Because the bee colony inhabits the hive, this makes the hive the most significant element in keeping bees. Over the years, the beekeeping community have made substantial improvements on hives to permit removing honey an easier task.

The Langstroth Hive

The Langstroth is the most widespread and commonly used beekeeping hive in the United States and is the standard around the world. The Langstroth is a "movable frame" hive and the structure is wooden, rectangular and held inside are the combs. Generally, there are up to ten of these combs within the frame at any one time. The combs within the frame will hang on their own as the frames don't actually have a top or bottom; something that is quite amazing to see. In most cases, the combs consist of a sheet of wax or can be made of plastic. Using the wax sheets as a starting point, the bees then create more wax to construct the honeycomb. Once this process is finished, the bees can then move the honey and the pollen into the combs cells. The box is designed to permit the easy removal of frames that are entirely drenched with the honey that is to be removed.

The Top-Bar Hive

In Africa the top-bar hives are very common. For hobbyists, these are becoming more popular in the United States. The top-bar hive uses bars across the top of the framework and the honey bees use these bars to affix and hang the wax combs from. The frames found in Langstroth hives can be re-used, but once the honey has been extracted, the combs that are found in top-bar hives cannot be used a second time. This design is not conducive to the production of honey in high volumes. The top-bar hives do have some advantages though. The honey that is produced from the clear yellow combs is of the highest standard and can certainly be sold as an in-comb product.

Local Guidelines and Hive Placement

There are other factors to take into consideration though, when you are thinking of starting a beehive on your property. The type of hive you buy is just one of them. Before the beekeeper even makes the decision to keep bees on their property, the proper research of local restrictions in regards to keeping bees in their area should be undertaken. The space available on your block of land and the placement of the hive also need to be looked at. A bee hive should not be placed in close proximity to homes, schools or other obvious places of recreation such as parks. Some people find bees bothersome, particularly for those who are known to suffer allergies to the sting of a bee. It's advised to place a beehive close to where the bees can easily get to a food source. Also, the bees will require fresh water, whether it's a natural source or is given to them by the beekeeper. Predators need to be considered as well when choosing where to put the hive. These include racoons, skunks and bears. Vandals can also be an issue when there is the potential for "free" honey. The hive will also need protection from harsh weather conditions but be easily accessible at all times. Beekeeping is a fulltime hobby, even if the bees are out and about during a certain parts of the year.