Beekeeping Hive Varieties - Which Type Is Best For Beekeeping?

Honey Is Harvested By Bees

Honey is harvested by bees from hives that are located either on or near a human habitation. Honey is the liquid, dark red substance that is obtained when the worker bees construct the hives on the combs with cells containing honey and wax. The honey is harvested by extracting the honey from the combs using a special tool called a combat. Honey is not produced in large quantities by most people in the United States of America, but the benefits of this natural product go far beyond individual use. The benefits are more than enough to persuade anyone to take advantage of this natural resource.

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Keeping Bees For Pollination

Honey has been a food and medicinal substance for centuries. It has been used by many cultures as an effective home remedy and for treating a wide range of maladies. In the early eighteen hundreds, beekeepers from Europe began to harvest honey from hives on a large scale for medical purposes. Although honey is still a substance commonly used as a food and medicine, in the early eighteen hundreds, it was used for other purposes such as keeping bees for pollination.

Vast Array Of Crops

Bees were being held responsible for pollinating a vast array of crops, including crops for consumption and ornamental flowers for interior design. In order to extract honey from these large beehives, workers would climb inside of the beehive and crawl through small holes that had been cut into the beehive wall. Honey is commonly used in a variety of recipes today such as cakes, cookies and candy. A beehive is the number one beekeepers main source of income, which is why it is so commonly used to keep honey bees.

 Comb Baskets Or Frames

One type of beehive that was very popular during the early days of behaving was the flow hive. This type of beehive was usually constructed with materials such as wooden frames and canvas. A movable board would be suspended above the comb while the bees climbed inside of the hive. The worker bees would use their special comb baskets or frames to collect honey from each comb.

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 Harvesting The Honey

Movable hives were designed so that the bees could move freely within the hives. When harvesting honey from a flow hive, the comb is taken out of the top and the honey is harvested in sections. Each comb will contain honey that is up to five pounds in weight. Some farmers prefer to harvest the honey in its entire state because the smell is often sweeter. Harvesting the honey from the bottom does not have the same depth of flavor and the honey is of a lighter color as well.

Beekeepers

The beehives used in this type of hives are still used today. The main difference between the movable and the comb types is the way the honey is harvested. Comb beehives are often called a honeycomb by many beekeepers because they are similar to what is known as a honeycomb. These types of hives are still used by some beekeepers today.

 Top-Bar Hive

Movable hives are made up of a box-like structure with a cover over the entrance where the bees enter. It is called a top-bar hive. A door is on the side of the entrance of the box which allows the beekeeper to access the bees without needing to stand on the top of the box. The sides of the box are slanted to aid the beekeeper in removing the honey from the hive without causing damage to the combs. Honeycombs are made up of individual honeycombs that are placed in the bottom of a basket. These types of hives are more time consuming to build and beekeepers usually only keep a few in their backyard for bees.

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Desired Honey 

On the other hand, top-bar hives consist of numerous frames held together by lead ropes. The frames are placed on top of one another. When the bee farmer wants to extract honey from the frames, he uses a small sharp knife to cut through the frame. Sometimes a comb of lower grade than the desired honey is also placed within the frames. In addition to the blades of the knife, the frame may also have a weighted nose, called a stringer.