Fundamentals For Your Own Beekeeping Hive
A beehive is, no matter if is naturally occuring or provided for beekeeping purposes, basically a structure to which the bees live and nurse the young. The basic structure for the beehive is a hexagonal cell made of beeswax called a “honeycomb”. It is a densely packed matrix of six sided beeswax cells where bees store honey or feed the young.
Natural beehives or nests can be found almost anywhere but there are specific places where a nest maybe located by the queen. Temperature, humidity, access to water, protection from wind and proximity to food source are but a few variables in the selection of nest sites.
Hollowed out trees or branches, cave walls, rock cavities are a preferred nesting site. All natural nests have the same properties: honey is stored at the topmost combs, pollen cells are stored beneath it, the brood cells and the queen cells comprise the lower area of the cells, in that order.
Artificial nests, or bee hives have been documented as early as 900 BC in Israel and 650 BC in Egypt. In those days, hives were made from clay or mud and affixed to walls. These are called fixed frame hives. They have to be destroyed in order to harvest the honey. Although more honey and beeswax is extracted, the total income will be less since the bees have to build a new nest again before producing honey.
In Northern and Western Europe, they used a type of artificial hive called a skep. It looks like an unwoven basket using grass with one entrance. It is also left to the bees on how to make their honeycomb as nothing is provided inside. The main issue with this type of hive is that since there is only one entrance or inspection hole, you cannot look beyond the front honeycombs to inspect for diseases or pests, specially if it is located at the back of the hive. The method by which honey is extracted in askep is simple, they crush the entire hive to extract the honey, which leaves the bees to wander in search of a new home afterwards.
In the United States hollow out tree stumps were used until the 20th century. The same basic principle for bee nests are followed. The harvesting, however are different in that bees are exposed to sulphur and killed before the honey is harvested.
It is unlike today’s method by which the hive can be moved anywhere and honey is extracted without so much as irritating a bee. Well, maybe one or two, but the entire colony is unaffected by the harvesting of honey.
