120 DR. miller's 



shines on a hive in winter it takes too long for the heat to pene- 

 trate the thick walls. They are much used in northern states. 



Q. (a) Do the double-walled hives produce more honey than 

 the single-walled? 



(b) Are bees wintered out-of-doors better in the former hive 

 than in the latter? 



A. (a) No; and in general it may be said that differences in 

 hives are more for the convenience of the beekeeper than for the 

 bees. Looking at it in another way, however, if two hives stand 

 side by side, one with double walls and the other with very thin 

 walls entirely unprotected out-doors in a very cold climate, it 

 might be said that more honey would be produced in one than 

 the other, because the bees might nearly all die in one and not 

 in the other in winter, and that" would make a difference in the 

 amount stored the next summer. 



(b) Not if the single-walled hive is well packed. 



Q. I use the Acme hive and Wisconsin style. Which is better, 

 in your judgment? 



A. I like the Wisconsin the better of the two, because it has 

 the regular Langstroth frame. The dovetailed is still better, be- 

 cause the portico of the Wisconsin makes a good shelter for 

 spiders. 



Q. Would a 12-frame hive be all right to use here in northern 

 United States? Would the bees swarm as much as they do in 

 8-frame hives, or would it prevent swarming? 



A. Some use 12-frame hives with great satisfaction. Although 

 they will not prevent swarming entirely, there will be much less 

 swarming than with 8-frame hives, and with them you should get 

 as much honey. 



Q. Kindly refer me to any bee-papers or other sources of in- 

 formation about the Long-Idea hive. 



A. I don't know just where to refer you, although years ago 

 there was quite a little scattered through the bee-papers about 

 the Long-Idea hive. Although used somewhat largely in Europe, 

 it is used very little in this country. O. O. Poppelton is its chief 

 apostle, a very able beekeeper of Florida, who likes it much. All 

 there is of it is to make the one story large enough to contain 

 all the frames you want, so as to use no second story. Some use 

 a queen-excluder so as to separate the hive into two compart- 

 ments, one for brood and the other for honey. I'm not sure about 

 it, but I rather think Mr. Poppleton does not use this excluder. 



