26 



A. AND M. COLLEGE APIARY. 



HIVES. 



That the bees may be properly observed, that queenlessness may be 

 avoided, and remedied when it does occur; and in order to see^that the 

 bees do not run short of stores, as sometimes occurs in an unfavorable 

 season, it is necessary that we use a hive in which the combs are readily 

 movable, so that they can be removed for examination at the convenience 

 of the bee keeper. We, therefore, have what is designatd as the "frame 

 hive." Many different sizes and designs have been manufactured for 

 this purpose and a large variety are in use today by the various bee keep- 

 ers, each particular kind having its advocates. The hive in most exten- 

 sive use, and above all others best adapted for the beginner, is known as 

 the ten-frame dovetailed hive. This is shown in Fig. 2. It consists of a 

 movable bottom-board upon which is fastened, on top of both sides and 

 one end, a cleat. The ff hive-body" proper, consisting of an oblong dove- 

 tailed box, is next placed on the bottom-board and the cleats above men- 

 tioned leave an opening at one end, designated as the front. This open- 

 ing constitutes the entrance to the hive and is the only passage way used 



Fig. 4. Method of inserting foundation into Hoff- 

 man frames. (After A. I. Boot Co.) 



Fig. 5. Foundation roller for fastening in frames. 

 (After A. I. Root Co.) 



by the bees for entering or leaving. Inside the hive-body are ten frames 

 having protruding top bars, which rest upon tin rabbets within each end 

 of the body. In each of these ten frames a comb is built by the bees, a]l 

 being readily removable. As with hives, we have also a variety of frames. 

 The one most popular and best constructed is designated as the "Hoff- 

 man" frame. Two of these are shown in Fig. 3. It will be noticed that 

 one side of the end of each frame has towards the top a V-shaped pro- 

 jection; while the opposite side of the frame has a plain surface. When 

 placed side by side in the hive, these V-shaped projections keep the frames 

 the right distance or a "bee space" apart. This is an important feature, 

 as when the frames are placed too close together insufficient room is left 

 for the bees to cluster above the brood and for carrying on their work. 

 If, on the other hand, the frames are too far apart, the bees will attempt 

 to fill up the extra space by building combs from one frame to another, 

 producing what are termed "brace combs," and which will cause the 

 frames to adhere firmly to each other when an attempt is made to remove 

 them. By using the Hoffman frame, the beginner avoids these difficul- 

 ties entirely, as the frames are self -spacing. Before the frames are placed 

 in the hive, there should be in each a sheet of "foundation." This is 



