Many different kinds and sizes of beehives are available. But worldwide, the most common is the 10-frame Langstroth hive. This so-called moveable frame hive with a practical top opening was the 1851 invention of Rev. Lorenzo L. Langstroth of Pennsylvania. Its design hasn’t changed much in the last 150 years, which is a testament to its practicality.
Here are some of the benefits of the Langstroth hive:
.Langstroth hive parts are completely interchangeable and readily available from any beekeeping supply vendor.
.All interior parts of the hive are spaced exactly three-eighths of an inch apart (9.525 mm), thus enabling honey bees to build straight and even combs. Because it provides the right “bee space,” the bees don’t “glue” parts together with propolis or burr comb.
.Langstroth’s design enables beekeepers to freely inspect and manipulate frames of comb. Prior to this discovery, beekeepers were unable to inspect hives for disease, and the only way to harvest wax and honey was to kill the bees or drive them from the hive.
This section discusses, bottom to top, the various components of a modern Langstroth beehive. As you read this section, refer to Figure to see what the various parts look like and where they are located within the structure of the hive.
Hive stand
The entire hive sits on a hive stand. The best ones are made of cypress — a wood that is highly resistant to rot. The stand is an important component of the hive because it elevates the hive off the ground, improving circulation and minimizing dampness. In addition, grass growing in front of the hive’s entrance can slow the bees’ ability to get in and out. The stand alleviates that problem by raising the hive above the grass.
The hive stand consists of three rails and a landing board, upon which the bees land when they return home from foraging trips. Nailing on the landing board just right is the only tricky part of hive stand assembly. Carefully follow the instructions that come with your hive stand. Note: Putting the stand together on a flat surface helps prevent the stand from wobbling.
Bottom board
The bottom board is the thick bottom floor of the beehive. Like the hive stand, the best bottom boards are made of cypress wood. This part’s easy and intuitive to put together. Some beekeepers will use what’s called a “screened” bottom board in place of the standard bottom board. This improves ventilation and is helpful when monitoring the colony’s population of varroa mites.
Deep-hive body
The deep-hive body contains ten frames of honeycomb. The best quality ones are made of clear pine or cypress and have crisply cut dovetail joints for added strength. You’ll need two deep-hive bodies to stack one on top of the other, like a two-story condo. The bees use the lower deep as the nursery,or brood super, to raise thousands of baby bees. The bees use the brood super as the pantry or food chamber, where they store most of the honey and pollen for their use.
If you live in an area where cold winters just don’t happen, you don’t need more than one deep hive body for your colony.
The hive body assembles easily. It consists of four precut planks of wood that come together to form a simple box. Simply match up the four planks, and hammer a single nail in the center of each of the four joints to keep the box square. Use a carpenter’s square to even things up before hammering in the remaining nails.
Place the hive body on the bottom board. If it rocks or wobbles a little, use some coarse sandpaper or a plane to remove any high spots. The hive body needs to fit solidly on the stand.
Use a little waterproof wood glue on the joints of all your woodenware before nailing them together. That gives you a super-strong bond.
Queen excluder
No matter what style of honey harvest you choose, a queen excluder is a basic piece of equipment you need. It’s placed between the deep food cham- ber and the shallow (or medium) honey supers, the parts of the hive that are used to collect surplus honey. The queen excluder comes already assembled and consists of a wooden frame holding a grid of metal wire. The queen from entering the honey super and laying eggs. Otherwise, a queen laying eggs in the super encourages bees to bring pollen into the super, spoiling the clarity of the honey. The spacing of the grid is such that smaller worker bees can pass through to the honey supers.
You use a queen excluder only when you place honey supers on the hive and the bees are bringing in nectar and making it into honey. It is a piece of woodenware that is unique to honey production. When you are not collecting honey, it should not be used.
Inner cover
Inner covers of good quality are made entirely of cypress wood. Budget models made from pressboard or Masonite also are available, but they don’t seem to last as long. Alternatively, there are plastic ones available that will never rot. See Figure 4-10. The basic design consists of a framed flat plank with a precut hole in the center of the plank. The inner cover resembles a shallow tray (with a hole in the center). In some models, a notch is cut out of one of the lengths of frame. This is a ventilation notch, and it is positioned to the front of the hive. The inner cover is placed on the hive with the “tray”side facing up. See Figure 4-11. If your model has a half-moon ventilation notch (as seen in the figure) place the notch toward the front of the hive. The outer cover is placed over this inner cover.
Outer cover
Look for cypress wood when buying an outer cover. Cypress resists rot and lasts the longest. Outer covers assemble in a manner similar to the inner cover: a frame containing flat planks of wood. But the outer cover has a galvanized steel tray that fits on the top, protecting it from the elements.
Alternatively, there are some plastic models on the market that will never rot. Not quite as “pretty” as wood, but perhaps practical.
Go for the highest quality that your budget allows. Although they may be a little more expensive upfront, quality parts assemble with greater ease, and are far more likely to outlast the budget versions.
Don’t wait until the last minute to order your first startup kit. Springtime is the beginning of the beekeeping season. If you wait until spring to order your kit, you will likely have to wait to get it (the suppliers become swamped with orders at that time). Ideally it’s best to get all the stuff you need a few months before you plan to start your hive.