168 



THE BEE-HIVES. 



346. In any style of hanging-frame hives, it is indispen- 

 sable for the frames to be so suspended, that a bee can pass 

 between them and the body, bottom, and upper story, to 

 prevent the gluing of them with propolis. (See bee-space, 

 286.) 



In our hives, we give only one-eighth of an inch of space, 

 above the frames, below the top edge of the hive, and give 

 one-fourth inch under the frames of the upper-story, which 

 preserves the three-eighths bee-space, between each story 

 (286). We found, in practice, that there was danger of 

 crushing bees, in handling the upper stories, when they 

 were made so that the frames were flush with their lower 

 edge. 



(Fig. 73.) 

 SHOWING THE TOOL USED TO BEND THE WIRE BRACES. 



347. The Spacing-wire, an improvement on Quinby's 

 wire brace, to space the frames at the bottom, is found very 

 convenient in hives as deep as this. It is also useful in in- 

 dicating to novices the number of frames to be placed in 



Fig. 74. 

 SHOWING HOW THE WIRE IS REMOVED. 



