Beehive Plans

Plan for a standard 10 frame Langstroth hive. Typically the bottom box is a full size 11/1/2ʻ high box, which houses the brood (babby bees) and a small amount of pollen and honey. there are usually 1 or 2 brood boxes on the bottom ( we use 1). the upper boxes should be less tall. A 7-1/4" high box will, when full of honey, weight about 35-40 lbs. , while a full size 11-1/2" box would weight about 100lbs.! Brood is light, honey is heavy...

also, you do not have to use 10 frames , we usually use 9, because it is easier to get the frames out. ten is a bit tight, but its used because commercial apiaries try to maximize profits. the bees will make their own beespace bit more than 1/4" so if you use 9 frames they just make deeper comb.

Secret: If you don't want to make the fancy corners, you dont have to, just make them flush and use long self tapping screws, like 4 on each side (we use 2" self-drilling lathe screws, intended for attaching metal lath to studs. They also work great for hive boxes, Less splitting.

And what do you put a hive box on? A screened bottom board, of course. In Hawaiʻi the main two enemies of bees are small hive beetles and wax moths. The adults lay eggs in the comb and the hatched larvae eat their way through wax, bee larvae and then exit the hive. They can and will destroy your hive if you allow it. Wax moths in particular, can destroy a hive in a few days. They even eat the wood of the hive and frames. We use IPM (integrated pest management), which in our case involves screened bottom boards (the bees chase the beetles) a tray of oil or diatomaceous earth under the screen in a compartment, and regularly check the hives and smashing beetles and beetle and moth larvae. Chickens and anoles love them.