# Skep making instructions?



## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

I am working on this year's apiary display for our county fair. I was thinking about a history of beekeeping in the U.S.A. with older types of hives. I want to make a skep. Not buy one but make one. Does anyone know where I can get some detailed instructions on this? Tools needed and how to use them? If I can find one I'll get a tree limb or stump and use that also as a cut-away display. Right now I am looking for skep info.

If I can get working in time I was hoping to have a working display and be available for questions or just hear folks talk of yesteryear (which I thoroughly enjoy).

I appreciate any help at all!!! Thanks!!!


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## USCBeeMan (Feb 7, 2009)

Believe skeps are illegal in the US. You said you wanted to make a "working" skep. :no:


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## RayMarler (Jun 18, 2008)

I found this link for making skeps, it's quite descriptive

http://www.beedata.com/data2/skeps.html


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

At one time in the last 20 or 30 years skeps were available through the catologs. Maybe Kelleys' or Dadant still know how to get them. I'll bet some of our German or English friends could get you one.

USCBeeMan, illegal to use, but not illegal to own. If bees aren't esatblished in the skep it could still be used for demonstation purposes.


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## Alex Cantacuzene (May 29, 2003)

*Skeps*

Hi, well I snooped around just now and you might be interested in a rather picturesque site for apiculture and other things. Click on www.museo-plattner.it
I found it interesting and wish I could spend some time there. Take care and have fun


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## dcross (Jan 20, 2003)

Old school German beekeeping.

You will need a fast internet connection, cut and paste the links into your browser.


Heathland Beekeeping - 1. Central Europe, Northern Lower Saxony - Spring 
Work in a Heather Skep Apiary

http://mkat.iwf.de/mms/metafiles/04000028790220000000_lo.asx

Beekeeping - 2. Central Europe, Northern Lower Saxony - Preparations for 
the Swarming Period in a Heather Skep Apiary

http://mkat.iwf.de/mms/metafiles/04000029010220000000_lo.asx

Heathland Beekeeping - 3. Central Europe, Northern Lower Saxony - Work 
in a Heather Skep Apiary during the Prime Swarming Period

http://mkat.iwf.de/mms/metafiles/04000029460220000000_lo.asx

Heathland Beekeeping - 4. Central Europe, Northern Lower Saxony - Work 
in a Heather Skep Apiary during the Cast Swarming Period

http://mkat.iwf.de/mms/metafiles/04000029620220000000_lo.asx

Heathland Beekeeping - 5. Central Europe, Northern Lower Saxony - Summer 
Work during the Heather Blossom in a Skep Apiary

http://mkat.iwf.de/mms/metafiles/04000029940220000000_lo.asx

Beekeeping - 6. Central Europe, Northern Lower Saxony - Autumn Work in a 
Heather Skep Apiary

http://mkat.iwf.de/mms/metafiles/04000027900220000000_lo.asx

Heathland Beekeeping - 7. Central Europe, Northern Lower Saxony - 
Harvest of Heather Honey in a Skep Apiary

http://mkat.iwf.de/mms/metafiles/04000028020220000000_lo.asx

Heathland Beekeeping - 8. Central Europe, Northern Lower Saxony - Bees' 
Wax Pressing in a Traditional Apiary

http://mkat.iwf.de/mms/metafiles/04000026610220000000_lo.asx

-


Keep in mind that skeps were never that widely used in the US, IIRC.


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## Camp9 (Feb 7, 2006)

I've always heard they were illegal, but never new why. Anyone going to tell me?  

Camp


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## Bizzybee (Jan 29, 2006)

Managed hives must have removable frames.

Just get one and set it up behind the barn. I won't tell. Promise!!


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## daknoodle (Dec 8, 2005)

Camp9 said:


> I've always heard they were illegal, but never new why. Anyone going to tell me?
> 
> Camp


The only way to harvest from a skep is to destroy the entire colony. So they made it illegal for that reason. With removable frames you don't destroy everything, just rob from them.


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## rw3212 (Apr 8, 2008)

daknoodle said:


> The only way to harvest from a skep is to destroy the entire colony. So they made it illegal for that reason. With removable frames you don't destroy everything, just rob from them.


