{"id":7664,"date":"2022-06-04T13:28:04","date_gmt":"2022-06-04T17:28:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/?p=7664"},"modified":"2022-09-11T17:14:18","modified_gmt":"2022-09-11T21:14:18","slug":"what-is-a-beehive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beekeepingfornewbies.com\/what-is-a-beehive\/","title":{"rendered":"What Is A Beehive? (A Home For Honey Bees)"},"content":{"rendered":"

Updated on September 11th, 2022<\/p>\n

Honey bees are eusocial insects that nest in colonies of overlapping generations. The colony divides labor and shares the caring of the brood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the wild, tree cavities (or similar spaces) are common nesting locations that shelter honey bees from the elements and predators. People often refer to these nests as hives; however, they are just nests. So what is a beehive?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A beehive is a manufactured structure that mimics a natural honey bee nesting site. Beekeepers use them to manage honey bees and harvest hive products like honey. Bee hives are typically made of wood though other materials may be used. Beehives consist of either vertically stacked boxes or a single, horizontal cavity<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The most common beehive in North America is the vertical Langstroth hive.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This article discusses the standard features of beehives and how they work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is A Bee Nest?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Bees build nests to raise their young and store food where they are protected from the elements and predators. Different types of bees choose other locations and styles for nesting.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some bees, such as leaf cutter bees and sweat bees, nest in the ground. According to Cornell College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Department of Entomology<\/a>, \u201c70% of all the 20,000 species of bees nest under ground.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 Carpenter bees bore into wood to nest in places like the fascia boards on our barn. [INSERT PHOTO]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Carpenter bees, leaf cutter bees, and most sweat bees are solitary bees meaning they nest alone, though they may live close to one another.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is A Honey Bee Nest?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Unlike solitary bees, honey bees are eusocial insects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Eusociality is characterized by cooperative behavior among individuals of the same species through reproductive division of labor, the overlap of generations, and colonial nesting.[1]<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more!<\/strong> See our article What Are Honey Bees? A Beginner\u2019s Guide To The Honey Bee<\/a><\/strong> for more details on the amazing honey bee.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

In the wild,  the western honey bee builds nests in open cavities such as tree hollows or even the walls of a building. Sometimes, particularly in warm climates, honey bees may build nests in open locations with comb hung from overhangs. [INSERT PICTURE]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A honey bee nest consists of multiple sections of hexagonal (six-sided) wax cells. Spacing between honeycomb sections permits the bees to move freely within the nest.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The queen bee lays eggs in honeycomb cells to raise brood while the colony stores pollen, nectar, and honey in other cells.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Learn more! <\/strong>See our article What Is Honeycomb? (Talking Beeswax)<\/a> for more information about how bees make wax and build comb.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

What Is A Beehive (Or A Hive)?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

People sometimes refer to naturally located bee nests as beehives or hives. Technically, beehives (or hives) are manmade structures designed to house honey bees. The purpose of the beehive is to facilitate the management of honey bees for the benefit of beekeepers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Early humans had to gather honey by locating nests in the wild. Eventually, beehives were developed to \u201cdomesticate\u201d honey bees and make honey gathering more efficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over time, the design of the honey bee hive changed and developed into today\u2019s familiar boxes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Check out The Beekeeper\u2019s Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses<\/em><\/a> (available on Amazon) by Richard A. Jones and Sharon Sweeney-Lynch, Part One for more about the history of beekeeping and the development of the beehive.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Modern beehives have removable components that allow the beekeeper (and government inspectors) to check the hive for disease and pests. Removable parts also make it possible to efficiently extract honey without killing off the bee colony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition, beehives allow the beekeeper to adjust the size of the bees\u2019 home in accordance with the colony\u2019s space needs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When the population grows, and honey storage is peaking, the beekeeper provides extra room for expansion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the honey is harvested and the colony population drops for winter, the beekeeper reduces the size of the hive, making it easier for the colony to maintain proper temperatures in their house.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Is A Beehive Made Of?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Modern beehive is generally made of wood though some creative beekeepers use other materials. Plastic, insulated hives are also available.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Pine is the most common wood used to make beehives. Pine is light, relatively inexpensive, and widely available. However, it is not exceptionally durable; painting or other treatment helps it last longer.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cedar and cypress are two durable kinds of wood also popular for beehive construction. Unfortunately, they are more expensive than pine and not as readily available. However, both cedar and cypress are much more durable than pine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

See our article Painting Beehives | Why & How To Paint A Beehive<\/strong><\/a> for more information on how to prepare beehives to extend their useful lives.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Several companies make plastic insulated versions of the Langstroth hive. Manufacturers claim these insulated hives provide better protection against extreme weather conditions, prevent moisture buildup in the hive, and are more durable than woodenware hives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We have not tried these plastic hives, but we see several potential downsides to their use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plastic hive design seems to differ by manufacturer, which can lock you into a specific supplier for future needs. We know bees like wood; they may not adapt to plastic appropriately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plastic hives appear to be more expensive than wood. However, the extra cost may be offset by a longer life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One of our favorite beekeeping YouTube creators, Vino Farm, designed his own wood version of an insulated honey bee hive. Check out his video below.<\/p>\n\n\n

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I Fixed The Langstroth Hive (For The Bees AND The Keeper!)<\/div><\/div>
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