( 63 ) 



A HOME-MADE HIVE. 



CONSTBUCTED FROM UsED BoXES. 



By Harhy Clarke, 



Used boxes are not, as a rule, advocated for the makiilg of bee- 

 hives, I know, on account of the joining up required if the wrong 

 sort of boxes ai-e used ; but from the right sort of boxes very good 

 hives can be made. I enclose a photograph of one made by myself 

 from boxes (see page 64), and, as will be seen, no paint has been 

 used to hide imperfections. 



The boxes used are : — (1) An egg-box ; (2) lobster-box ; and 

 (3) ' Quaker Oats ' box. The cost of the boxes is Is. Id, 



The Stand. — Cut four pieces from the thickest board of an egg- 

 box, 26 in. long and 4J in. wide. Put the pieces in pairs and nail 

 each pair together ; then at one end cut slanting from 2 in, at the 

 bottom to full width of the board at the top, far enough back to 

 allow a 6-in. alighting-board to be nailed on. Then cut two pieces 

 and nail together to form the crosspiece at the back, measure from 

 the back 19^ in., and fill up to the alighting-board with another 

 piece of the egg-box. 



Floor-board. — For this take the end of a ' Quaker Oats ' box, 

 and after cutting off the dovetail ends cut two pieces from the other 

 end of the box and nail on to the sides ; this will not only make the 

 floor-board the full width, but will keep it from twisting. Cut out 

 entrance in the centre of the front, | in. deep by 9 in., and back 

 into the floor-board about 2 in., then gradually slant up to level. 



Outer Case. — Take the four cross-pieces of the egg-box,; these 

 will be found to measure 9;^ by 19f in. by f in. Out two pieces 

 18 in. long, and two pieces 19|- in., and after planing nail them 

 together, forming a bottomless box 19^ in. square. Then cut from 

 the sides of the egg-box three pieces, 3 in. wide, to form plinths 

 for the back and sides of the outer case ; these serve the double 

 purpose of keeping the floor-board in position, and preventing the 

 body-box from being moved out of its place in rough weather. 



The entrance-slides can be made by cutting one piece of wood 

 f in. wide, and one piece 1^ in. wide, nailing together, so as to 

 form a rabbet. Nail on to the front of the hive, level with the 



