Hives, step by step

1. Bee space

Every modern hive rests on one rule: bees leave a free passage of about 6–9 mm (¼–⅜ in).

1. Bee space 6–9 mm — That is the passage bees leave between combs and walls. A frame hangs so that this gap remains to the bottom of the box and to the wall.
2. Movable frame — The frame lifts out, gets inspected and goes back. That way you see the brood, the queen and disease, and you extract honey without destroying comb.
3. Frame of wooden bars — A top bar with lugs, two side bars and a bottom bar. Three or four strands of 0.4–0.5 mm wire run through the side bars.
4. Accurate to the millimetre — In the brood box, frames sit 35 mm (1⅜ in) centre to centre. Frame sizes must be the same throughout the apiary.

Why: A smaller gap the bees glue with propolis, a larger one they fill with brace comb. When every gap is exact, every frame lifts out and goes back without anything breaking.

• Many US states and Canadian provinces require movable frames by law. In the UK and Ireland it is not a general requirement, but the bee inspector must be able to see every comb. Check with the competent authority.
• Keep an old straw skep as an ornament or for a museum, and keep the bees in a hive with frames.

2. Parts of a hive

Whatever the type, a hive has the same parts, from the bottom up.

1. Stand — Holds the hive 40–50 cm above the ground. Solid and level, with the hive tilted 1–2 cm forward so water runs out of the entrance.
2. Open mesh floor — Mesh with holes of about 3 mm (⅛ in) and a removable tray underneath. Mites that fall through can't get back, and on the tray you count the natural mite drop.
3. Entrance and reducer — In summer the entrance is the full width of the hive; in autumn and winter it is reduced to 5–8 cm (2–3 in). A mouse guard with 8–9 mm (⅜ in) holes lets bees through but not mice.
4. Brood box, excluder, super — The queen lays in the brood box. The queen excluder lets workers through but not the queen, and separates brood from honey.
5. Crown board and roof — The crown board has a hole for a feeder and ventilation. The roof is watertight, metal-clad, and heavy or strapped down.

Why: Once you know what each part does, you know what to keep in stock. Damp kills more colonies in winter than cold, so the floor, roof and ventilation matter as much as the boxes.

• In winter you can slide the tray back under the mesh to cut draughts.
• Warm moist air condenses on a cold roof and drips onto the cluster. A little ventilation at the top solves most problems.

3. Langstroth, Dadant and AŽ · Locked

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4. Timber and second-hand hives · Locked

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5. Building a Langstroth box · Locked

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6. Frames and marking · Locked

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