Inside the Hive#
1 . What is the difference between a “colony” of Apis mellifera and a “hive” of Apis mellifera?
An Apis mellifera colony is a biological term for a nest of honey bees.
A “hive’ is a man- made container designed to house a colony of honey bees.
2 . What was the problem with hives constructed before the Langstroth hive in the 19th century?
They were designed with little to no knowledge or understanding of the biology of bees and were designed without a bee space
3 . Who was Lorenzo Langstroth?
Congregational minister from Ohio who developed the Langstroth hive Paved way for expansion of bee keeping in the US and the world
4 . Besides removable frames- what was the genius of the Langstroth hive?
The concept of “bee space”
5 . What is the measurement of “bee space”?
3/8 inch
6 . What is the importance of “bee space”?
When encountering a space smaller than “bee space” the bees fill it in with propolis. When encountering a space larger than “bee space” the bees build another comb called burr comb.
7 . What is beeswax foundation?
Sheets of hexagon imprinted beeswax used to guide the construction of combs
8 . Why is the bottom of the bottom board off center?
It provides 2 possible settings. The narrow setting is limited to cold conditions, but the wide setting is considered appropriate for all parts of the country.
9 . Why may it be preferable to use screened bottom boards?
There is evidence that screened bottom boards may increase brood production and may reduce the growth rate of varroa mites
10 . What is the height of a hive body/deep?
9 ½ inches
11 . One deep hive body provides enough space for about how many bees?
Roughly 20,000 - 30,000 workers.
12 . What is the rationale for the use of 2 hive bodies (one on top the other)?
Provides a larger space for the storage of food for the winter and to relieve the brood nest congestion which leads to swarming.