The English frames are 1 2 % inches from center to center. 



