Old hives kept in hollow logs are called ‘gums’ which is short for gum tree. The US used gums in rural areas for centuries but finally gave way to Langs in the 20th century. Other areas still use gums. In this case, Dominican Republic still uses them.
http://rookgardenerpoet.blogspot.com/2011/06/bees-in-dominican-republic.html
Tags: gums, third world beekeeping
When I was a teenager, in Southern Kentucky, everybody had some bees. The guy who lived downstairs, one of the local clans, used to call all the hives “Gums.”
I actually don’t know if he knew why he called them that. Funny thing is, I’ve worked with wood from old snags and dropped limbs for decades now, and have never seen a hollow gum tree. I actually don’t know why they’re called “Gums.”