We talked with Gary S. Reuter, an apiculture technician in the University of Minnesota’s Department of Entomology, and he flooded us with great information about beekeeping and hives. He strongly recommends that beginner beekeepers take a few classes or read up on beginning beekeeping. Gary, along with some of his colleagues at the University of Minnesota, has written a comprehensive guide to beekeeping in northern climates.
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Parts of the Beehive (From Bottom – Up)
Bottom Board/Floor:This is the base of the beehive. As you continue to build up, you’ll realize that you don’t want the bees to get out of the top of the hive. This is their only exit.
Entrance Reducer:Anentrance reducer is a cleat used to adjust the size of the hive’s entrance and controls ventilation and temperature during cooler months. You won’t fasten this small piece to the rest of the assembly but rather use it as an optional accessory. They are used more frequently during the winter months when other animals, such as mice, will try to enter the hive for warmth. During the summer, especially at the height of nectar flow, you can remove it to maximize honey production.
Hive Bodies/Deep Super:Hive Bodies are the boxes where the bees live. The hive bodies contain the comb frames. The height is standardized at 9-1/4 in. which makes building one out of dimensional lumber very easy. You can have two deep hive bodies (one for the brood or family, one for the food) and then continue with the honey supers (see below) above. In cold weather locations, a bee colony can survive with only one deep hive body. We added foil tape to the rabbets on these boxes. Gary told us that the foil tape isn’t necessary, adding “I like a piece of metal in the rabbet. It doesn’t necessarily make the frames come out easier, but it makes it easier to scrape the wax and propolis (a resin-like material) from the rabbet when the frames are out. The metal protects the wood from getting scraped away.”
Queen Excluder: This part is only used during honey season. The queen bee isn’t involved with the actual production of honey, so you place the queen excluder between the brood and honey production. There are slits to let colony bees through but not the queen. Excluders come in plastic or metal.
For the plastic one we used, click here.
Honey Super:This is where the surplus honey is collected. This is your honey, the stuff you can harvest from the bees. You need to leave the honey in the deep hive bodies for the bees to survive. Supers are identical in design to the deep hive bodies but are slightly shallower. The typical sizes are 5-3/4 in. tall or 6-5/8 in. tall, known as an Illinois super. You’ll only need one honey super during your first season of beekeeping but can add two or three for the upcoming seasons.
Frames:Bees build their honeycomb into the frames. You can easily inspect and work on the frames because they’re removable. You will often see frame ends have a taper in them. We decided to not use a taper but if you want to, cut 1/8-in. from each edge of the part [what part?] with a jigsaw. As Gary Reuter told us, “The wider part at the top is to make them space correctly by just pushing them together. The narrow part allows the bees to walk through.” Each frame needs a single sheet of beeswax foundation. Foundations come in three sizes, corresponding to the different depths of hive bodies and supers. Beeswax foundations are delicate and tough to work with at first, so be patient. By the third frame, you’ll be a master. Many beekeepers now use plastic foundations.
Click here to find the beeswax foundations that we used.
Buy plastic foundations from Amazon here.
Inner Cover:The inner cover is a tray with a hole and small notch used for ventilation. Screened inner covers have gained popularity because they provide great ventilation with no fuss.
Outer Cover/Roof:Just like the roof on your house, the outer cover protects the bees from the elements. You can extend the life of your hive by attaching a weatherproof material like aluminum flashing to the top of the roof.
Cutting List
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Click here for a printable PDF of all the different beehive parts.
FAQs
It is cheaper to build beehives yourself if you have the right tools, as buying a premade beehive can cost almost double the amount it costs you to build one yourself. Note that if you don't have the necessary tools, it might be cheaper to buy a beehive.
Is it cheaper to build your own beehive? ›
It is cheaper to build beehives yourself if you have the right tools, as buying a premade beehive can cost almost double the amount it costs you to build one yourself. Note that if you don't have the necessary tools, it might be cheaper to buy a beehive.
How much honey does one hive produce? ›
A strong hive can be home to 50–100,000 bees during the peak of the summer. Do a little quick math, and you see how beekeepers arrive at an average of 60lbs. of honey per hive, per year. With the right weather and the right beekeeper, some hives can even produce 100lbs.
How do you attract bees to a homemade hive? ›
Simply rub the oiled cotton bud or pastry bush around the entrance to your hive. Lemongrass essential oil is believed to mimic the pheromone released from the abdominal gland of the scout bees which they use to entice the swarm into an empty hive.
How many acres does a beehive need? ›
Generally, the best practice to follow is no more than three colonies on any lot of one-quarter acre or less (not counting nucs). Then, for every additional one-quarter of an acre, add another three hives.
How much does 1 bee hive cost? ›
To begin you will need some basic beekeeping equipment including: A Beehive: $120-$200.
Does the government pay you to have bees? ›
The short answer is a resounding no. There is no large fund writing blank checks to pay you for your new bee colonies.
What month should you start a beehive? ›
When starting a beehive, the spring is ideal time. As soon as the weather begins to warm up and flowers start to bloom, you can set up your hive. Plan well and get your bees into the hive as soon as possible to allow them the time to gather as much nectar as possible through the next few months.
How many beehives should a beginner start with? ›
However, keep in mind that bee colonies can die, even if you do everything right. That's why we recommend beginner beekeepers start with two hives. With only one hive, your entire bee supply would be gone.
How many times a year do you harvest honey? ›
You can harvest your honey as many times as you have a full medium super. Although, you should consider that the more often you harvest, the more often you have to clean off the equipment you use. This is why most beekeepers shoot for 2 or sometimes 3 harvests a year.
It depends entirely on the health of your bees, their hive style, your location, the weather and available forage. You should never plan to harvest in your first year, but you can expect to pull anywhere from 25 - 100 lbs of honey from an established colony in a successful year.
How many times a year can you get honey from a hive? ›
The general rule of thumb is once, maybe twice, per year in the late summer or early fall. If your hive is in hyper drive and filling up frames quickly you are one of those lucky beekeepers than can consider harvesting twice a year and earlier than most beekeepers. It all depends on your hive.
How to get bees for free? ›
Another way is to get free bees by inviting a swarm into your garden. I set up a bait hive in our garden which has attracted several swarms over the past few years. These swarms have mostly originated from outside my garden apiary but bait hives will attract your own swarms too.
What not to do to a bee hive? ›
Don't: Spray chemicals or pesticides into the hive. This won't kill the bees immediately, but it will aggravate them––probably not what you were going for. Professional bee removal services will look for ways to lure bees away instead of killing them.
What smells do bees hate? ›
Deterring scents
While scent is the easiest way to attract these unwanted guests, it's also the easiest deterrent! Simply incorporate scents that humans find pleasant and bees find repulsive. Some of these off-putting fragrances are peppermint, spearmint, eucalyptus, and thyme.
Is beekeeping an expensive hobby? ›
So, very generally…. Depending on your source, your bees will cost anything from $100 to $400 (although “free” is potentially an option, if capturing a swarm). The cost of the beehive itself can vary considerably, based on type and options.
What is the easiest beehive to build? ›
Top Bar Hive Plans
They are very forgiving and you can construct these out of materials that you have on hand. Not only are they the easiest to build, but they are also the easiest to maintain for new beekeepers. These hives allow bees to build their own comb, taking a more organic approach to beekeeping.
What are the disadvantages of a beehive? ›
Disadvantages include (usually) unsupported combs that cannot be spun in most honey extractors, and it is not usually possible to expand the hive if additional honey storage space is required. Most horizontal hives cannot easily be lifted and carried by one person.
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