Quote:
Originally Posted by glatt
Back to the hive design, it's really cool to me that the bees are steered into making their honeycombs within the frames. They don't cross the gap that's a fraction of an inch wide, they stay on the frame and fill that vast open space inside the frame. It's really a brilliant design that takes into account how the bees build honeycomb.
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That's what Rev. L.L.Langstroth discovered from observing natural combs - the "bee space", which is typically 3/8". He then designed the hive bodies and frames around that dimension. Previously to that, bees were kept in skeps - conical basket-type hives, but to harvest the honey, the combs had to be cut out and crushed. His system allowed beekeepers to slice off the wax cappings of the frames and spin the honey out with an extractor. The Dadant and A.I. Root families manufactured his designs (and made a lot of money), but were very good to him, making sure he had money when he needed it. It is believed that he was bi-polar.
Nice job on the hives ! Good luck with your bees.