I thought it was all about ease of inspection for AFB/EFB.


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## TwT (Aug 5, 2004)

daknoodle said:


> The only way to harvest from a skep is to destroy the entire colony. So they made it illegal for that reason. With removable frames you don't destroy everything, just rob from them.


like in the video's above they bounce out all the bee's, only thing loosed is brood and comb. I think it might be more of a Disease thing also


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Camp9 said:


> I've always heard they were illegal, but never new why. Anyone going to tell me?
> 
> Camp


The law that you are refering to is somewhat common in most states, especially if those states have or had Apiary Inspections. The law basically states that combs must be in removable frames. Otherwise inspections for brood diseases are difficult.

At one time in this country, back when beekeeping was a big industry, AFB was found to be of epidemic proportions. That is when Apiary Inspection Programs came into being, to find, identify and destroy infectious diseases and pests of honeybees. It is these laws which give authority to Depts. of Ag Commissioners and Deputys to inspect your colonies and enforce abatement quarantines.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

daknoodle said:


> The only way to harvest from a skep is to destroy the entire colony.


Tghis is not exactly correct. Though it is or was quite common to kill the bees before harvesting the honey.

In Diderots Encyclopedia of 1660 it shows skeps w/ cross bars through a central vertical stick that went up through the honle in the top of a skep. There is also in that illustration a special curved knife that was used to cut the combs away from the inside of the skep, allowing the removal of the entire comb structure all at once. One could then cut away the honey comb and put the rest of the comb back into the skep.

Combs in skeps are not attatched to the inside of the skep all of the way down to whatever the skep is sitting on, a stone or wooden shelf. As one will observe in top bar hives or in log gums.


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## Kenilworth & Blythe Honey (Aug 30, 2009)

a good web site for instructions on how to make...www.westmosside.co.uk
also shows clear pictures of the two simple tools needed. one is simply a hollow ring to get consistent size of straw and the other is to feed the binder through. u can make one of these out of a wooden file handle with a short length of lorry rigid brake (hydraulics) pipe. insert into handle and fix with epoxy glue. cut the pipe at an angle. clear pictures of tools on website.

skeps are still used a lot in the UK but only for collecting swarms where thay are easy to push into hedges and bushes. make a warm dry temporary home until u have time to hive the swarm.

later design skeps avoided killing bees to remove honey. the skep had a hole in the top with small queen excluder. this is the brood skep. another skep was placed on top and became the super. of course they are inferior to movable frame hive from pint of view of general management.

at shows it is a good idea to sit on a stool with another alongside. you can then train visitors by showing them how a stich is made and then hand the incomplete skep to them for for them to have a go. this is popular with children. i inspect their stiches to see if they have passed and become a fully trained skep maker!


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## JohnBeeMan (Feb 24, 2004)

A few months ago I save the link: http://www.beedata.com/data2/skeps.html 

I was thinking of making the skeps as bait hives for swarm capture. But first I have to plant some wheat.


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## swamprat (Jan 5, 2009)

there is one for sale on ebay right now


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## Rohe Bee Ranch (Feb 12, 2008)

Brushy Mountain Bee Farm has skeps for sale. 
http://www.brushymountainbeefarm.com/16-Large-Natural-Skep/productinfo/293T/


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## JohnBeeMan (Feb 24, 2004)

Rohe

The one at Bushy Mtn looks exactly like the one my sister has hanging on her poarch. The inside cavity of her's is large enough for a small yellow jacket nest or a late summer swarm. But, a good May swarm would fill about 3 of them.

John


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## notaclue (Jun 30, 2005)

Thanks for the information I have placed them on favorites and I'm working on finding/making the tools that I need. The only site that drew a blank was;

www.westmosside.co.uk

The address showed up but I had nothing else on the screen. I checked through national websites and couldn't find this club site listed. (Although I was able to wander memory lane for a short time when a buddy and myself hitchhiked part of your country in 1982)

I am really interested in any new site that may give me insight. I believe there is no such thing as too much information...unless it paralyzes you.


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