I Am New To Beekeeping – What Design of Hive Do I Need?

Depending which part of the world you come from, newcomers to beekeeping are recommended to use the Langstroth hive design rather than the top bar one. The reasoning for the preference is the Langstroth is easier to manipulate without damaging the honey comb. The Langstroth is designed in such a way that the bees build the honeycomb into frames which can be easily removed.

The Langstroth bee hive is the standard used in many parts of the world. About seventy five percent of the world’s beekeepers use this design. They are reliable and are better for over wintering in colder parts. If you live in the United Kingdom, the favoured hive is the British National hive.

The top bar hive has no frames, unlike the Langstroth, and the bees build their combs down from the top bars. The combs are secured only at the top, which is closer to natural hives.

If you do not know what these hives look like and to see the differences, just do a Google search.

Eight frame equipment is better, lighter and easier to manage than ten frame. Eight frame is also better if you want to involve younger, pre teenage children in bee keeping.

Modern bee hives are typically made up as follows:

Bottom board — this is where the bees to get into the hive.
Brood box — located at the bottom this is where the queen bee lays her eggs.
Honey Super — is where the honey is stored.
Frames & Foundation — wooden frame and plastic sheet with honey comb impression where bees build wax honey combs.
Inner and Outer Covers.

To find out more about beehives see the link at the end of the article.

For more information about the fascinating pastime of beekeeping, I recommend reading the 2008 version of Beekeeping For Beginners by Charles Dadant. You can get it by clicking here. See also How To Start Beekeeping

Article Source:http://www.articlesbase.com/hobbies-articles/i-am-new-to-beekeeping-what-design-of-hive-do-i-need-1119143.html