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But it should be noted that in winter and at the beginning of spring the needs of the bees are
appreciably similar in all hives, because the colonies differ little in strength. The diameter of the
cluster of bees hardly varies more than one or two centimetres from one hive to another.
And Abbé Voirnot, who studied this issue the most, concluded that 100 square decimetres of
comb suffice in winter and early spring.
Dr. Duvauchelle, our first beekeeping mentor, was convinced that small hives are better, having
created a hive of 280 x 360 mm, therefore 80 square decimetres of comb. Later he enlarged his hive
and gave it 9 frames of 300 x 400 mm with 96 square decimetres of comb. This showed his approval
of Abbé Voirnot's conclusions. We too have confirmed that these two masters were right on this point.
Combs
The combs may be moveable or fixed. They are referred to as moveable when they are enclosed
in a wooden frame, as in modern hives. But we should note well that they only really remain moveable
on condition that they are cleaned every year.
Combs are described as fixed when they are not surrounded by wood and because the bees fix
them to the walls of the hive boxes. But because they are fixed with wax they are in fact more move-
able than moveable combs fixed with propolis.
We have preferred the fixed comb for several reasons. Firstly, frames are expensive, and, as we
have already said, often useless. In addition, frames increase the volume of the brood nest. Earlier, we
presented two People's Hives, one with and one without fixed combs. They both had the same number
of square decimetres of comb. But the framed hive had a volume of 44 litres, whereas that of the
fixed-comb hive was 36 litres, because the frames increase hive size. And we said previously that big
brood chambers harm bees and beekeepers. In framed hives, we had a winter consumption 3 kg more
than in fixed hives.
The combs can vary in shape. They can be shallow as in the Dadant, or deep, as in the Layens, or
square, as in the Voirnot.
In many skeps, where bees have lived for centuries, we frequently find a width of 300 mm and a
depth varying between 600 mm and 800 mm. The Layens frame and the deep Congrès frame gave us
good results. They had widths of 310 mm and 300 mm. Furthermore, a width of 300 mm allows a
square brood chamber to be set up. And the square shape, after that of the cylinder, contributes well to
distributing the warmth in the hive. This width also permits us to give the hive an elongated shape
(vertically) like a cluster of bees; it equally enables the bees to put their honey at the top of the hive,
install themselves underneath the honey, allowing them to insert the head of their cluster in the stock
of honey, just as our head is inserted into our hat. This is the best arrangement for wintering.
In the winter cluster of bees, there is really only life at the top and at the centre, because only
there is there sufficient warmth. Around the edges of the cluster, the bees are torpid, half dead.
All the bees, it is true, pass in their turn to the centre of the cluster to warm themselves and to
feed. But they do not have sufficient strength to leave the cluster. It is this that explains how bees on
long, shallow frames can die of hunger beside an abundance of stores. During cold periods, they
cannot easily move horizontally, whether from frame to frame or on the same frame. But, on the other
hand, they move easily vertically, from bottom to top, as movement takes them towards the warmth
which is always greater at the top of the hive.
Abbé Voirnot thought he had failed to improve the Dadant frame. But he stopped at a square
frame of 330 mm because he attached considerable importance to the cubic shape of the brood nest.