THE AUSTRALIAN BEEKEEPERS’ JOURNAL. 
101 
hatched in autumn, since they pass the winter in 
rest, survive well into the following spring. 
The queen occasionally lives as long as five 
years ; but usually is worn out in three. When 
the bees become aware that she is failing, they 
begin to take steps for securing a successor, and 
in due time the old queen is removed. Under 
healthy conditions, drones only exist in the spring 
and summer ; but when a stock loses its queen, it 
permits its drones to live, and accepts those of 
other hives. The presence of drones at unnatural 
times is therefore a sign of loss of queen. 
Those who desire a further' acquaintance with 
the natural history of the bee would find the 
Diagrams, with their key, published by the Asso- 
ciation. of great service and interest. 
II — Straw Hives or Skeps. 
The movable comb-hive, hereafter described, 
offers so many advantages over those with fixed, 
or immovable combs, that the Association is 
labouring for its introduction amongst all classes 
of beekeepers, and, in consequence, a short 
description only of straw keps will here be given. 
These should be made of thicker material than 
cottagers usually employ, and should be flat- 
topped rather than dome-shaped, having a large 
hole in the centre of the crown, as this gives 
facilities both for feeding and supering, as ex- 
plained in subsequent chapters, and arrangements 
should also be provided for enlargement or con- 
traction of the entrance. Their size can hardly 
be stated, since, in fertile honey-producing 
districts, large skeps secure the best results, while, 
where the pasturage is poor, those of less size will 
be found more profitable : bat cottagers generally j 
use them too small. A suitable size would be 15 j 
inches in diameter and 7 to 9 inches deep. The 
sleep is both cheap and portable, and if made 
thick and kept dry it affords sufficient protection ; - 
but those who use skeps only must not hope to 
secure profits as large as those quite within the 
reach of the beekeeper intelligently managing 
frame hives. 
It is very desirable that the floor-board be 
sound and flat. If at all larger than the bottom 
of the skep, the part projecting should be bevelled 
at the edges, while, if a straw hackle be placed 
over all, it will look neat, keep the hive dry, and 
do much to prevent the escape of heat. 
Those who cannot readily obtain a practical 
knowledge of the use of bar-frame hives might do 
well to commence with the improved flat-topped 
skeps, from which sections of the best honey may 
be obtained ; but it should only be as an initiatory 
step, and as the beekeeper becomes more skilful 
the bar-framed hive should be introduced and the 
skep gradually discarded. It must be remem- 
bered that the impossibility of enlarging and 
reducing the brood-nest at will is a permanent 
objection to the use of the skep, but improved 
methods of use are shown in later pages under 
the headings of “Quieting Bees,” "Natural 
Swarming.” “Driving,” “Artificial Swarming.” 
“Supers,” “Feeding,” “Feeders," “Uniting,” 
kc. 
III. — Frame Hives. 
These hives differ from skeps in that the combs 
built by the bees within them can be, without 
injury, taken out and replaced at will by the bee- 
keeper. and on this account they are often called 
“ Movable Comb Hives.” If a stocked skep be 
examined, the combs will be found to be built 
from the roof, each comb being about 1 in. in 
thickness with a space between it and its fellow 
of Yi in. In the movable-comb hive, which may 
be compared to a box without a lid, frames are so 
placed as to be free of the sides and bottom. 
These frames are made Jfjth of an inch wide, 
while they have % >n. space between them, so 
making up the \'/2 in. and keeping the combs 
which the bees build in the frames in the same 
natural position with regard to one another as we 
find them in the skep. 
It will be better, generally speaking, to get a 
modern hive as a pattern, before commencing to 
make frame-hives at home ; while it is very de- 
sirable to determine, at first, the size of frame, 
and use that size only, as it is indispensable to a 
profitable management of frame-hives that all 
frames of comb should be interchangable, so that 
we can remove a frame from any hive with a 
certainty of its fitting any other hive in use. 
The British Beekeepers’ Association has lately 
adopted a Standard frame, the dimensions ot 
which are 14 inches by &Y inches outside 
measurement, the top bar being jljths of an inch, 
the side bars % of an inch, and bottom bar J4th 
of an inch thick, the form being rectangular. 
Boxes can be bought very cheaply, which may 
be converted, by those who have a little mechani- 
cal skill, into really good hives. The wood should 
be stout. Lobster boxes, brandy cases, or 
Friedrichshall water cases, which may be pur- 
chased for a few pence, the last named of chemists, 
have been suggested as furnishing good material, 
and a fairly suitable form. The top and bottom 
of the box should be removed, and an inde- 
pendent floor-board made, which should project 
in front sufficiently far to form an alighting board 
at the entrance. If instead of buying boxes to 
convert into hives, we buy wood for making the 
outer case, we are free to choose the size the 
latter shall be. 
The hive to take the Standard frame should be 
9 inches deep ; and if the wood, after planing, is 
not quite so wide, strips can be nailed on to make 
the hive the proper depth, otherwise the frames 
would nearly reach to the bottom board, and 
there would be a chance of crushing bees when 
the frames were replaced in the hive. 
If we now make our hive 14 Jin. one way inside, 
it will give just room for hanging the frames, and 
as each one with the space intervening between it 
and the next occupies ij inches, we may enlarge 
it the other way so as to take any number of 
frames, 15 inches being required for 10 frames, 
which is the usual number for stock-hive ; and any 
space beyond may be otherwise employed, as 
hereafter shown. The ' Division Boards,’ 
will enclose the frames, and back of the latter 
must be made Jin. lower than the sides, so that 
when the frames are in, the upper sides of the 
