'G8 
SPANISH NEEDLES 
ing anywhere from 1% to 2 inches to 
centers. 
The author has measured the combs in 
hundreds of box hives in the Southland, 
and he finds that the average spacing for 
worker brood comb seems to be slightly un¬ 
der 1% inches. The store combs run all 
the way from 1^2 to 1% and even 2 inches. 
In a large number of cases it was noticed 
that the combs were spaced wider apart at 
the top of the box or comb, and closer to¬ 
gether toward the center and the bottom. 
The illustration shows a tendency that wav, 
but it is not so pronounced as a number of 
others that were seen. 
The “innards” of a box hive after the bees have 
been drummed out. Notice now irregularly the 
bees have spaced the combs and wider at the top. 
For worker brood it was apparent that 
nature indicates 1% inches; for drone 
comb, 1%? altho there are wide variations. 
Hundreds of these measurements were 
taken on colonies that were being trans¬ 
ferred ; and if nature were to be followed 
it would seem that 1% is the correct aver¬ 
age for worker comb, and lp 2 for drone. 
Store combs may have a spacing of 2 inches 
or more from center to center. 
The beekeeper should adopt that spacing 
which will give him the best results—the 
most brood and surplus honey. A large 
number of beekeepers are using 1% spac¬ 
ing for their frames. The reason for this 
is, principally, because they happened to 
start with this spacing. But not a few who 
have given special attention to the mat¬ 
ter, trying both spacings, agree that the 
right distance is 1%, or, if anything, a 
trifle scant, and some use quite successfully 
114-inch spacing. Many, indeed, who had 
self-spacing frames adapted for IV 2 inches, 
have gone to the enormous expense of 
changing over to the 1%. Similarly, some 
of those who have used 1% spacing have 
adopted V/ 2 . Brood comb is found to be, 
on an average, % inch thick; capped brood, 
one inch thick. On 1% spacing, this will 
allow !/2 inch between uncapped combs and 
% between combs of capped brood. 
The following paragraph is taken from 
an article published in Gleanings in Bee 
Culture, page 673, Yol. XVIII., written 
by Julius Hoffman, inventor of the Hoff¬ 
man frame, and it applies here exactly: 
If, for instance, we space the combs from 
center to center so as to measure 1 % instead 
of 1% inches, then we have an empty space 
of % inch between two combs of brood in¬ 
stead of %, as it ought to be; and it will 
certainly require more bees to fill and keep 
warm a % than a % space. In a % space, 
the breeding bees from two combs facing 
each other will join with their backs, and 
so close up the space between the two brood- 
combs; if this space is widened, however, to 
%, the bees cannot do this, and more bees 
will be required to keep up the needed brood¬ 
ing temperature. What a drawback this 
would be in cool spring weather, when our 
colonies are still.weak in numbers yet breed¬ 
ing most desirable, can readily be under¬ 
stood. 
Where wider spacing is adopted, there is 
apt to be more honey stored in the combs, 
and less of worker (but more drone brood). 
Close spacing, on the contrary (1%), tends 
to encourage the rearing of more worker 
brood, the exclusion of drone brood, and 
the storage of less honey below. This is 
important. 
Under the head of Swarming, subhead 
“The Dadant System of Swarm Control,” 
it will be seen that C. P. Dadant be¬ 
lieves that l 1 /^ 1 inch spacing tends to re¬ 
duce swarming, and that the regular 1%- 
spacing is too close. On the other hand, 
it may be said that the self-spacing Hoff¬ 
man frame adapted to 1% spacing will 
gradually, on account of propolis accumu¬ 
lations, increase to l 1 /^- 
For further information on the spacing 
of frames see Frames, Self-spacing ; Hive¬ 
making; Hives; Honeycomb. 
SPANISH NEEDLES (.Bidens aris- 
tosa ).—The honey has a golden color, ex¬ 
cellent flavor, and good body, weighing 
