What are the Different Types of Bee Hives
There are a lot of different hives to choose from when starting out as a beekeeper, and they all have their own pros and cons. The three most popular are Langstroth, Top Bar, and Warre hives. However, beekeepers should do research and choose their hive based on their preferences.
Top Bar Hive
Source: Bee Built
The top bar hive is one of the oldest and most commonly used hive styles in the world. It includes a single-story frameless hive with individual bars laid across the top of the hive cavity. The bees build their comb down from these bars. Using a top bar hive means beekeepers do not have to lift heavy boxes and the combs are easy to remove. In addition, the bees are disrupted less when beekeepers are managing the colony compared to other box-style hives. Top bar hives do not require any extra equipment such as honey supers, extra frames, foundation, queen excluders, uncapping knives, extractors, or other expensive tools.
On the contrary, the combs are especially delicate because they do not have a foundation. Therefore, the hive needs more maintenance and care than other hive styles.
Langstroth Hive
Source: Bee Built
The Langstroth hive consists of multiple rectangular boxes stacked on top of each other with removable frames for the bees to build comb inside. These hives are the most common hive style used in North America and Australia, and it was invented by American beekeeper Lorenzo Langstroth.
Langstroth hives are customizable to the beekeeper; there are three box depths: deep, medium, and shallow hive bodies and two widths: 8 frame and 10 frame. Since they are so popular, there are many additional accessories and resources available for beekeepers. It is a good option for beekeepers who want a large apiary or are using their hive primarily for honey production.
A negative attribute of this hive style is that boxes can range from 30 to 100 lbs when full of honey, so they can be difficult to lift and transport.
Warré Hive
Source: Bee Built
Warré hives can be described as vertical top bar hives that use bars instead of frames. Bees can build their comb just like they do in nature since the hive has guides on the bars. This style was developed by French beekeeper Émile Warré in the mid-twentieth century. Warré designed the hive so that it needs minimal inspections by the beekeeper. These hives stand behind Langstroth and top-bar hives in popularity, and the natural style attracts hobbyist beekeepers.
On the other hand, Warré hives do not use the standard beekeeping equipment and their parts may be more difficult to come by. The hive also does not have moveable frames, so they cannot be removed for inspection.
Horizontal Layens Hive
Source: Horizontal Hive
The Layens hive is the original horizontal hive invented in the 19th century by French beekeeper Georges de Layens, and over one million hives use Layens frames. This hive has thick walls that are great for overwintering and generally cold climates, and the frame mimics the size of comb found in tree hollows. For both bees and beekeepers, managing the colony comes with more ease because inspecting horizontal hives is less intrusive to bees, and beekeepers can simply observe one frame at a time. Layens frames can hold up to 12 lbs of honey, therefore no heavy lifting is required, and they are inexpensive to make.
Unlike vertical hives, you cannot add additional supers to horizontal hives if the colony grows.
WBC Hive or “Classic Beehive”
Source: National Bee Supplies
William Broughton Carr designed a hive in 1890 that is now the only double walled hive still in use, and it is favored amongst amateur beekeepers in the United Kingdom. It is known as the “Classic beehive” and it’s design is what most people imagine when thinking of a beehive. Many find the design attractive and use it as a garden ornament. There is more installation in the WBC hive compared to other hives so bees are able to withstand more extreme temperatures as well as adverse weather conditions.
WBC hives have more parts and can be more complex than other hive styles which makes them more expensive.
Flow Hives
Source: Honey Flow
Flow Hive was developed by an Australian company in 2015 with innovative honey extraction technology. The hive does not have to be opened and the bees are not disturbed as they would be during a normal extraction, and all the beekeeper has to do is turn a lever. The Flow frame includes partly formed honeycomb cells with vertical gaps that the bees can build their comb on.
There have been multiple criticisms of the Flow Hive design: the use of plastic comb, which is not liked by naturalists, and the ability for the honey to crystallize in colder climates, which would prevent it from flowing. Some have criticized the company for using the phrase “honey on tap” for promotion because it suggests the lack of hive maintenance, and it is about 7x more expensive than a Langstroth hive. However it is an easy way for people to have bees that require less maintenance, which could attract more people to start beekeeping.
Apimaye Hives
Source: Bee Keep Club
Apimaye hives are user-friendly 10-frame Langstroth insulated bee hives. These hives are designed to withhold extreme temperatures ranging from Michigan winters to Arizona summers because of their heavy double-layer insulation. A special material is used in the top cover and side walls which provides thermal insulation. They are also meant to make beekeeping less complicated since users do not have to buy any extra equipment. Since these hives are not the classic wooden style, they do not absorb moisture which would normally lead to fungus growth.
Apimaye hives are about 2.5x more expensive than a Langstroth hive, so they are not cost-effective for someone who wants multiple hives.
Whatever hive you choose……
As a beekeeper, picking your hive is an important decision. There are hives catered towards colder weathers, minimal maintenance, hobbyists or commercial beekeepers, honey extraction, and more. With the numerous varieties of hives, there is bound to be one that fits your needs!