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Beehive Components |
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The first and basic hive component is the frame. The purpose of frames is to allow the beekeeper to easily remove combs to inspect the hive's brood, bees, and resources.
Frames also make it easy and convenient to extract honey by placing them in a Honey Extractor, and spinning the honey out of the combs.
Frames come in three common standardized sizes: Deep - 9 1/8th inches deep, Medium - 6 1/4th inches deep, and Shallow - 5 3/8th inches deep. They are made up of four components, the top bar, bottom bar, and the two side bars. Frames are often assembled using various combinations of glue, nails, or staples. Top bars can either be wedge top bars, or grooved top bars. Grooved top bars have a groove cut down the middle of the bar. Wedge top bars have the same groove, but with a wedge cut out on one side of the groove. |
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Wax sheets with the imprint of honeycomb is placed in the center of the frame. Honeybees then draw out the foundation into combs. Brood (larva), pollen, or honey is then stored in the combs. |
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A: Telescoping Outer Cover - Used to protect the hive from the elements. Another type of cover is the migratory cover, which is commonly used by commercial beekeepers.
B: Inner Cover - Used to both keep the bees from propolizing the outer cover onto the hive, and to provide extra ventilation.
C: Honey Super - These are typically used to store honey that the beekeeper plans to harvest. However some beekeepers also use the medium honey supers as brood chambers. Holds ten frames, but beekeepers often use 9 frames when they're used for honey storage. Available in both shallow and medium (Illinois supers).
D: Queen Excluder - Used to keep the queen out of the honey supers. This keeps her from laying eggs in frames that the beekeeper plans to extract. Some beekeepers refer to queen excluders as honey excluders. However some beekeepers use them with great success. |
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E: Deep Super - Often referred to as the brood chamber, the deep super is the largest box that is commonly used in beekeeping. In northern climates it is common to use two or even three deep supers as brood chambers. Some beekeepers also use deep supers as honey supers, but this is uncommon due to the weight of a deep super full of honey. Some beekeepers have even stopped using deep supers as brood chambers, replacing them with the lighter medium super.
F: Bottom Board - This is simply the floor of the beehive, and sits directly below the brood chamber. Traditionally bottom boards were made with a solid bottom. However recently beekeepers have been switching to a screened bottom board to help combat vorra mites. Screened bottom boards should be closed off in the winter to avoid drafts of cold air. The entrance to the hive is often built into the bottom board, however some beekeepers use a top entrance that is built into a modified migratory top.
G. Hive Stand - The hive stand holds the hive up, and sits directly below the bottom board. The hive stand does not have to be made of wood, and can be just about anything that will hold the hive up, elevate, and level it. Most commercial beekeepers don't use hive stands or bottom boards. Instead they use specially designed pallets that act as the bottom board, and makes transport easier. Most pallets are designed to hold four hives. |
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| The largest suppliers of hive components are Dadant, Betterbee, Walter T. Kelley, Mann Lake, and Brushy Mountian. |
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