subject: What You Need to Understand About Your Beehive [print this page] What You Need to Understand About Your Beehive
Because the bee colony inhabits the hive, this makes the hive the most significant element in keeping bees. Beekeepers have made vast improvements on the hive in recent years that have allowed honey extraction to be a less arduous process.
Langstroth Hives
The universal standard in beekeeping hives is the Langstroth hive and this is what is most used in the United States. The Langstroth is a "movable frame" hive and the structure is wooden, rectangular and held inside are the combs. Usually, one will find that the frame will hold about ten combs at a time. The astounding thing about these frames is that there is neither a top or a bottom, and the combs hang freely inside. In most cases, the combs consist of a sheet of wax or can be made of plastic. The bees use this sheet of wax as a starting point to produce extra wax in which to build the honeycomb. Once complete, the bees will then deposit the honey and pollen into the cells of the comb. The design of the box is to allow the removal of the frames that are saturated with the honey that is to be extracted.
Top-Bar Hives
Top-bar hives are quite widespread in Africa and are starting to gain a foothold in the US with hobbyist beekeepers. The framework of top-bar hives comprises of bars running along the top. The bees then take advantage of these bars by hanging the combs from them. The frames in a Langstroth hive are re-useable but the combs that are used on bars cannot be used again after the honey is removed. This design is not conducive to the production of honey in high volumes. The advantage of a top-bar is that the honey that comes from the clear yellow combs is of the highest possible quality and can be sold as an in-comb honey food product.
Hive Placement on Your Property
But the kind of hive you end up purchasing is just one of the decisions you need to make when you're thinking of keeping bees on your property. Before the beekeeper even makes the decision to keep bees on their property, the proper research of local restrictions in regards to keeping bees in their area should be undertaken. The amount of space that is available and the where in that space the hive should go is also quite important. Beehives should never be put in a spot that is near to schools, homes or any other place where there will be a high concentration of people. There's always going to be someone who sees bees as annoying - especially those that are known to suffer allergies from the sting of a bee. It's advised to place a beehive close to where the bees can easily get to a food source. A beehive also needs to be near to fresh water, either a natural source or provided by the beekeeper. Something else to think about concerning the position of the hive are predators such as skunks, racoons and even bears. The hive will also need protection from harsh weather conditions but be easily accessible at all times. Though bees themselves are active at specific periods of the year, beekeeping is a full-time occupation and continues through each season.
