Manual of the apiary

by Albert John Cook

The projecting ends of the top-bar will rest on the tins ([Fig, 33]), and thus the frame can be easily loosened at any time without jarring the bees, as the frames will not be glued fast, as they would in case they rested on the wooden rabbets. The danger of killing bees is also abolished by use of the tins.

When the frames are in the hive there should be at least a three-sixteenths inch space between the sides and bottom of the frames, and the sides and bottom of the hive. Even doubling this would do no harm; though a much wider space would very likely receive comb, and be troublesome. Frames that fit close in the hive, or that reach to the bottom, are very inconvenient and undesirable. To secure against this, our lumber must be thoroughly seasoned, else when shrinkage takes place our frames may touch the bottom-board.

The distance between the frames may be one-fourth of an inch, though a slight variation either way does no harm. Some men, of very precise habits, prefer nails or wire staples in the side of the frames, at top and bottom, which project just a quarter of an inch, so as to maintain this unvarying distance; or staples in the bottom of the hive to secure the same end. Mr. Langstroth so arranged his frames, and Mr. Palmer, of Hart, Michigan, whose neatness is only surpassed by his success, does the same thing. I have had hives with these extra attachments, but found them no special advantage. I think we can regulate the distance with the eye, so as to meet every practical demand, and thus save the expense and trouble which the above attachments cost.

COVER FOR FRAMES.

Nothing that I have ever tried is equal to a quilt for this purpose. It is a good absorbent of moisture, preserves the heat in spring and winter, and can be used in summer without jarring or crushing the bees. This should be a real quilt, made of firm unbleached factory, duck, or cambric—I have used the first with entire satisfaction for four years—enclosing a thick layer of batting, and hemmed about the edges. My wife quilts and hems them on a machine. The quilting is in squares, and all is made in less than fifteen minutes. The quilt should be a little larger than the top of the hive, so that after all possible shrinkage, it will still cover closely. Thus, when this is put on, no bees can ever get above it. When we use the feeder, it may be covered by the quilt, and a flap cut in the latter, just above the hole in the feeder, enables us to feed without disturbing the bees, though I place the feeder at the end of the chamber, wherein are the bees, and have only to double the quilt back when I feed. The only objection that I know to the quilt is, that the bees will fasten propolis, and even comb, between it and the frames, and this looks bad. A little care 'will make this a small objection. Mr. Langstroth used a board above the frames, which Mr. Heddon uses even now. Perhaps Mr. Heddon never used the quilts. Perhaps his love of order and neatness caused him to discard them. Still, I feel to thank Mr. A. I. Root for calling my attention to quilts.

Fig. 38.

DIVISION BOARD.

A close-fitting division board ([Fig, 38]) for contracting the chamber, is very important, and though unappreciated by many excellent apiarists, still no hive is complete without it. I find it especially valuable in winter and spring, and useful at all seasons. This is made the same form as the frames, though all below the top-bar—which consists of a strip thirteen inches long by one inch by three-eighths, and is nailed firmly to the board below—is a solid inch board ([Fig, 38, b]), which is exactly one foot square, so that it fits closely to the inside of the hive. If desired, the edges ([Fig, 38, e, e]) can be beveled, as seen in the figure. When this is inserted in the hive it entirely separates the chamber into two chambers, so that an insect much smaller than a bee could not pass from the one to the other. Mr. A. I. Root makes one of cloth, chaff, etc. Yet, I think few apiarists would bother with so much machinery. Mr. W. L. Porter, Secretary of the Michigan Association, makes the board a little loose, and then inserts a rubber strip in a groove sawed in the edges. This keeps the board snug, and makes its insertion easy, even though heat may shrink or damp may swell either the board or hive. I have not tried this, but like the suggestion.

The use of the division board is to contract the chamber in winter, to vary it so as to keep combs covered in spring, to convert the hive into a nucleus hive, and to contract the chamber in the upper-story of a two-story hive, when first adding frames to secure surplus comb-honey.