Polish 'Sentry Box' Style Hive

Originally titled... Beekeeping by War Refugees this article by S. H. Scott (Alton, Hants.) appeared in the December 1990 issue of Bee craft.

The picture depicts a hive which had been made and used by some war refugees who were repatriated at the end of the war. Mr Scott was working in Penrith in 1955 and keeping bees. He was told of some bee hives in a wood near Penrith which had been made and used by war refugees. He collected the hive shown, but was never able to discover exactly how they were operated. Presumably honey was cut from the comb and pressed. In any case the size and shape of the hive and the remarkably deep combs must surely be of interest. A narrow sloping plank at the side of the hive led up to an opening which must have been the only entrance to the hive.

I can add that this type of hive has been used in Eastern Europe, I am not sure of exact country, but I have heard Polish people describe such hives and believe that the type was also used in Czech Republic and Slovakia, most commonly in the region where all three countries meet. I surmise that the honey was gathered as chunks of cut comb from the edges of the outer combs, where there would have been less chance of cocoons in the cells, rather than pressing, I suspect the chunks of comb were eaten whole.

I also believe that the structure was derived from the carved log style of vertical hive that is commonly featured in that area and are often based on men, women or animal shaped forms