COTTAGER'S HIVE, No. 8.
FOR TAKING HONEY IN STRAW CAPS WITHOUT THE DESTRUCTION OF THE BEES.
A very prevalent opinion exists that bees do better in straw than in hives made of any other material. Another opinion prevails, viz., that the old fashioned straw hive is the least expensive, the most simple, and the most productive. Although we cannot go so far as this, we are willing to admit that a simplified adaptation of the humane system to the old common straw hive is the most suitable to put into the hands of that large class of bee-keepers—Cottagers. By these the more fanciful hives will be instantly condemned; besides, the expense puts them quite beyond the reach of the poorer class. The object aimed at in planning our Cottager's Hive has been to furnish a depriving hive that should be at once easy of management, inexpensive, and convenient. The stock hive, into which the bees are first hived, is a round straw hive, having a flat top with a hole in the centre. The size of this lower hive is 7 or 8 inches deep, 14 inches across the bottom, finished with a wooden hoop, which adds very much to the firmness and durability of the hive. The floorboard is 1¼ inch thick, with a way sunk therein for the entrance. A small round mat of straw closes the hole on the top; this mat may be fixed by wooden pegs. We have now described what is termed the stock hive, which is, in fact, an old fashioned straw hive adapted, modernised, and improved to the more humane, viz., the depriving system. The weight of the stock hive with its floorboard is about 7 lbs.
The super or cap hive is about 7 inches deep, 8 inches in diameter, and when filled contains about 10 lbs. of honey and comb. A glass window which is placed at the side is useful for inspecting the progress made in filling it.
A common straw hive, sufficiently deep to cover, drops over the super, keeping the window dark and fitting close on to the stock hive. This cover hive may be made fast by driving in two skewers, one on either side, to keep the whole firm. Unless placed in a bee-house or under a shed, the outside should be painted; or a piece of oil-cloth or waterproof covering of any kind shaped so as to shoot off the rain, will save the trouble of paint, and answer the purpose. If no protection of this sort is used, the rain is likely to rot the straw. As a covering cottagers often use straight stiff thatching straw sewed together; this contrivance is termed a hackle, and has a pretty appearance, particularly if a number of hives are in a row. Care has to be exercised that mice do not make the covering hive a resting place. Mortar is often used for fastening round the hive at the bottom; this is a bad plan, as it forms a harbour for insects; the wooden hoop fits so close as to leave little necessity for anything of the kind.
The principle of the depriving system is so much the same with all our hives, that a good deal of repetition is necessary in describing in detail the management of each separate variety. The object aimed at with the Cottager's Hive, as indeed with all our hives, is to provide a compartment for the bees to live in with their queen, she being the mother of all. It is intended, by inducing the queen to remain in her original apartment, that all breeding should be there performed, as well as the storing of bee-bread and honey for the winter sustenance of the bees. The cap hive or upper chamber, known as the "super," is for the storing of honey which the bee-keeper looks upon as a surplus, and which, at the close of the honey gathering, or as soon as filled, he intends to deprive the bees of, and appropriate to his own use,—of course taking care to leave sufficient in the lower or stock hive for winter sustenance.
The mode of stocking a hive of this kind is so familiarly known that any who at all understand the hiving of bees into a common straw hive, can make no mistake or find any difficulty in performing it. Lest these pages should fall into the hands of persons who are not so acquainted, we will refer them to the directions already given.
The hive may be smeared inside with a little honey if at hand; but this is unimportant, as a clean hive answers well. Some older bee-keepers prefer to give a little dressing to encourage the bees to like their new home.
After the swarm has been in the hive two weeks, the straw super hive may be put on, first removing the straw mat to give the bees access to it. If the hive be a stock, that is a swarm of the last or previous years, the super may be put on as soon as the weather is fine and warm in May. But much depends on the weather and the strength of the hive as regards the time occupied by the bees in filling the super; in favourable weather a fortnight suffices.