Standard Frames.—Frames vary in size in different countries, but the standard frame now in general use in Great Britain is 8½ inches high, 14 inches wide, with a top bar 17 inches in length. The 1¼ inches at each end rest on the top of the inner walls of the hive. The frames are spaced the proper distance apart by metal ends of uniform size. There are many varieties of these "self-spacers," but those most generally in use in England were the invention of a past-master in apiary, the late Mr. W. B. Carr. These "ends" slip on the terminals of the top bar. When handling the frames, care should be taken not to hold them by the metal ends, as they are apt to slip off and cause disaster. Another matter that needs attention in connection with them is their liability to rust, and when working for honey production the bee-keeper should be scrupulously careful to see that only good clean metal ends are used on the frames.
To Hang Standard Bar Frames.—The sides of the frame should hang at least 3/16 of an inch and at the most ¼ of an inch clear of the walls of the hive. If the space be less than 3/16 the bees will fasten the combs to the sides of the hive, and if it be over ¼ of an inch they will build combs between the frame and the hive. The narrower space is sufficient to allow the bees a free passage round the frames.
Some frames on the market are a little wider than the ordinary standard. Known as "wide-shouldered frames," no "spacers" are necessary to keep them the proper distance apart.
Standard frames, however, can be used successfully either in the ordinary hive, the queen-rearing hive, or as a "super" (see [page 31]) if it is worked in accordance with the instructions given on [page 73], for as they are exactly the same in measurement they can be interchanged with any hive. It is advisable to pin or nail together any loose parts of frames when making them up, for by so doing regrettable accidents may often be avoided.
Shallow Frames.—The shallow frame is only 5½ inches high, with other dimensions similar to the standard. They are used by most bee-keepers in this country who work for surplus honey. They are of a convenient size for gathering and storing separately the various "crops" of honey. This, of course, is a great advantage, for it enables the bee-keeper to select the choicest honey for exhibition, or for sale at increased price. They are especially useful in this direction when heather honey is the objective, both as a body box and as a super. As a super, indeed, they are generally recommended to the novice in bee-keeping, as, owing to there being less space for the bees to heat, they are warmer than the standard frames for this purpose. There is no question that a warm super induces the bees to explore it, and if food is plentiful to use it as a store or warehouse, while, on the contrary, should the heat of the super be lowered by a change in the outside temperature after the bees have commenced to store therein, they will often remove the honey thence to the brood-chamber.
Shallow frames are also used by some bee-keepers when working for sections in strong hives immediately over the brood-chamber, as this procedure usually prevents the lower case of sections from becoming discoloured by the heat from the brood.
Sections.—Sections are small wooden frames, which in England are generally about 4½ inches square, in which honey may be stored by the bees ready for sale purposes. They are made from the wood of the American lime tree—commonly known as "basswood"—which is beautifully white and easy to "work." The sections are made all in one piece, which is cut into shape by machinery. The sections are placed in a rack or "crate" which usually hold twenty-one in seven rows of three, with a divider of tin or wood between each row, and a "bee space" under each section.
The method of working with sections is explained on [page 94].
The Super.—The super, or lift, is the bee-keeper's addition to the hive, in which he induces the bees to store honey for him. It is placed above the brood nest and supplied with frames or sections in which the bees may work apart from the brood. To secure that, of course, is the duty of the bee-keeper, and in the chapter following, the method will be dealt with.
Bee Escapes.—The "escape" is to provide the bees with an additional exit from the hive or super. It is fixed in a hole bored through each end or side of the top portion of the hive, two or three inches below the centre of the roof. The old-fashioned cone-shaped variety is now usually worked double, one being fixed inside the hive and one on the outside, but they are not altogether satisfactory, as the bees will sometimes find their way back through them to the super. It will also often be found when clearing supers by this means that the bees are very slow in escaping. A new escape, called "The Porter Escape," with a spring has been recently invented which allows the bees to return from the super direct into the hive. It is fixed on a board which is placed under the super.