1156 



GLEANINGS IN BEE CULTURE 



The other fellow, who favored the iy2-inch 

 distance, would find that the wider spacing 

 was the correct average. As a matter of 

 fact, bees, when left to build their own 

 combs, space them all the way from l^i 

 inches to 1% from center to center. The dis- 

 tance is less in the center of the brood-nest 

 and wider on the outside. When they 

 build store combs they space them anywhere 

 from 1% to 2 inches from center to center. 



Dzierzon gave 1% inches as the right dis- 

 tance until Weyprecht, after a series of 49 

 measurements on natural-built brood-combs, 

 found that the average distance was 1%. 

 Tliese measurements were made on comb in 

 straw skeps. Baron von Berlepsch, by 40 

 other measurements, verified this result. 



In Great Britain, where self - spacing 

 frames were in use to a considerable extent, 

 11/4 to 1% were the measurements adopted. 

 Those who favored the l^/j, measurement 

 claimed that it practically excluded the rear- 

 ing of drones, because it was i)ractieally im- 

 possible for full-sized drone brood to ma- 

 ture on this narrow spacing, for the simple 

 leason that the bees would not have room to 

 cap them over. It Avas learned, also, that 

 quite a large number who used the iy2-inch 

 spacing had gone to 1% at an enormous ex- 

 pense. The main reason for this was to 

 discourage the rearing of drone brood and" 

 to prevent the storage of honey just over the 

 brood in the brood-combs. 



Worker-brood comb, on an average, is 

 %-inch thick, and capped brood one inch 

 thick. On 1%-inch spacing this allows 1/2 

 inch between the uncapped comb, and % 

 inch between capped worker brood. When 

 drone brood is capped, there is scarcely 

 room on 1% spacing for the bees to work 

 properly, m.ucli less to hover over and keep 

 the brood warm. This matter was discussed 

 back and forth for several years, with the 

 result that the great majority favored 1%- 

 inch spacing as against 11/2. 



All Hoffman and other modern self-spacing 

 frames are spaced 1% from center to center. 

 If it should finally develop that the 11/2- 

 inch spacing in connection with other fac- 

 tors for control exerts an influence on 

 swarming in spite of the rearing of drones, 

 it would entail an enormous expense, not 

 only on the part of supply-dealers but 

 beekeepers as well to change from 1% to 

 11/2. Suppose that it should be definitely 

 decided that 11/2 is better, and that the sup- 

 ply - manufacturers should modify their 

 machinery so as to make the self-spacing' 

 frames IV2 inches from center to center. 

 The 1%-inch fram.es and lV2-ineh would 

 become interminably mixed, and tlie bee- 

 keeper would be compelled to discard his 



old frames. This he would hardly be will- 

 ing to do, even tho the wider spacing were 

 a proven factor in discouraging swarming. 



There is one more reason in favor of 1% 

 for Hotfman frames. The propolis ac- 

 cumulation will in time increase the width 

 of the end-bars until they approach IV2 

 inches in width. 



In favor of the IVo^nch spacing as 

 against the 1%, there is the testimony of 

 the Dadants. Mr. Allen Latham has built 

 a let-alone hive that works for nothing and 

 boards itself, allowing its owner to take off 

 the surplus at intervals. 



It will be remembered that Mr. L. A. 

 Aspinwall, of Jackson, Mich., invented what 

 is known as the Aspinwall non-swarming 

 hive. The basic feature of this was the 

 separation of the brood-combs so that the 

 actual spacing between the worker brood, 

 instead of being % inch would be one inch. 

 Mr. Aspinwall proved that when the combs 

 are spaced wider apart, allowing more 

 clustering room in the brood-nest, the bees 

 did not swarm. To prevent the bees from 

 filling these wide spaces between the combs 

 with extra comb, he put in what he called 

 slatted dividers, wliieh were really dummies 

 made up of a series of vertical slats spaced 

 % inch apart, and % inch thick. It was 

 found that the bees would occupy the spaces 

 between the slats, and instead of clustering 

 out in front of the hives they would be in 

 the hives. Apparently, then, the ordinary 

 spacing between the brood at a certain sea- 

 son of the year is too close to allow a 

 proper ventilation and to keep down the 

 temperature of the brood. Accordingly the 

 bees when the hive is overcrowded are 

 forced out in front of the entrance and 

 finally swarm. 



While the 1%-inch spacing is relatively 

 only Vs inch wider than 1%, yet it is ap- 

 l^arently approaching the Asi^inwall idea. 



Having said this much in favor of the 

 wider spacing it remains to be proven 

 whether there is an actual reduction in 

 swarming when 1%-inch spacing is used 

 instead of 1%. If the reduction were pro- 

 portioned to the reduction in actual meas- 

 urements, the difference would be negligible, 

 and would hardly compensate for the 

 enormous exjDenss of any changing over. 



We have gone into the history of the 

 various spacing distances for the purpose 

 of drawing out discussion. Those who 

 have adopted in their apiaries 1% will try 

 to prove that that is the right distance. 

 Those like the Dadants who have always 

 had IV2 spacing will feel happy and com- 

 miserate the other fellow who has 1% and 

 can't change. 



