CHAPTER XIII 



HONEY-HOUSES AND EQUIPMENT 



In 110 part of the equipment of the oiitapiarist is there such 

 a wide range of difference as in the style of honey-house used. 

 This is due, not only to the system practiced by the beekeeper, 

 but also to his financial condition, and to the buildiiics which 

 might have been available when each apiary was established. 



Yet we may say that the requirements for a honey-house, in 

 almost all instances, are the same with the same system, the 

 difference in houses coming from the fact that many apiarists 

 do without certain conveniences or requirements for one reason 

 or another. 



Requirements 



The ideal bee-house should be large enough to care for all 

 operations and extra equipment of the apiary at its maximum. 

 Nine-tenths of the houses built are outgrown in the course of a 

 few years, with the result that the apiarist hesitates to rebuild 

 and does with the little room to the detriment of his work. 



The usual mistake is to make the side-walls of the house too 

 shallow. Extracting supers can be piled to a height of fifteen 

 shallow supers as well as ten; so the distance to the eaves may 

 be nine feet as well as six or seven. 



If the house is but one story high, with a gable roof, consider- 

 able storing space for little used articles shouJd be provided under 

 the gables and above ordinary reaching height. Light articles 

 such as extra frames, empty supers, etc., may be well stored there. 



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