In the illustration 1 represents the cover and 2 the inner cover.

3 shows the space between the inside of the hive and the end of the frame, so the bees will have passageway without being crushed.

4 shows the metal rest to support the frames and make it easy for the producer to remove them at will. 5 pointing to the bottom shows the frame in which the bees build their comb. This wooden frame enables the producer to examine the combs at will without danger of crushing the fragile honey comb. 6 is the floor or bot-tom board of the hive, closed at one end and open at the other, to allow the bees to get in and out. All this provides a warm, water tight, substantial home for the bees, with the advantage over the tree trunk of permitting manipulation of the bees to the advantage of man.

13. How a Hive is Made

You will note in the list of items for the beginner we list the Modified Dadant hive. This is a type of hive made by Lewis according to specifications furnished by one of the most successful families of honey producers in the world, the Dadants. Its design was for the purpose of providing equipment for the American producer which would insure success on the "let alone" plan. This was with the idea in mind that both the beginner and commercial producer wanted the fullest returns with the least time required.

It is well in buying equipment to patronize those whose equipment you know to be standard. Then all your holdings are standard in dimensions and interchangeable. Only after you are a full fledged honey producer can you realize the truth of our statements, that only standard, interchangeable equipment should ever be bought. No greater mistake can be made than to have several styles or sizes of equipment in your apiary.

How do bees build their combs? This question brings up one of the most interesting phases of beekeeping. Naturally bees have to have some place in which to live and keep their honey. By the consumption of honey they produce wax which comes out of tiny glands on the underside of the abdomen in liquid form and congeals into tiny, snow-white flakes as it meets the air. The tiny flakes are taken by the worker bees and by means of their mandibles are fashioned into the beautiful combs, the shape of which all are familiar with. These combs provide their real home and store houses. The process of production is something on the order of a cow eating grass to produce milk. Wax may be produced at any time when bees consume food beyond the needs of their bodies, but mostly during heavy honey flows in warm weather.

Honeycomb is built in the only known shape to hold the most with no loss of space. No one knows why it is fashioned just as it is and we call it the instinct of the bee. The bottom of each cell of honeycomb forms part of the bottom of the cells on the opposite side, giving it great strength. It will be seen that bees were also no doubt originators of our modern ventilating systems, since they force currents of air through their hives by fanning their wings. This serves the purpose of keeping the air clean and maintaining temperatures below the melting point of wax on hot days. More important, it allows the evaporation of excess water from nectar. It is known that the nectar of flowers contains, roughly, about 20% sugar and 80% water. After the process of evaporation is complete and the cells are sealed with tiny flakes of wax, it has been reversed so only about 20% water remains. Here again housewives followed King Solomon's instructions: "Go thou to the bee," and learned that they could preserve fruits if so much sugar was included as to prevent bacterial life from living in the mixture. That's why honey is so pure and wholesome.

In beekeeping thin sheets of pure beeswax are processed to leave on them an imprint approximating the base of the cells of honeycomb. These are put into the hive frames to insure that the combs built by the bees will be straight and easy to manipulate. The picture shows just what these sheets look like and in the Lewis catalog you will find listed Dadant's bee comb foundation, always made of the purest beeswax. It shows just another example of how man has been able to work out plans to direct the nature of the bee to his own profit.

14. Bee Comb Foundation

How do you take off honey? Of course the bees are only a means to the end of producing honey, so far as man is concerned. The honey is stored in the hives in the "holders" provided for them to use. It may be stored in frames as shown below and then may be cut out of the frame for use. Later when one has enough bees to pay for the investment, a honey extractor may be purchased. This is a machine which whirls the combs inside a tank, after the honey cappings have been removed with a knife, and which permit of putting the emptied combs back in the hives and using them over and over. Where the honey is cut out of the frame it is commonly known as "chunk" honey. Where it has been separated from the honeycomb by an extractor, it is called "extracted" honey. However, the least expensive way to start leaves extracting until later.

15. A Frame of Honey

At the bottom of this page is shown a little wooden frame called a section honey box. In one is fitted a sheet of "thin" beeswax foundation to guide the bees. Next to it is shown the same section after it has been filled with comb and honey by the bees. This permits handling the honey, storing it and putting it on the table without damage to the comb. One just cuts the slab of honey out of the section box, burns the box, and uses the honey. Sections are purchased in the flat and after folding, the "thin" foundation is inserted with a tool for that purpose. This involves the least initial expense and is the method used by thousands of producers, even many who may operate several hundred hives of bees. Both the section honey boxes and bee comb foundation are listed by index in the catalog; also the comb honey supers for putting the section boxes on the hive for the bees to fill. These items are not included in the initial outfit as they need not be purchased until the bees have nearly built up to storing strength. Remember, however, that you must keep ahead of the bees with all preparations of equipment or you will get less honey. There is perhaps more honey lost because of inadequate storage space than any other one fault of beekeeping. Better keep fewer bees and have ample storage equipment for them than otherwise. Keeping bees without ample supers is like trying to run a big bank with too small a storage vault.

15. Before and After