Skeps

Saw this yesterday at the Dorset County Show. Skeps are straw hives and have been used for about 2000 years. These hives were thought to be among the first type to ensure a dry home for the bees. Rhy straw is used because of its length and toughness. The binding material was traditionally made from brambles or briar which had been stripped of its thorns then split into long lengths.