MOVABLE BOTTOM BOARDS LANGSTROTH SIMPLICITY HIVE. 143 



COVERS OR ROOFS. 



Nothing is more injurious to bees than a leaky roof. I have 

 seen where a drip has penetrated and run down the sealed brood, 

 a space of from 1 to 2 inches of dead larvae on both sides of the 

 comb; thus causing the destruction of not less than 20 square 

 inches of brood, or about 500 young bees just ready to emerge upon 

 the active labours of life. Far better kill 500 of the old bees that 

 have nearly accomplished the span of life than the developing 

 brood. From the former nearly all the profit has been gathered 

 in, whilst with the latter the whole has to come. A leaky cover 

 is always an irritation to a bee-keeper. As a rule, it is only dis- 

 covered after wet days when a promise is made to repair, but the 

 day of reparation seldom comes, especially with careless or half- 

 hearted bee-keepers. Nothing can be substituted for a well-made 

 watertight cover. No part of the hive requires to be more care- 

 fully constructed. A leaky cover is an abomination alike to the 

 bees and the bee-keeper. The flat top is the easiest to make. It 

 should always be without crack or joint, and of a light, thoroughly- 

 seasoned wood, and so constructed that it should lie evenly, and 

 with as small interstices between it and tEe hive as possible. Being 

 the most exposed part of the hive, it is liable to expansions and 

 contractions by the frequent changes in the weather, and is more 

 apt to warp than any other portion of the woodwork. Grooved 

 cleats fore and aft are the best preventive to minimise this twist- 

 ing. In the grooving of these end cleats there is a deal of work 

 for an amateur carpenter; nevertheless, it will pay in the long 

 run. Cleats, 1 inch wide by A thick, nailed or screwed to the under 

 side answer fairly well. A piece of wood, 22 inches long, and 

 the full width of the hive, and 1 inch thick, is the thing required 

 for a flat top roof. In the hotter parts of the State the .thick- 

 ness of the cover is an important consideration. The thicker it is, 

 combined with lightness, the better, because it keeps out the heat, 

 thus aiding greatly in keeping a lower temperature during the 

 hotter months of the year, and a thick top is equally valuable in 

 the colder districts, the temperature of the hive being kept more 

 uniform. 



Where economy in timber is a consideration, or where thick 

 wood is difficult to procure, the hipped cottage gable-end roof makes 

 a capital cover. In its construction care should be taken that the 

 joint in the ridge is perfectly watertight. This may be accom- 

 plished by painting the roof, and, while the paiut is still wet, 



