Bee Space Unlocked Modern Beekeeping

Modern beekeeping rests on a narrow measurement identified in 1851 by Philadelphia clergyman Reverend Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth. He found that bees left gaps measuring roughly 6.4 to 9.5 millimeters free of both honeycomb and propolis, the resinous material they use to seal smaller spaces. Langstroth used this "bee space" in his patented movable-frame hive, allowing beekeepers to lift out frames for inspection or harvesting without cutting apart the comb.

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