Types and arrangement of beehives for bees

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Beekeeping is a fairly promising area of activity. Firstly, it is able to provide a very valuable food product with healing properties, and secondly, the cost of honey is growing every year, so you can make good money selling it. However, this type of activity is associated with many difficulties. It is very important not only to provide proper care for the bees, but also to make good hives. With the latter, many beginner beekeepers have the most problems. And this is not surprising, because when designing a structure, it is necessary to take into account many nuances. Let's figure out how to make a bee hive so that it turns out to be of high quality and ideally suited to the climatic conditions of your region.

Design features

Let's take a closer look at this aspect. device andThe features of hives can be very different, but all types have some basic elements. Among the mandatory parts are the following:

• Case. It is a wooden box without a bottom and a roof, which can be square or rectangular in shape. On the side faces on the inside there are special fasteners designed to fix the hanging frames. The latter can be placed parallel or perpendicular. In the first case, good thermal insulation is achieved, so this method is best suited for cold regions of the country, and in the second - excellent ventilation.
• Roof. It is put on top of the main structure and is responsible for protecting bees from negative environmental factors and other insects. Experienced beekeepers equip it with tin sheets and roofing material. Such a construction of beehives for bees is more durable and allows you to maintain better living conditions for honey insects.
• Dno. It can be both removable and stationary. The first option is more common because it is much more practical and easier to use. The bottom part is a wooden shield, which is made from ordinary boards. In its front part, as a rule, a small tray is provided.
• Frame. The most important part of the hive, responsible for many functions. It is with their help that beekeepers breed new offspring and collect ready-made honey. The device of the hive frame is quite simple. They are a rectangular structure consisting of four perpendicularly connectedbars. The top one is slightly longer than the rest, and it also has hangers that are responsible for fixing the frame inside the case. The dimensions of the structure can be different, but 435 x 300 millimeters are considered standard. A wire with honeycombs is attached to the finished frame, which acts as the basis for honeycombs.

For many centuries, all bee houses were made using the same technology and had a similar design, including all of the above elements. But over time, they have undergone many changes and improvements. Modern bee hives may have additional devices such as:

• Extensions. They are an analogue of standard cases with a lower height. Designed to increase nesting for the period of honey collection. Their distinguishing feature lies in the easier removal of the frames and the honey pumping system.
• Ceiling. It is installed under the roof as additional protection for bees from negative environmental factors and bad weather. In most cases, it is made from nailed boards, but many beekeepers replace the ceiling with ordinary plastic wrap in order to save money.
• Arrival board. The hole in the beehive for bees may have a small protrusion for planting insects with collected nectar, which is a piece of an ordinary wooden board. Some beekeepers prefer to make it removable so they can detach the landing strip for the winter.
• Side aperture. This is an ordinary wooden shield, the thickness of which can reach 1.5 centimeters. Dimensionsdesigns correspond to the inner chamber of the housing. The design of the diaphragm must be designed in such a way that it divides the hive into separate chambers. Used to increase the thermal insulation characteristics of hives or to keep two different colonies in one nest.
• Lockliner. It is an intermediate part between the main body and the roof, which is manufactured in various sizes. The main purpose is to improve air permeability in insulated hives and increase thermal insulation characteristics in winter.

When planning a do-it-yourself hive for bees, it is necessary to take into account the basic requirements that the finished design must meet, namely the productivity of the family, the convenience of collecting honey and durability.

Classification

For centuries, beekeepers have used frames to breed bees and collect honey. The invention of these structures gave a powerful impetus to the development of beekeeping and allowed to bring this type of activity to a whole new level. The main changes concerned only the size of the hull and their number. To date, there are various types of beehives for bees, differing from each other in the following ways:

• By design features - collapsible and stationary. The first type is becoming more and more popular with beekeepers every year, as it is much more convenient and practical to use. In it, it is possible to replace internal parts without any problems, as well as reduceor increase nesting.
• In direction - vertical and horizontal. The latter will be more preferable for beginners as they are easy to maintain. Vertical - are distinguished by their compactness and allow you to more effectively manage the living space of the bee colony.
• Functionality - can be used for breeding bees to obtain honey, for wintering queens and conducting scientific research.

Depending on what will be the arrangement of hives for bees, the designs are also divided into the following types:

• Dadanovsky;
• rue hive;
• alpine;
• cassette;
• beehive-lounger.

