Today’s word of the day is skep, which is, at its most basic, a beehive made out of straw or wicker.
Bee skeps rendered on a tapestry at the Hearst Castle. Photo by Erica Olsen. Used under a Creative Commons license.
Skep
Bee skeps rendered on a tapestry at the Hearst Castle. Photo by Erica Olsen. Used under a Creative Commons license.
Thanks for using my photo – remember that skeps are no longer used to keep bees. Beekeeper can’t open them to inspect for disease, and in order to remove the honey, she would need to destroy the skep. Not a very practical way to maintain a bee colony. Today’s movable frame hives are a huge improvement.