Elevation
Bees not unfrequently take advantage of a hole or crack in the floor of their domicile to commence building combs underneath it, a position possessing some advantages. Deriving a hint from themselves, I contrived what, from this peculiarity, I used to term by way of distinction a Nadir Hive, the store box being placed underneath the stock, coming out at the back, as a drawer. The details of construction of the Nadir Hive have appeared several times in our former editions, but by way of illustrating the principle and methods of its application, the engravings annexed will not be without their utility. In practice I found no indisposition on the part of the bees to enter and work in the store drawer, into which they have access through the floor-board above, and which is in part made like that shown at [page 78]. It will be seen that the entire design supposes an out-door hive, with a hipped cover. The stock-box is enclosed by four panels, moving up and down in grooves or rabbets, cut in the corner pilasters, the latter being attached to the box.
Separated Plan.
Floor-board. Nadir drawer and loose cover.
This mode of applying the Nadir, or rather Nether principle, must not be confounded with the usual plan of disturbing the stock-hive for the purpose of placing an empty one beneath it, with a new entrance in the latter for the bees. Under such circumstances the Queen will commonly descend and breed in the nadir, which is converted into the stock, occasioning much subsequent inconvenience. I have not found such to be the case where the stock, and the entrance into it, is not interfered with; and am inclined to believe that this adaptation of bottom-hiving is worthy of much more attention than it has received; to say nothing of its simplicity, safety in management, and obvious convenience to the bees. I will therefore proceed to show in what way it may be made applicable, generally, to the purposes of an apiary.