Each variety has certain key features, and also has its own advantages and disadvantages. So that you can choose the type that suits you best, let's take a closer look at each of them.

Dadan hives

What are they and what is their speci alty? If you are a beginner beekeeper and are looking for the hive of the simplest device for yourself, then this type will be the ideal solution for you. It has good capacity and easy operation. For the manufacture in most cases, coniferous trees are used. The main structural elements are:

• body measuring 435 x 300 millimeters, designed for 12 frames;
• stores that are half the height of the frame;
• roof;
• liner.

The bottom is installed fixed, so you cancollect honey and at the same time not disturb the family. When servicing such hives, it is necessary to closely monitor the level of filling of honeycombs in order to have time to substitute the store in time. Otherwise, the finished product may not have enough space and it will simply flow out.

The main disadvantage of such a hive of the simplest device is that if the uterus is active, too many young individuals may appear in the family, as a result of which the family will leave their usual habitat in search of a new home. To prevent this, it is necessary to install a store inside the body during the summer period so that the bees do not lack free space. Thus, Dadan hives are great for breeding bees and getting honey for themselves, but on an industrial scale they will be inefficient.

Rue hive

So what is it? This is another common type of construction. Despite the fact that the hive is a simple device, nevertheless it can be used to breed bees in order to obtain and sell a large amount of honey. Its advantage over other types of structures lies in the possibility of increasing capacity. Frames with dimensions of 226 x 232 mm are considered standard, but if necessary, they can be reduced or, conversely, increased to fit the features of the case.

The big advantage of rue hives is the interchangeability of structures, thanks to which the beekeeper can stimulate his wards to collect honey. itachieved due to the natural need of insects to fill empty combs. If all the frames are completely filled with honey, then when empty ones appear between them, the bees will immediately start filling them.

According to professional beekeepers, such a bee hive device is one of the most versatile and efficient and allows you to collect the maximum amount of honey per season. However, such structures require constant control and monitoring of the interior space, as well as regular rearrangement of the buildings. Among the main advantages of this type are the following points:

• honey with higher taste and he alth benefits;
• significantly less time and physical costs of maintenance.

It is worth noting that this arrangement of beehives for bees requires special attention to the temperature regime, especially if you live in a region with a cold climate. In order not to catch insects, the inspection of the frames should be carried out as quickly as possible.

Alpine beehives

What makes them special? This type of design has also gained wide popularity around the world. Such wooden hives for bees are good because the living conditions of insects in them are as close as possible to natural ones, due to which the bees work more willingly and productively. Among the main design features are the following:

• square-shaped and small cases that can hold up to eight frames;
• goodthermal insulation achieved due to the lower location of the notch;
• there are no ventilation holes on the body, and a dividing grid is installed inside, so that all the condensate is collected on the feeder located under the roof;
• Alpine hive for wintering is considered one of the best because it has an insulating cover that reduces heat loss in the cold season;
• It is possible to build the case up to a height of 1.5 meters, so you can fit a large number of frames inside it.

Among the main advantages of alpine hives are compact size, high efficiency of honey collection, ease of maintenance and maximum proximity of the bee colony to natural conditions, which has a positive effect on its life.

Cassette Hive

Let's take a closer look at this variety. Sooner or later, beginner beekeepers are faced with the need to improve the efficiency of their activities. According to experts in this field, good bribes can only be obtained if there are a large number of honey plants in your area. As a rule, most people take the apiary for several months to their places of accumulation. However, in order to do this comfortably and at minimal cost, a hive of a simple device is required. Each time loading and unloading the car is quite problematic, so experienced beekeepers build special platforms on which structures are placed. In the people they are called cassette evidence. At the same time, they are universal, since they can be effectively used not only for mobile, but also for stationary apiaries. In addition, such designs can significantly reduce the likelihood of developing various diseases of bees. Also among the strengths of cluster hives are the following:

• compact size makes it easy to organize additional insulation;
• the case is opened with wax, not paints, which has a positive effect on the he alth of the family and improving the quality of honey;
• opportunity to obtain various varieties of honey that favorably affect the winter supply;
• the presence of sanitary ventilation holes helps to maintain an optimal microclimate and humidity level for insects inside the case;
• small size and well thought-out arrangement in the cassette allows for quick maintenance of hives in all weather conditions.

