D Warr wrote:
>
>  I am thinking of building an insulated Brick built hive shelter either
> underground or set into a bank or the face of a cliff ) in the mountains of
> Southern France.
>
> The winter temperature drops to minus 20 Centigrade whereas the Summer
> temperature rises to more than 40'C.
>
> The motive in doing this is to keep the hive safe from the roaming cattle
> and horses which use this part of the world as rough grazing. I would not
> want them to knock the hives over in my absence.
>
> Any comments on Keeping hives underground ?
>
> David Warr
> Warrington
> Cheshire
> Northern EnglandIn a 1948 book 'Bees in Their Bonnets' by W. J. lennon, editor of the New
Zealand Beekeeper, re beekeeping in the 1880s 'At the first signs of
winter ... hives were pitted and brought out again when the first
settled spring weather came. A suitable site was chosen for the pit, not
too close to shelter, and it required to be on a slight rise to turn all
rain. The turf was taken off in even-sized sods and each one carefully
laid aside. An oblong area was thus provided to take the hives in two
close rows. Some lenghts of timber were laid along the prepared area. In
the evening, the hives were placed on these in two rows and the entrances
turned inwards. The hives were close in the rows and the rows were about
a foot apart. The sides were then thatched with good straight straw. Over
this again were placed, tile fashion, the turfs with the grass inwards.
About as many more were needed as came off the site. In the middle, at
the top, an air vent was left about a foot square into which loose straw
was dropped. This vent was kept free from sods. Such was the winter
quarters of the bees in the bygone days (in South Island of NZ). It was
claimed that each year the bees were pitted there were no winter losses.'
Thanks to Bruce Stevenson of NZ who loaned me this book. Peter Barrett,
Blue Mountains, NSW, Australia.