Mysteries of Bee-keeping ExplainedQuinby, M. (Moses)
Science
Mysteries of Bee-keeping Explained
Quinby, M. (Moses)
Bees
Now instead of having one piece or pane of glass in the side of several
hives, I would recommend having one or more with glass on every side;
because we might have it on three sides, and not the fourth; and this
might contain all the queen cells, and we should miss an important
sight. There are many other things to be witnessed in such a hive. The
queen may be often seen depositing her eggs! We may see the workers
detach the scales of wax from their abdomen, and apply them to the
combs during the process of construction, see them deposit pollen from
their legs, store their honey, feed the queen, each other, their young
brood, seal over cells containing brood, honey, &c. It is further
useful as a guide for putting boxes on other hives, (that is, if it is
a good one, which it should be); we can easily ascertain whether our
bees are gaining or losing.
DIRECTIONS FOR MAKING GLASS HIVE.
My method of making them is as follows: The top is like those for other
hives, fifteen inches square, adapted to boxes and cover. This hive we
want to be as profitable as any, giving us surplus honey, and swarms
like others. Four posts are then got out, two inches square, and
thirteen in length; care should be taken to have the ends perfectly
square.
A frame is then to be made, just fourteen inches square outside, for
the bottom; the pieces are one inch thick, by two in width, halved
together at the corners. A guage-mark is then made around the under
side of the top, half an inch from the edge, a post is then set inside
of each corner of this mark, and thoroughly nailed, the bottom is
nailed on with the posts even with the outside corners. Four pieces an
inch thick, and an inch and a half wide, are fitted between the posts,
even with the guage-mark on the top. Sixteen strips, about one quarter
by half an inch, are got out, eight to be ten, and eight twelve inches
long.
A gauge-mark one inch from posts, bottom, &c., is the place to nail
these strips; very small nails or tacks will hold them. The panes of
glass are to rest against them, which are held in their places by small
pieces of tin, or brads. The doors are the size of the glass, 10×12,
about three-fourths of an inch thick; these doors are cut a little too
short, and the pieces, to prevent warping, are nailed on the ends;
these are hung to a post on one side, and secured by a button on the
other. On two opposite sides inside the posts, half way up, two strips,
half an inch by three quarters, are nailed, with holes in them for the
cross-sticks; one way is enough if you have guide-combs for a start,
like those recommended for boxes, so that the sheets will be at right
angles with them; otherwise, let the sticks cross both ways, about
three each way will be needed, as the glass at the edges is not so good
a support as wood.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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