Despite the large number of advantages, such a device of a bee hive has certain disadvantages. Such structures require constant inspections and assessment of the condition of the outer walls, as well as preventive measures to protect structures from rodents.

Beehive-lounger

What is the peculiarity of this design? As you might guess from the name, such a device for bee hives involves expanding the body not in height, but in width. The number of frames can vary from 16 to 27, but houses for 20 and 24 are the most popular. Many experienced beekeepers choose sunbeds,because they have many benefits. Among the main ones are the following:

• ease of maintenance;
• the ability to install a large number of frames;
• Easy to split the nest into separate chambers;
• easy to clean.

But there are certain disadvantages. The hive-lounger has a large size and weight, so it is very difficult to move it from one place to another. And also they occupy a large area on the plot. In addition, ventilation holes must be provided in them, since air permeability leaves much to be desired. However, despite all the shortcomings, such designs are ideal for beginner beekeepers, as the structure of the hive frames is notable for its simplicity, which makes it easy to work with and collecting honey does not take much time.

Which materials are best to use?

This issue needs to be given special attention. Experienced beekeepers say that almost any tree species can be used. Also, ancient people made beehives from clay, stone, wood vines and other materials. However, wood can provide better protection from negative environmental factors, so it is considered traditional. If you do not know how to make bee hives, then it is better to consider buying a ready-made product. For the production of industrial structures, the following types of trees are most often used:

• Scotch pine;
• spruce;
• linden;
• fir;
• poplar;
• aspen;
• willow.

These varieties have good density and excellent moisture absorption, so that an optimal microclimate will always be maintained inside. These characteristics are key when choosing wood for making beehives. Every year more and more manufacturers are switching to the use of modern materials of synthetic origin. The most common are:

• Polyurethane foam. Produced on the basis of special gas-filled plastic. The material has a huge number of advantages: low weight of the finished product, high sound and heat insulation, durability of operation, does not enter into chemical reactions with other substances, and also has resistance to damage by rodents and harmful insects. As for the shortcomings, they also exist. Polyurethane foam has a high cost and does not tolerate temperature changes, therefore, when placing structures in the open, it is necessary to create special shelters above them.
• Styrofoam. A cheaper alternative to polyurethane foam, which is almost completely identical in its characteristics to it. The only exception concerns durability and resistance to mechanical damage. These indicators for this material are slightly lower. However, more and more beekeepers every year choose polystyrene foam for its cheapness.

If you have never worked in an apiary before and do not know which bee hives to choose, then it is better to proceed from the climatic conditions of the region where you live. In case ofin hot summers and cold winters, it is better to choose products made of wood. It withstands large temperature fluctuations and maintains the best microclimate inside the houses. For residents of the southern regions, structures made of polymeric materials can be considered. It would also be useful to first consult with other beekeepers who have been breeding bees for more than a year. They will share their experience and give you some practical advice that will make your task much easier.

Modern trends in beekeeping

What do you need to know about this? Scientists around the world do not stop working on improving beekeeping, aimed at introducing new technologies that will increase the efficiency of obtaining high-quality honey and achieve a reduction in related financial, time and labor costs. Industrial production is increasingly switching to the use of two types of hives - Langstroth-Ruth and Dadan-Blatt. They are a two-hull and ten-frame design, equipped with magazine extensions. Each type is a bee hive with a removable bottom, which makes it easy to care for insects, clean inside the body and collect honey.

Modern varieties of houses have many advantages. The main thing is that they can be used in regions with any climate, including in the northern regions of Russia with severe winters. In this case, the hives do not even have to be brought into the room. In addition, having overwintered in them, the bees will be able to start collecting nectar much earlier,than if they were wintering in a building. Another important plus is the possibility of treating insects from varroatosis with the help of herbal decoctions. Thanks to all this, the process of breeding bees becomes simpler and more efficient.

Conclusion

Beekeeping is one of the best activities that can be carried out both on a small scale and on an industrial scale. Being engaged in it, you can not only provide yourself and your family with natural, incredibly tasty and he althy honey, but also make good money selling it. But in order for the apiary to be successful, it is very important to choose good hives for bees. They must combine ease of care and durability, provide high comfort for family living, and also maintain optimal temperature and humidity inside the case. Therefore, in order to avoid the mistakes that almost all beginner beekeepers face, follow the basic tips and recommendations presented in this article. With their help, you can build a profitable business in the production and sale of honey.