Learning to be a beekeeper can be daunting, but one of the first things you’ll want to figure out is the type of hive that you’re going to use. The classic Langstroth hive is an excellent starting point for new beekeepers, but there are many other types of beehives available as well. In this article we will explore some of the newer styles and examine what makes each one unique so that you can decide which one will work best for your situation.
Types Of Beehives You Should Consider For Your Next Hive Purchase
While the classic Langstroth hive is great for getting started, there are many other styles of beehives available. Each one has a unique set of characteristics that makes it perfect for a certain group of beginners.
For example, if you plan to keep several hives within close proximity to each other, then you may want a top-bar hive or Warré hive. These are both easy to build and don’t require frames or foundation like the Langstroth hives do—the bees will simply construct their own comb on top bars and fill in any gaps with wax as they see fit. This means you’ll spend less time maintaining your apiary!
If you live in an area where temperatures drop below freezing regularly during winter months, then consider getting some top bar hives because they’re easier to keep warm than traditional horizontal hives (Langstroth). Just place them near a wall and plug them into an extension cord that goes through your window so that heat from inside your house can radiate onto the metal bars at night when temperatures outside start dipping low enough for them not being able to fly around anymore–no heating pad required!
1. Flow Hive 2
The Flow Hive 2 is a beekeeping system that is designed to make beekeeping easy. It’s a top bar hive, a horizontal hive, and even though it looks like an aquarium turned on its side with a big window in front—definitely the most modern-looking beehive on the market right now.
The Flow Hive 2 is also super simple to use: just add your frames and beeswax foundation (supplied), fill up with honey (or buy pre-filled) and then turn on one of two taps at either end of the box—this releases an amount of nectar that matches up with how many bees are currently in there. You don’t have to worry about them getting stuck under frames or drowning in supers since all you need to do is tap into their natural instincts for gathering food instead of trying to train them yourself!
2. Top Bar Beehive
The Top Bar Hive is another type of hive that’s been around for quite some time. The design allows the bees to build their own combs, which makes it easier to harvest honey without disturbing the bees too much.
Top Bar hives are easy to use and make it easy to inspect your colony without upsetting them, but they are not as easy to inspect as Langstroth hives because the frames aren’t removable.
Top bar hives are great if you want to keep bees for their honey production, as they allow you access to an overwintering space inside the hive while keeping all your equipment outside of it so that it doesn’t get wet or damaged by humidity during winter months when temperatures drop below freezing temperatures (which can cause condensation).
3. Warre Hive
Warre hives are a great choice for beginners who want to learn about the craft. The hive is easy to build, easy to use and maintain, and it’s simple enough that you can harvest honey on your own.
If you want to be able to harvest your honey without having a special machine or paying someone else to do it for you, then this type of hive may be right up your alley because it’s also very easy (and safe) to inspect and remove wax combs yourself.
4. Langstroth Beehive
The Langstroth hive is the most common type of hive used by beekeepers. It is a movable-frame hive that was invented in 1852 by Rev. Lorenzo Langstroth, and it can be used with any kind of honeybee colony. The Langstroth method allows beekeepers to harvest honey more easily since there is no need to destroy the comb in order to remove beeswax or honeycombs from their hives.
The only drawback is that it does not prevent swarming as well as other methods do; however, it does make it easier for beekeepers to collect pollen and propolis from their bees’ hives without disturbing them too much!
5. WBC Hive
The WBC hive is a new type of beehive that has been gaining popularity over the past few years. It’s an alternative to traditional top bar hives like the Warre and Dadant, which have been around for ages. The WBC hive is a horizontal top bar hive, which means that it has no bottom board or frames, but rather sits on legs above the ground so bees can easily travel between different levels in their home.
The WBC Hive was invented by the owner of a beekeeping supply company in Oregon named Joe Graham (hence “WBC”). He created this style of beehive because he wanted a more natural way for bees to live than traditional wooden boxes with frames and wax foundation, since these contain harmful chemicals made from petroleum products such as plastics or paraffin waxes.
6. BeeHome
BeeHome is the first device of its kind to be commercially available. It is a hive that can house 24 colonies, allowing beekeepers to remotely treat their hives and care for their bees. This type of modern beehive has two main components: an automated controller and a monitoring system. The automated controller monitors the health of each colony, as well as the temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels in each hive. The monitoring system uses this data to alert beekeepers about any problems with their bees or hives.
BeeHome hives have no artificial hive chemicals, no unnecessary equipment, and no drone bees. They are ideal for small farms, for commercial businesses, urban homesteads, and any family who wants to produce quality honey naturally. The BeeHome hives are easy to set up, maintain, and harvest honey from. Bees can’t get sick in a BeeHome hive because there are no chemicals or pesticides in the environment to harm them, which is why BeeHome hives are one of the safest ways to raise bees.
Conclusion
The world of bees is an exciting and diverse place. I hope this article has opened your eyes to the other types of hives available. New equipment can help you as a beekeeper improve your colony health by providing better access to your bees. Your choice of hive type will affect how you care for them which makes it important that you do research before buying any equipment for them. It’s also good idea to talk with other beekeepers about their experiences so that you know what works best in different areas.
