I found this old bee box at the end of an almost completely fruitless day poking around southern Maine last weekend--but it alone made the day worthwhile, to my sensibilities really a great one. About as primitive as it gets, but clearly it did its job effectively, as the patina to the interior of this box--a rich mix of beeswax and grime and who know what all--attests to many years of housing bees inside. What I especially like is how the queen bee cage, with framed out window and slide opening back, sits on top of the larger box and lifts off as its own self-contained thing--a room of her own for the queen!
Perhaps there was once another piece of wood that fit over the open section of the box (at right in first photo), I'm not sure--but as is now it would work just as it should for containing the queen in the window box and then introducing her to the hive inside--where a honeycomb would also have been placed. A great object in and of itself, and a great example of the beauty of bee boxes as a thing, each its maker's own personalized solution to the challenges of containing the queen, introducing her to her drones, and transporting them to their colony. (And of course I love the stage-like aspect of it, a dynamic stage set for a drama to unfold!)
8 3/16" x 5" x 3 3/4" t and in good condition, fantastic patina, sound and stable, with a tin bottom (original) that lends extra weight and sturdiness.
You might also like
