HIVES AND FRAMES, 



61 



from ascending- into the roof. The sheet is made of bed tick- 

 ing or unbleached calico. The quilts should l^C of felt, carpet, 

 or other warm material. The sheet and quilts should be large 

 enough to cover the interior of the body-box when they are 

 placed upon the frames. From the sheet a circular piece may 

 be all but cut out from the centre, so that it can be turned back 

 when feeding is in progress (119) to give the bees access to 

 the feeder ; at other times it can be restored to its original 

 position. The sheet, lying as it does upon the frames, should 

 not be made of woollen material, because bees are apt to catch 

 their claws (34) in such stuff, and that irritates them. The 

 sheet will lie flat upon the frames if put on damp in the first 

 instance. In summer, a sheet of American cloth, enamelled 

 side down, may w'ith advantage be used instead of a sheet of 

 ticking; but at other seasons it is advisable that the covering 

 should be of porous material to permit evaporation of the 

 moisture of the hive. Straw mats or chaff cushions are some- 



Teig. 31. 

 THE " STANDARD " FRAME. 



times used on the quilts. In winter, it is useful to cover the 

 brood-nest and quilts with an empty crate or other bottomless 

 box, having a piece of canvas or calico tacked underneath, and 

 filled with cork-dust, chaff, or other warm material (378). 



97. Frames. — The frame which is here described has been, 

 for some years, recognised in this country as the " standard " 

 frame (Fig. 31). It is made for use in a hive, the measure- 

 ments of which have been given above, and in accordance 

 with the known instincts of bees, as applied to the building of 

 their combs. We observe that worker comb, i.e., comb in which 

 worker bees are reared, is |" thick; the frame is therefore made 

 I" wide. The spaces between sealed brood combs are about J" 

 to I" ; the frame is therefore intended to provide a |" space 

 between the combs. This is effected by shoulders on the top 

 bars of the frames, or by the use of " metal ends," by which, 



