314 



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BEE-HIVES. 



Description of a Simple, Iiiter- 

 eliangeable Hive. 



Written for the American BceJom-nal 



BY E. L. PRA.TT. 



A bee-hive adapted to all-avouud 

 work, and at the same time giving 

 good results in honey, in connection 

 with siraplicitj- and wintering adapta- 

 bility, has long been sought by pro- 

 gressive bee-keepers. We believe that 

 such a hive will work its own way into 

 popularity with very few words. 



For many years we were staunch 

 advocates' of the hanging frame, but 

 since we have the wonderful winter- 

 ing record of a closed-end frame, we 

 shall use it until something better is 

 found. There is a great saving of 

 stores, when tliis style of frame is used, 

 where bees are wintered out-of-doors, 

 and, in spring, one-third more brood 

 can be cared for. 



The frames of this hive are reversi- 

 ble, either singly or as a whole, and 

 they are constructed in such a manner 

 that no brace-combs can be built any- 

 where about them. They are easily 

 removed and replaced without the 

 usual slow lateral manipulation. Foun- 

 dation can be fitted into these frames 

 with one-fourth the time and work 

 necessary in the ordinary way, and no 

 wiring need be done, as the frames 

 are built "plumb" full of comb, and 

 are just as strong as wired frames. 



Full sheets of foundation can be put 

 into the frames with strength enough 

 to bear a hea^•y swarm, l)y the simple 

 and expeditious device employed. 

 There are no corners on this frame to 

 bother, nor projections to strike 

 against each other ; no crooked combs 

 can be built. Each frame has a per- 

 manent space which uUimates in per- 

 fectly tlat frames of brood, and smooth, 

 straiglit spaces between them, just the 

 correct distance to force surplus honey 

 into the supers. There is no chance 

 to crush bees while handling the 

 combs. 



The frames are simple and inexpen- 

 sive, and easily put together. Inside 

 measurements are 8ixl7 inches — just 

 the correct size to aclniit eight 4}x4} 

 standard honey - sections in wide 

 frames, either above or below, or the 

 little combs used in the new method of 

 nuclei management in combination 

 with full colonies. 



For comb honey we recommend an 

 8-frame hive adapted to tiering up. 

 For extracted honey, there is nothing 

 better when half-depth supers are 

 used, and they should be used, as they 

 are easier to handle, and are in every 

 way mucli better than large combs. 

 However, if the large comb method is 



preferred, an extraset of brood-frames 

 is all that will be needed. 



The body of the hive is in two parts, 

 each having convenient hand-holds for 

 convenience in lifting. Each part of 

 the body can be used for a super, and 

 each super can be used as a part of the 

 body, which is a convenience that all 

 experienced bee-keepers will appre- 

 ciate, because it does away with about 

 one-half the paraphernalia, and is al- 

 ways convenient in a hundred and one 

 ways. 



To better explain, we will say, that 

 two supers will make one body to hold 

 brood-combs, and one body will make 

 2 supers to hold honey-sections or ex- 

 tracting frames. By having supers and 

 brood-chambers all built exactly alike, 

 expense and complication are greatly 

 modified, manipulation is lessened, 

 and there is never any idle furniture. 

 Time in construction is saved, and we 

 are always ready for an emergency. 



The bottom-board and stand on 

 which the hive rests, is so constructed 

 that the entrance can be at the front, 

 in the ordinary way, or at either side. 

 In the spring," there are always weak 

 colonies that need to be contracted to 

 2 or 3 combs, and it is better to close 

 them up next to one of the side en- 

 trances, than to allow them to fly from 

 the front. They can be kept warmer, 

 and built up to better advantage by 

 giving them a side entrance. 



Two small colonies can be wintered 

 in the same hive with a side entrance 

 to each. Three queens can be win- 

 tered over by the use of 2 division- 

 boards and all 3 entrances. In hot 

 weather, a large colony can be venti- 

 lated grandly by throwing open all the 

 entrances, and placing screen-cloth at 

 the sides. Ample alighting places are 

 left at the front and sides, which act 

 as supports for a thin winter-case to 

 admit of packing in winter. 



Thus we have the advantage of a 

 chaif, or double walled hive without its 

 disadvantages. This hive can be 

 worked like a single-walled hive in 

 summer, and a double-walled hive in 

 winter. The winter-case is not in the 

 way at all, if left on the year round. 

 The manner in which the bottom- 

 board can be made fast to the hive 

 body, is very simple and strong. 



We need not explain the construc- 

 tion of the super shells, as they are ex- 

 actly like those used for the brood- 

 chamber. They are all halved to- 

 gether, which makes them strong and 

 durable. The end-pieces are rabbeted 

 so as to give finger room to manipu- 

 late the section holders, and to make 

 a narrow bearing surface where tlie 

 shells come together to hold brood- 

 frames. 



The section-holders are so construct- 

 ed that the honey-sections are thor- 



oughly protected from bee-gule and 

 soil. Tliey can be interchanged and 

 reversed with ease, and any style of 

 4ix4J^ section can be used, with or 

 without separators. The holders take 

 IJ-inch wide sections, or 7-to-the-foot, 

 conceded to be the standard. 



For extracting combs, simply fill the 

 section-holder with foundation, and 

 have it drawn out and filled the same 

 as with comb honey. Each frame will 

 weigh about 5 pounds when well filled; 

 if large extracting combs are pre- 

 ferred, another body can be tiered up. 

 If colonies are found in danger of 

 starving, put on a super containing 4 

 or 5 shallow extracting-combs of 

 honey, and they will be all right, with 

 no danger of starving even in winter. 

 One of the supers filled with shallow 

 brood-frames will make a first-rate 

 queen-rearing nucleus. The cover is 

 cleated, and will fit any part of the 

 hive, and each part of the hive will fit 

 the bottom-board. 



The winter-ease is made of f stufi", 

 ' and cleated so that each part is strong, 

 yet very light. If desired, this case 

 can be made separable, and the sides 

 used during the summer for shade- 

 boards, or stacked away. No packing 

 need be put about the hives until the 

 bees begin to breed in the spring, but 

 there should be plenty of absorbent 

 material over the frames to carry off 

 the moisture coming from the cluster. 

 Ventilators are provided in the winter 

 roof, and the packing is always sweet 

 and clean. There is no chance for a 

 leak when packed for winter. We can 

 enjoy ourselves in cold weather, for we 

 are sure that our bees are coming 

 through as strong as they were in the 

 fall, when this simple, interchange- 

 able standard hive is used. 



HONEY-DEW. 



Source of Honey-Dew, and Its 

 Effect on Bees. 



Written Jar tlie American Bee Journal 



BY T. C. KELLY. 



My attention has been called again 

 to the subject of " honey-dew." There 

 are many opinions in regard to its 

 orio-in. I, for one, do not believe that 

 it is the " dew of heaven ;" nor do I 

 believe that it is the excrement of a 

 species of aphides. It is a well-known 

 fact that there is held in solution in 

 o-rass, leaves, and also in the wood and 

 bark of many of our forest trees, a 

 saccharine matter which, under chemi- 

 cal processes, can be brought out, or 

 extracted. A few years ago, a large 

 amount of a dark, disagreeable sub- 

 stance was gathered by the bees in this 

 vicinity, which soured in the hives. 



