It has been suggested that the hemispheres are bee skeps. Four styles of traditional beehives include; mud hives, clay/tile hives, skeps and bee gums. As with skeps, harvest of honey from these destroyed the colony. Likenesses of skeps can be found in paintings, carvings and old manuscripts. Constructed of limestone they were designed to keep skeps for nearby Ballingarry House. Sometimes, larger bee boles, or 'bee alcoves' are found, which would take several skeps. Skeps could also be squeezed in a vice to extract the honey. In northern and western Europe, skeps were made of coils of grass or straw. With the introduction of the Stewarton and Langstroth hives, skeps eventually ceased to be used. Skeps, baskets placed open-end-down, have been used to house bees for some 2000 years.