THE HIVE 25 



find a home of sorts, they can never be 

 handled as we handle bees contained in 

 modern hives. If disease is present in 

 such a colony it is impossible to detect it 

 without wrecking the house of the bees 

 so that in some states the law prohibits 

 the keeping of bees in such "inspection 

 proof" quarters. It would be better for 

 the bee industry if such a law was univer- 

 sal over the entire country. It would per- 

 mit the identification and cure of certain 

 diseases and the increase in honey pro- 

 duction would be very considerable. 



The real impetus to beekeeping came, 

 however, when Langstroth invented what 

 is now known as a movable frame hive. 

 Not until then did apiculture really begin 

 to come out of the bush and get its first 

 shave. 



To understand the modem hive we 

 should first have an idea of the way in 

 which bees build their combs in their na- 

 tive haunts. Where they inhabit trees, 

 caves or box hives the combs in which 



