Types of Bee Hives
There are two main types of hives you can use: Moveable Frame or Top Bar:
- A Moveable Frame hive (e.g. Langstroth's Hive) contains wooden frames, with typically ten frames per hive body. A sheet of "foundation wax" is installed in each frame. The foundation wax is imprinted with the hexagonal pattern of honey comb cells. The worker bees "draw out" the cells from this imprint by adding wax that they produce themselves.
- In a Top Bar hive, there are no frames. Bees build their combs down from the top bars. The combs are secured only at the top, which is closer to natural hives.
The Moveable Frame hive provides for higher honey production and is what commercial beekeepers use. This is also the type of hive most beekeeping supply sources carry. A number of beekeepers, however, consider the Top Bar hive to be a better choice for hobbyists. The combs are easier to remove and the removal process is less stressful for the bees. And you don't need special equipment to harvest the honey and wax from the combs.
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Of course, to get started, you need bees for your hive and a basic understanding of beekeeping activities.
- For how to get bees, see Getting Bees.
- For the basics of beekeeping activities, see Seasons of the Honey Bee.
- For how to winterize your Top Bar hive, see Winterizing Your Top Bar Hive.