Vital Stats and Materials List for Kenya Top-Bar Hive
The Kenya top-bar beehive has many design variations, but they all consist of a long, horizontal hive body with sloped sides, top bars (instead of frames), and a roof. The hive's sloped sides tend to result [more…]
Cut List for a Kenya Top-Bar Hive
The following tables break down the Kenya top-bar hive into its individual components and provide instructions on how to cut and build those components. [more…]
How to Assemble the British National Hive
Putting together the components of your British National hive (BNH) is pretty much just stacking one component on top of another (like a skyscraper). But there is, of course, a correct sequence. Understanding [more…]
Vital Stats and Materials List for the British National Hive
Because of its size and expandability, the British National bee hive does well in climates similar to that of the United Kingdom (namely, where summers are hot and winters can be cold, the average annual [more…]
Cut List for Floor of the British National Hive
To help you build a British National hive (BNH), the following tables break down and provide instructions on how to cut and build the floor of the hive. The frames and other pieces of the British National [more…]
Cut List for British National Brood Chamber and Shallow Honey Supers
If you've decided to build the British National hive, prepare yourself for some fussy cuts on the hand and drip rails for the brood chamber and shallow honey. Read through the cut list tables and the following [more…]
Cut List for British National Hive Deep and Shallow Frames
The side bars for the British National hive have a wide profile at the top and taper to a narrower profile at the bottom. This tapered shape provides the correct distance between frames and allows for [more…]
Cut List for British National Hive Crown Board and Roof
The following two tables present the cut lists for the crown board and the roof of a British National hive (BNH). In the following tables, each Material column lists nominal dimensions, and each Dimensions [more…]
How to Assemble the Langstroth Hive
Whether you’re building the ten- or eight-frame version of the Langstroth hive, the assembly instructions are nearly identical. But there’s a correct sequence, of course. Understanding each element’s purpose [more…]
Vital Stats and Materials List for the Langstroth Hive
Most bee supply vendors offer ten-frame versions of the Langstroth hive — each hive body holds ten frames across. For decades, that’s been the most popular size for the Langstroth. However, as a result [more…]
Cut List for the Ten-Frame Langstroth Hive
The following tables break down the ten-frame Langstroth bee hive into its individual components and provide instructions on how to cut and put together those components. [more…]
Cut List for the Eight-Frame Langstroth Hive
The following tables break down the eight-frame Langstroth bee hive into its individual components and provide instructions on how to cut and put together those components. [more…]
How to Assemble the Warré Hive
You’re coming down the home stretch. It’s time to stack things together and build your Warré hive. Start at ground level and work your way up.
Screws and nails will go in easier if you first drill a 7/64 [more…]
Vital Stats and Materials List for the Warré Hive
The Warré hive is simple, cost-effective, and has an efficient design. It has been gaining renewed popularity among DIY beekeepers and those seeking more natural approaches to beekeeping. [more…]
Cut List for a Warré Hive
The following tables break down the Warré hive into its individual components and provide instructions on how to cut and build those components. This design involves making rabbet cuts. [more…]
How to Assemble a Double-Screened Inner Cover
Assembling the bits and pieces of a double-screened inner cover for your bee hive is an easy build — just a frame with a couple of screened inserts. Your bees will certainly enjoy the great ventilation [more…]
Vital Stats and Materials List for a Bee Hive Frame Jig
The frame jig you build here holds all the parts to assemble and nail ten bee hive frames at a time (either deep, medium, or shallow). Assembling frames is so much easier when you don't have to juggle [more…]
Cut List for a Bee Hive Frame Jig
To build a frame jig for bee hives, first break it down into its individual components and follow these instructions on how to cut those frame-jig components. [more…]
How to Assemble a Frame Jig for Bee Hives
Clear off your workbench: It’s time to assemble all the pieces of your frame jig, which holds all the parts to assemble and nail ten bee hive frames at a time. [more…]
Vital Stats and Materials List for Double-Screened Inner Covers for Hives
Your bees will love you for making a double-screened inner cover for their hives. This design for a double-screened inner cover is extra heavy-duty compared to lightweight commercial designs that tend [more…]
Cut List for a Double-Screened Inner Cover
To build a double-screened inner cover for a bee hive, first break it down into its individual components The following tables provide instructions on how to cut the individual components for each type [more…]
Cut List for the Solar Wax Melter
Build a solar wax melter by first breaking it down into its individual components — these tables show you how and provide instructions on how to cut those components. The top assembly requires a dado cut [more…]
How to Assemble a Solar Wax Melter
After you've cut all the pieces of your solar wax melter, it's time to clear a good work space and put all this stuff together. You start with the floor of the solar wax melter and work your way to the [more…]
Vital Stats and Materials List for the Solar Wax Melter
To maximize the profits from owning bee hives, you can melt the wax that your bees generate. Pound for pound, beeswax is worth more than honey, so it's definitely worth a bit of effort to reclaim this [more…]
How to Assemble the Hive-Top Feeder
With all the parts cut out for your hive-top feeder, it's time to assemble the pieces. The process is identical whether the hive-top feeder you're putting together is for a ten- or eight-frame Langstroth [more…]
