HIVES 25 
So-called ‘‘rot preventers’’ are not to be 
recommended for use inside the hives, for many 
of them are highly injurious to the bees. 
In purchasing hives it should be seen that 
they are in no wise cracked or warped, that 
no large knots are contained in the wood, 
and that the workmanship of the joints is in 
every way perfect. The roof needs to be 
completely rain-proof and the eaves should 
hang well over the sides so as to ensure the 
rain-water being carried away from the walls 
of the hive. 
Size of Hive.—In the selection of a hive 
the size must depend upon the bee-keeper’s 
own convenience, so that it is useless to lay 
down any hard-and-fast rule. Many apiarists 
have a regular system of moving their hives 
from district to district to meet the varying 
crops and honey sources, and it naturally follows 
that the less cumbersome the hive in their case 
the better. Personally I prefer a hive of 
about eighteen inches square, outside measure- 
ment. This may be accounted rather large 
for winter requirements, but it is always a 
simple matter to reduce the interior space 
with a dummy. 
One or two odd sized hives are convenient 
to possess; they are useful in emergencies, and 
