HOW TO KEEP BEES. 



11 



The bees and queen are started in the frames in the front end of 

 the hive and are thereafter never disturbed unless external appear- 

 ances indicate something wrong inside. "When the bees have the 

 front or brood compartment filled they spread through the excluder 

 metal into the space behind. The frames there have only " starters " 

 of comb foundation as guides for the bees. At the convenience of 

 the beekeeper the honey in these frames is removed and the frames 

 returned. 



FRAMES, SUPERS, ETC. 



Frames may be placed in two classes, free hanging and self spacing, 

 and the latter again into hanging and standing. Probabl)' the most 

 extensively used and the best for the beginner are the self spacing 

 frames of the Hoffman type illustrated here. (Figure 5a,). 



^ SI 



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Fig. 5a. — Self-Spacing Frames. 



These frames have grooves in the top bar for fixing the comb 

 foundation and holes in the end bars for wires. Fine tinned wire is 

 threaded through these holes, stretched tight and fastened. To 

 these the sheets of foundation are fastened by embedding the 

 wire in the wax. Various devices are sold for the purpose, but any 

 narrow piece of iron with a notch filed in the end will do. The tail 



