There is no virtue in any special type of case, but in all types there
are a few points which must be observed. There must be provision for
abundant packing on the top, bottom, and sides, the entrances must be
small, the case must be rain-proof, and the construction of the case
should be such that it may be taken apart and put together easily.
The parts of various cases used in one series of apiaries should be
interchangeable. The authors have refrained in the past from giving
explicit directions for making a winter packing case for fear that some
beekeepers might think that there may be peculiar virtue in the case
used and recommended by the department (fig. 2). So many beekeepers,
however, have written for exact dimensions for making the case used in
the apiary of the Bureau of Entomology that it is considered best to
give these in this bulletin.
In order that protection adequate for bees in a climate such as that of
Washington may be provided, 4 inches of packing below the bottom board,
6 inches on all sides, and at least 8 inches on top are desired. There
is advantage in packing several colonies together, in order that they
may warm each other and to reduce the cost of the case and the labor of
putting it on. The bureau, therefore, has adopted the four-colony type
of case which has been much used for years in all parts of the country.
In this case, two colonies face east and two west. Provision is made
for wintering all colonies in two full-depth hive bodies.
In the following dimensions it is assumed that 13/16-inch
tongued-and-grooved lumber is used, that the 10-frame Langstroth hive
is in use, and that two hive bodies are employed for each colony, with
adequate space above the hive so that, if needed, a third hive body may
be put on before time for the removal of the packing. In this packing
case the sides overlap the ends. For hives of other sizes the lumber
must be cut so as to provide the packing specified in Table I (p. 15).
For zones F and G (fig. 5) provision should be made for additional
packing by increasing the length of all parts 4 inches, and for zone C
a correspondingly smaller case may be made.
Bottom of case 44 Inches (exact) by 52 Inches (exact).
Sides of case 53-5/8 Inches (exact) by 35-5/8 Inches (minimum).
Ends of case 44 Inches (exact) by 35-5/8 Inches (minimum).
Telescope cover of case 48 Inches by 56 Inches (minimum).
If 6-inch boards (laying 5-1/2 inches) are used, it is desirable to use
7 boards for the height of the case; if 8-inch boards (laying 7-1/2
inches) are used, 5 will be sufficient. In figure 2 only 6 boards,
laying 5-1/2 inches, are shown, but in this case no allowance is made
for a third hive body in the spring. For the telescoping part of the
cover, 4-inch boards are used.
As was pointed out earlier, the hives should rest throughout the summer
on the floor of the winter case (fig. 1). The plan of putting them in
groups of four, two facing east and two west, has much to commend it
during the entire year. The bottom therefore should be made strong
enough to stand the weight of four colonies without getting out of
shape. Since this weight may be over 1,000 pounds in a good year, it
is advised that the cleats on the bottom of the case be of 2 by 4 inch
material. The supports of the bottom and the position of the cleats
should be arranged so that the weight will not rest too largely on the
boards, and the stones or bricks used should be directly under the
center of the hives when they are in their summer position. Obviously
the hives will be moved to the outer corners of the bottom during the
summer to facilitate handling.
The sides of the case should be so constructed that the cleats which
hold the boards together will serve to support the overlapping sides
on the bottom. This is clearly shown in figure 2. There should also
be a central cleat on the sides to prevent warping, for the cases
must be rain-proof. If cleats are properly placed as shown in the
illustration, they make the equivalent of a halved joint at the
corners. The sides may be held in place and together by nails or by
any sort of special hook. The entrances for the colonies during winter
should be in the ends of the case, as shown. These will be discussed
later.
The top of the case may be made to telescope over the sides, as shown
in figure 2, or it may be made in any other way desired so that it is
adequate to keep the packing absolutely dry throughout the winter. The
telescope cover has much to commend it, especially in the case with
which the covers may be stored in summer. The top of the wooden cover
should be covered with a roofing paper of first quality in order that
the protection will last for years. If the telescope type of cover
is used, no cleats other than the sides and ends of the telescoping
portion will be needed.
[Illustration: Fig. 3.--An apiary packed for winter in four-colony
cases such as are used in the Bureau of Entomology apiary.]
A tunnel (fig. 2, a) is also needed through which the bees may pass on
warm days and to permit ventilation. This is best made of two boards,
one the width of the packing (e. g., 6 inches) and the other this width
loss the extension of the bottom board. In most cases this extension
is 2 inches, so the lower board will be 4 inches wide. These are held
apart by strips three-eighths of an inch thick. This is the height of
the usual hive entrance in winter, and the passage between the boards
is therefore the same height as the hive entrance. In order that the
tunnel may not get out of alignment, these strips are continued back,
as shown in the figure, and these projections extend into the hive
entrances at the corners. The arrangement for keeping alignment at the
outer edge is discussed under "The entrance" (p. 13).