Are you new to beekeeping? Confused on what beehive you should purchase? Then you have come to the right place. As a beginner beekeeper, finding the right hive can be overwhelming. To make things easier, we’ve done the research for you and found the best 4 types of beehives for beekeeping in the UK.
What is a beehive?
A beehive is the structure that houses bees and is sometimes known as a beebox. Beehives have several functions but providing bees with a safe place to live, breed, and thrive is their primary function. A valuable addition to urban and countryside gardens, beehives play a key role in increasing the bee population and allowing bees to do their vital work.
Now that we have established what beehives are and why they are crucial for bees and the environment, let's take a look at the best shapes and sizes of hives.
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National
The British Standard Beehive is the most popular beehive in the United kingdom. It is also known as the ‘National hive’. It is versatile and accommodates a range of colony sizes suitable for beginners and experienced beekeepers. As a single walled hive, it's easy to use and manage, making it perfect for those who want to take beekeeping seriously. National hives are also light and easy to clean.
The National beehive includes all the essential items ready to start keeping bees. It’s designed with grooves on the outside which are useful as hand grip and 1-2 brood boxes and supers inside, providing plenty of space for your bees to thrive.
The National Hive comes in a range of materials, from different types of wood, to plastic and poly hives. Wooden hives tend to be the best option for most beekeepers with Fir National Hives and Pine National Hives being excellent budget-friendly options. If you’re looking for something slightly more premium, a Canadian Western Red Cedar National Hive might be a better fit for you. Some beehives are also made specifically from environmentally-friendly, ethically-sourced wood like the Hiveology FSC Cedar National Hive, so you can look after nature around the world, as well as in your back garden.
If you want to learn more about the best materials for beehives, you can read more about it here.
2. Commercial
The Commercial hive was originally developed by Samuel Simmins and was one of the most popular hives in the late 19th century. It is similar to the National hive but instead of having grooves around the outside of the hive, the external sides are smooth. It has a simple design which is a single walled hive built to hold enough brood for a large colony without requiring extra space for storing honey or brood.
The brood boxes of commercial hives vary slightly and some beekeepers prefer National supers on top of a commercial broad box. Although it is possible to interchange National and Commercial brood boxes and supers, it would be inadvisable as it requires a lot of work and expertise.
Building and assembling hives correctly takes skill and attention to detail in order to provide the best possible environment for the bees. If you are looking for an easy hive to use as a beginner, the National hive would be the best option rather than the Commercial hive as the initial investment is more affordable and the set up is easier.
3. WBC
William Broughton Carr invented the ‘WBC’ bee hive which is well known for its classic image of a beehive. It is usually made from Canadian Western Red Cedar and is top bee spaced, meaning there’s a space for bees to move around above the frames. The WBC has a brood body and each super is surrounded by lifts. It is double walled, designed to keep the bees warmer in the winter. The overlapping lifts and gabled roofs helps prevent rain from entering, covers the inner boxes, and increases insulation.
The WBC hive is expensive compared to National Hives. WBC hives are also harder to manage as multiple layers need moving in order to open and monitor the hive, causing disruption to the bees.
4. Langstroth
The Langstroth hive is named after the inventor, Rev Lorenzo Langstroth. Langstroth trademarked his design in the 1860s, originally designed for honeycomb production. This hive utilises the space between the bees to prevent frames from being bonded together or too packed with comb. Langstroth Hives are made up of rectangular boxes stacked one on top of the other. They have internal frames to ensure that the components can be swapped out, making it simple to remove, check and replace the frames without harming the bees.
Langstroth Hives are a bit trickier to construct than other types of beehives as they have more pieces. They also require some heavy lifting with boxes ranging from 30 - 100 pounds, so they wouldn’t be ideal if you are limited in mobility.
Summary
In conclusion, finding the right beehive for you is essential. If you are new to beekeeping, the National hive would be the best option for you as it is standardised across Britain, and is easy and effective to use.
Start your beekeeping journey today with a Hiveology National Hive.