TooBee...
Field Bee
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2017
- Messages
- 583
- Reaction score
- 2
- Location
- Ireland
- Hive Type
- National
- Number of Hives
- 2+ nucs
Hi
on another Thread the subject of Skeps came up, in the context of swarming bees, not wanting to clog that now completely off topic Thread I thought I better start another...
Does anyone know the internal volume (in litres or whatever) of a traditional (straw) Skep, I'm thinking the Irish Skep (if there's a difference).
I've read that there are three good things:
1. A small Cow,
2, A small Wife,
3. A small Skep.
This was written about 500 years ago, I think the first two was because they cost less to feed ... cough ... cough... thankfully our attitudes have changed... the small Skep was to ensure that the bees EACH year would swarm EARLY, and then would send two Castes out, so that THREE swarms occurred in one year !
If you wanted to increase your apiary you would combine the two castes and then have three hives going into winter.
I was wondering at what size would or could a Skep (proven to be the 2nd most thermally efficient hive) need to be to;
1. ensure that three swarms occurred each year,
and
2. be large enough for them to store enough food and over winter in.
(remember disease wasn't much of an issue then as it is now and food for them should have been plentiful).
If anyone knows of good online sources of good info. on Irish Skeps, that would be appreciated, I'm thinking it's got the be no bigger than a National Brood box?
on another Thread the subject of Skeps came up, in the context of swarming bees, not wanting to clog that now completely off topic Thread I thought I better start another...
Does anyone know the internal volume (in litres or whatever) of a traditional (straw) Skep, I'm thinking the Irish Skep (if there's a difference).
I've read that there are three good things:
1. A small Cow,
2, A small Wife,
3. A small Skep.
This was written about 500 years ago, I think the first two was because they cost less to feed ... cough ... cough... thankfully our attitudes have changed... the small Skep was to ensure that the bees EACH year would swarm EARLY, and then would send two Castes out, so that THREE swarms occurred in one year !
If you wanted to increase your apiary you would combine the two castes and then have three hives going into winter.
I was wondering at what size would or could a Skep (proven to be the 2nd most thermally efficient hive) need to be to;
1. ensure that three swarms occurred each year,
and
2. be large enough for them to store enough food and over winter in.
(remember disease wasn't much of an issue then as it is now and food for them should have been plentiful).
If anyone knows of good online sources of good info. on Irish Skeps, that would be appreciated, I'm thinking it's got the be no bigger than a National Brood box?