Talk:Beekeeping

Dimensions of Wildman's top-bar skep


For a straw skep nominally ten inches in diameter, 25 cm seems like a reasonable metric equivalent. Calling it 254 mm is an outstanding example of false precision. Kindly discuss... Just plain Bill (talk) 14:40, 17 March 2022 (UTC)


 * I can certainly see your point, but with bee hives 4mm can make all the difference. Bee Space is between 6mm to 9mm, therefore a 4mm difference is a big deal for hives. As hives are made according to mm's not cm's, probably best just to keep it precise. Bibby (talk) 14:57, 17 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Yes, modern hives are made to tolerances that allow the bee space to be controlled. I am willing to say straw skeps were not made to such tolerances in 1770. Wildman did not put anything resembling modern frames in his hives; he laid top bars across open-top skeps about ten inches wide, so the bees could draw comb to suit their own needs, following the arrangement of the bars. Just plain Bill (talk) 15:51, 17 March 2022 (UTC)


 * Ah, very good argument my friend, I think you're winning ;-)
 * I guessing that his 1700's measurements and guidelines for sizes wouldn't have been very precise, as he didn't know of the Bee Space, so I see were you are coming from in that when he suggests 10" he may be suggesting around 10" and therefore we would say today around 25cm. But you will need to say "close to 25cm" otherwise some pedantic Wiki Editor, cough cough, I have been known to be a bit like this, will come along and change it to 254mm! Wait for a day, and if no one comes along to make an objection here, change it and wait to see how long it takes for some one to change it back! Bibby (talk) 16:22, 17 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Sorry, should have included the context first off. I'm waiting for input from one or two of the editors involved in the kerfuffle around that. Just plain Bill (talk) 16:34, 17 March 2022 (UTC)
 * I hope this edit calms down the kerfuffle. Indeed, it's possible to be too precise. Wildman didn't even specify whether his 10 inches were the internal or external diameter of his skeps. Richard Keatinge (talk) 17:30, 17 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Thanks, I saw that, and I think it is excessive precision. Not hugely bothered, am content to wait for further input. Cheers, Just plain Bill (talk) 18:59, 17 March 2022 (UTC)
 * I too find 254 mm excessive precision, and 25cm just fine, but I don't want to bite a new editor who may have much to offer this encyclopedia. And it is a very minor issue. Personally I'd leave it at this point. Richard Keatinge (talk) 15:46, 6 April 2022 (UTC)
 * I've invited that editor to join this discussion. Just plain Bill (talk) 16:37, 6 April 2022 (UTC)

Dimensions of bee space
I have read the article that the page "Beekeeping" references with respect to the dimensions of the bee space. and that article on page 27 appears to have used 1 inch = 20 mm to do the conversion from 1/4 inch and 3/8 inch. So I suggest you find another reference that has the correct conversions to 6 mm and 10 mm rounded to the nearest mm. AutoElectEngr (talk) 21:26, 17 March 2022 (UTC)

Hi Richard,

I found this reference History of Beekeeping in the United States by MF Hive, B Space - BEEKEEPING - naldc.nal.usda.gov https://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/CAT87208707/PDF#page=8 on page 2 this article states the bee space between brood comb is 3/8 inch and page 32 states the bee space between honey frames is 1/4inch. AutoElectEngr (talk) 21:51, 17 March 2022 (UTC)


 * At this edit I have referenced these dimensions to the late expert beekeeper Dave Cushman. I hope you find this useful. Richard Keatinge (talk) 21:59, 17 March 2022 (UTC)
 * Dave Cushman's comments are particularly useful because he gives (in mm, converted by a Wikipedia conversion template to sixteenths of an inch) a series of dimensions that could be called bee space, and he describes what use the bees are likely to make of them. He doesn't just give dimensions without explanation. I hope that we now have a stable version. Richard Keatinge (talk) 09:25, 18 March 2022 (UTC)

Citation Needed for "Cradle of Beekeeping"
I did some digging to see if I could find anything to back up the claim written by another user in the Lead Section of the article that Georgia is known as the "cradle of beekeeping" and, while that same sentence's second claim has a citation that supports it in the sentence that follows it, the only source I could find for the "cradle of beekeeping" claim is a Youtube video. Would it be wise to remove the first claim since it lacks substantial evidence but leave the second? JhanysG (talk) 17:54, 11 September 2023 (UTC) (JhanysG (talk) 17:55, 11 September 2023 (UTC))