How to Talk to Your Neighbors about Your Beehive
Whether you live in the country or the city, for many among the general public, ignorance of honeybees is complete. Having been stung by hornets and yellow jackets, they assume having any kind of bee nearby [more…]
Pick the Perfect Location for Your Beehive
You can keep beehives just about anywhere: in the countryside, in the city, in a corner of the garden, by the back door, in a field, on the terrace, or even on an urban rooftop. You don’t need a great [more…]
How to Cut Lumber for Your Beehive
Follow these steps to make cutting your lumber (both board lumber and plywood) easier and to give you better results when building your beehives. Cutting wood with a table saw isn’t difficult, but it surely [more…]
The Parts of a Beehive
One way or another, handmade beehives are designed to provide the bees with shelter from the elements, a space to raise brood, a space to store honey, and adequate ventilation so that the bees can regulate [more…]
How to Assemble the Five-Frame Nuc Hive
After you have all the pieces cut for your five-frame nuc hive, it’s time to put it all together and build your hive. Start at the bottom (the ground) and work your way up [more…]
Vital Stats and Materials List for Five-Frame Nuc Hive
A five-frame nuc (or nucleus) hive is a small beehive with five frames of bees. If you'd like to build a nuc, here are some vital stats you need to know and a materials list for shopping. [more…]
Cut List for a Five-Frame Nuc Hive
The following tables break down the five-frame nuc hive into its individual components and provide instructions on how to cut and build those components. [more…]
How to Assemble the Four-Frame Observation Hive
If you’ve cut all the parts for your four-frame observation hive, you’re ready to put it all together. Here are a few pointers to follow throughout this beehive assembly: [more…]
Vital Stats and Materials List for Four-Frame Observation Hive
Having an observation hive is great, even when you have conventional hives in your garden. The pleasure and added insight it gives you about honeybee behavior is immeasurable. [more…]
Cut List for a Four-Frame Observation Hive
The following tables break down the four-frame observation hive into its individual components and provide instructions on how to cut those components. [more…]
How to Assemble the Kenya Top-Bar Hive
To assemble a Kenya top-bar hive, gather all your tools and components. You begin at with bottom of the hive and work your way up and up.
The screws and nails will go in easier if you first drill a 7/64-inch [more…]
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…]
