BEE-KEEPING IN WAR-TIME 



I 



THE DWELLINGS OF BEES 



The hive bee is wUd by nature ; its natural home is not a 

 hive, but the cavity of a tree or other place which is well 

 protected from damp. 



When first domesticated it was housed in a straw skep, 

 the shape of which is so well known that it needs no description 

 here. The method of obtaining the honey was very crude. 

 It consisted of first suffocating the bees by sulphur fumes, 

 then breaking out the combs and placing them in some porous 

 material through which the honey could drain ; when it ceased 

 percolating through this material, that remaining in the 

 mess of comb was squeezed out by hand pressure. In this way 

 nothing was lost ; pollen, propolis, and even the juices from 

 the grubs in the cells entered into the honey. The residue 

 was then soaked in water ; the sweet liquor thus obtained 

 was fermented and provided that ancient powerful alcoholic 

 drink called " mead." The wax melted from the skimmings 

 was used by our grandmothers for polishing their floors and 

 furniture. 



The dwellings provided for the bees by the modern bee- 

 keeper are very different ; they conform to the natural 

 requirements of the bee, and at the same time permit their 

 owner to have full control of both bees and combs. This 

 was impossible with the skep; the combs being attached to 

 the sides of the hive, it was impossible to remove them without 

 breaking them from their attachment. 



Modern hives are called " movable comb hives," because 

 the bees are made to build their combs in movable wooden 

 frames. The difficulty with the beginner is to know what 

 kind of hive to adopt. There are two forms — a double- walled 

 one called the " W.B.C. hive," and a single- walled one made 

 by various makers. In each case the outside design varies. 

 The internal measurements of all hives, so far as the width 

 is concerned, are the same ; there is a slight variation in the 



