Two articles in (Gleanings in) Bee Culture, January 1986 and August 1988
were about keeping bees in five gallon buckets. These were not used in a
skep like fashion but were cut in half the long way and each half laid
on its side to serve as a hive. They were actually top bar hives. The
thrust of the article was the use of such hives as teaching hives. As
long term hives they are of limited size.
Dick Bonney
[log in to unmask]