British Bee journals (old archived)

[MuswellMetro]

As i am rather bored and i have been reading old British Bee Journals on my kindle, that are free and archived on American university web sites

http://archive.org/search.php?query=British bee journal & bee-keepers adviser

Ok. lots of folk law but what is does show is that the main arguements are all there and often with similar oppisite sides as on here

one thing i have noticed is Ventilation and insulation SO FAR as i am only up to 1900...it was all about having adequate moisture porous top insulation quilts ( including Manley) and adequate large entrances or even mesh 3" holes in the floor, So when did the alternative no insulation and matchstick ventilation actually originate from? matchsticks are not so far to 1900 even mentioned

PLEASE Do not turn this into a debate the virtues of either or this will become like the long running thread debate over on the pesticide section

 

[Chris B]

Thanks MM
great link.

 

[BeeJayBee]

So when did the alternative no insulation and matchstick ventilation actually originate from?

Could this page on Dave Cushman's site give a clue? http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/ventilation.html It's quite a long article, worth reading the whole thing.

Extract :-

Wedmore wrote a book "the ventilation of beehives". He made many errors in his book simply because he had decided on the answer before doing the experimental work. He proposed the adoption, and deliberate inclusion of top ventilation by match sticks being placed under crown boards, leaving feed holes open, I am not sure whether he mentioned upper entrances, but they fall into the same category.

There's a piece about overwintering, condensation and ventilation (in Wyoming) here http://beenaturalguy.com/condensation/

 

[MuswellMetro]

Could this page on Dave Cushman's site give a clue? http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/ventilation.html It's quite a long article, worth reading the whole thing.

Extract :-


There's a piece about overwintering, condensation and ventilation (in Wyoming) here http://beenaturalguy.com/condensation/

Yes the 1947 publication date of the wedmore book would seem to be the change in points of views, i will have to see if i can get a copy next time i go to Hay on Wye, HOWEVER wedmore 1945 book "the Manaul of Beekeepering for English speaking beekeepers" makes no hint of matchsticks and talks about the crown board must be seal....anyone have the later 1999 reprint..what does that say

i only have limited number of pre 1947 books but in the two i have just looked at, 1945 "the spell of the honey bee" (Kelsey) and the 1940 EH taylor of welwyn book "Bees for Beginners", neither say any thing about top ventilation,matchsticks or through ventilation. In fact like the Britsh Bee journal pre 1910 they stress that the number of top Quilts (insulation) can not to many...and the lower entrance must be wide open with mouseguard to give bottom ventilation but you can see the define trend towards the 1920s that the importance of ventilation is growing

 

[Black Comb]

I've got the 1997 reprint.
It says "in winter absence of top ventilation is compensated for, in part, by use of a full entrance, but top ventilation is the reliable way of removing excess moisture."

Can't find any mention of matchsticks but it talks of "ventilated quilts" and a good winter substitute for these is using a porous top packing of 2 to 3 inches of pine sawdust or cork chips.

 

[MuswellMetro]

I've got the 1997 reprint.
It says "in winter absence of top ventilation is compensated for, in part, by use of a full entrance, but top ventilation is the reliable way of removing excess moisture."

Can't find any mention of matchsticks but it talks of "ventilated quilts" and a good winter substitute for these is using a porous top packing of 2 to 3 inches of pine sawdust or cork chips.

similar , if not the same a my 1945 edition

TED Hooper is the most extreme i have found ,though conditioned "there are two schools of thought and some think" but his suggestion is 6mm raising of the crown board, to see if it suits your bees and location, thats more than a matchstick

i just want to understand why the change in the 1940s

 

[Hivemaker.]

TED Hooper is the most extreme i have found ,though conditioned "there are two schools of thought and some think" but his suggestion is 6mm raising of the crown board, to see if it suits your bees and location, thats more than a matchstick

Bob Couston NDB. F.R.E.S. advises ventilated roofs,open feed holes,and sometimes this is not enough, so to use matchsticks or similar under crown board.

Insulation not needed.

Where there are damp apiary conditions to remove the crown board completely and just use an empty super with ventilated roof on top,no packing (insulation).

 

[MuswellMetro]

Bob Couston NDB. F.R.E.S. advises ventilated roofs,open feed holes,and sometimes this is not enough, so to use matchsticks or similar under crown board.

Insulation not needed.

Where there are damp apiary conditions to remove the crown board completely and just use an empty super with ventilated roof on top,no packing (insulation).

I see he was adviser of the east of Scotland agricultural college and his views seem total again B Mobus's work at the north of scotland agricultural college 15 year later

so do i believe a man in a kilt or a man in lederhosen

if this was a discussion with finman, i would have all of the research work links given to me by finman... but i can find nowt to support any other research on ventilation other than the bernard mobus work in the 80's
pity polyhive is less active now

 

[MuswellMetro]

I had a pint of beer in the Three Blackbirds today with a 84 year old beekeeper who started Beekeeping with his father at the age of 10 in 1938

He says when he started beekeeping it was all top insulation and wide open entrance with mouse guards and no matchsticks

He said it only changed in the 1950's

A friend raised the same question with one of our ovr 80 year old members at our bka christmas social he mentioned that when he started everyone used quilts and matchstick only came in the 1950's after Wedmore's book

I've put Wedmore's book on my Christmas list, just to see what Wedmore said

 

[rolande]

As i am rather bored.....

.....So when did the alternative no insulation and matchstick ventilation actually originate from? ... matchsticks are not so far to 1900 even mentioned

A little late to the thread, but, the 1914 edition of Simmins 'Modern Bee Farm'

http://openlibrary.org/books/OL24170082M/A_modern_bee-farm_and_its_economic_management

says:

When keeping bees in a loft, Mr. Cowan raised the
crown board of his hives with small pieces of wood, such
as match ends, as well as giving the same space between
the floor and body of the hive. Perfect ventilation, was in
this manner secured without draught, being in a large
closed space ; but the same plan could not be thought of
with hives standing in the open.

Which may well point to where the idea originated.