The quest perfect hive

bars, frames, and the bee space S 107 On the other side of the globe, Vietnamese beekeepers independently developed their own bar hive by modifying upright log hives. By placing strips of wood over the opening of the log hive in place of a board, they could lift the attached combs right out of the log.

In 1814, a Ukrainian beekeeper named Peter Prokopovich invented a hive that incorporated frames in part of the hive.

Prokopovich’s hive consisted of a box hive with three sections.

The bottom two sections were not equipped with frames, but the upper section incorporated seven rectangular frames that slid into the hive from the sides. Holes in the bottom of each section permitted bees access to the various parts of the hive.

Propokovich constructed his frames at a size that encouraged the bees to build combs on the frames, but the frames fit close to the sides of the hive and needed to be cut away for removal.

Prokopovich published several papers in Russian beekeeping journals, and his hive was described in a French journal in 1841 (Crane 1999). But as with J. A., the small readership of the journals restricted Prokopovich’s influence.

Francois Huber’s leaf hive (figure 9.3), another early frame hive invented in the eighteenth century, was primarily intended as an observation hive. Its rectangular frame was divided into a narrow upper section and a larger lower section. The beekeeper placed comb in the upper half to give the bees the idea that they should build their comb within the limits of the frame. These frame sections were hinged together like the pages of a book.

Frames with solid sides were placed on each end to make the sides of the hive, and a small opening was cut near the bottom edge of each frame to serve as an entrance. The whole package was then tied together. When Huber’s assistant wanted to examine the frames (Huber was blind by age 15), all he needed to do was untie the frames and carefully spread them out.

The Bevan hive (figure 9.4) was a bar hive that incorporated the supering system of working bees. Seven bars were placed