skep       
noun [ C ] uk/skep/ us/skep/
 草编蜂巢;柳编蜂巢
a beehive (= a container where bees are kept) made from straw (= dried crop stems) or wicker (= thin pieces of wood twisted together)
  He met an old man carrying a swarm of bees in a skep. 他遇到一个带着柳编蜂巢,里面满是蜜蜂的老人。 
 Keeping bees in skeps had the terrible drawback that the honey was extracted by killing the bees first.
 - More examples
 - She scarcely needed to stun the bees with smoke to wrap and lift the skeps unstung.
 - The skeps were stacked by the old hut to collect later.
 - Each bole usually has a ledge at the bottom for the bees to land on, and a drip moulding at the top to help keep the skep dry.