Art thou a Skeppist? Part IIFrom the Skep to the Modern Frame Hive

摘要

The invention of the moveable frame hive came very late in the history of beekeeping. The earliest and most celebrated account of such a hive (Figure 1) comes from Sir George Wheler's 1682 visit to St Cyriacus Monastery located on the Hymettus mountain range in the Athens area of Attica in East Central Greece2.The Hives they keep their Bees in, are made of Willows, or Osiers, fashioned like our common Dust-Baskets, wide at the Top, and narrow at the Bottom, and plaister'd with Clay, or Loam, within and without: They are set the wide end upwards, as you see here, The Tops being covered with broad flat Sticks, are also plaistered with Clay on the Top, and to secure them from the Weather, they cover them with a Tuft of Straw, as we do. Along each of those Sticks, the Bees fasten their Combs, so that a Combe maybe taken out whole, without the least bruising, and with the greatest care imaginable.