Category: Apiculture

Beehives are essential structures for beekeeping, providing a safe and organized environment for honeybee colonies. Various designs exist, each with specific dimensions and characteristics tailored to the needs of the bees and the preferences of beekeepers. This overview highlights the dimensions, frame sizes, and capacities of several popular beehive types, including National, Langstroth, Commercial, Smith, and Dadant hives, offering insights into their unique features and functionalities.

The National beehive features an external dimension of 18 1/8″ square and a brood body depth of 8 7/8″, accommodating 50,000 worker cells with a brood area of 2,200 square inches. In contrast, the Langstroth hive, larger at 20″ x 16 ¼”, has a brood body depth of 9 7/16″ and supports 61,400 worker cells across a 2,750 square inch brood area. The Commercial hive, with an external dimension of 18 5/16″ square and a brood body depth of 10 ½”, boasts the highest capacity of 70,500 worker cells and a brood area of 3,000 square inches. The Smith hive, similar in size to the National hive, has a brood body depth of 8 7/8″ and a brood area of 2,200 square inches, while the Dadant hive, the largest of the group at 20″ x 18 ½”, features a brood body depth of 11 ¾” and can house 85,000 worker cells in a 3,740 square inch brood area. Each hive type also has specific frame sizes and configurations, influencing the number of frames that can be accommodated, which is crucial for effective hive management. Below are the various hive sizes.

National Beehive Dimensions and statistics
External dimension – 18 1/8″ square
Brood body depth – 8 7/8″
14” x 12” brood body depth – 12 ½”
Super depth – 5 7/8″
The brood area is 2200 sq. ins.
No. of worker cells 50,000
Bottom Bee Space

Frames sizes
Top Bars – 17” long
Bottom bars – 14” long
Deep side bars – 8 ½” long
14” x12” side bars – 12” long
Shallow side bars – 5 ½” long

Foundation sizes
Deep – 13 7/16” x 8”
14 x 12” – 13 7/16” x 11 ½”
Shallow – 13 7/16” x 5”

How many frames in each box:
11 Hoffman (self-spacing) frames in either a brood body or super. Although it is possible to fit in 12 frames, it is easier for manipulation to use 11 frames and a dummy board.
11 frames on narrow ends in the brood body
10 Manley frames in the super
9 or 10 frames on castellated spacers in the super
8 frames on wide ends in the super

Langstroth Beehive Dimensions and statistics
External dimension – 20” x 16 ¼”
Brood body depth – 9 7/16”
Jumbo brood body depth 11 ¾””
Super depth – 5 ¾”
The brood area is 2750 sq. ins.
No. of worker cells 61,400
Top Bee Space

Frames sizes.
Top Bars – 19” long
Bottom bars – 17 9/16” long
Deep side bars – 9 1/8” long
Jumbo side bars – 11 ¼” long
Shallow side bars – 5 3/8” long

Foundation sizes
Deep – 16 ¾” 8 5/8”
Jumbo – 16 ¾” x 10 ¾”
Shallow – 16 ¾” x 4 7/8”

How many frames in each box:
10 Hoffman frames in either a brood body or super.
8 Manley frames in the super.

Commercial Beehive Dimensions and statistics
External dimension – 18 5/16” square
Brood body depth – 10 ½”
Super depth – 6 3/8”
The brood area is 3000 sq. ins.
No. of worker cells 70,500
Bottom Bee Space

Frames sizes.
Top Bars – 17 ¼” long
Bottom bars – 16” long
Deep side bars – 10” long
Shallow side bars – 6” long

Foundation sizes
Deep – 15 7/16” x 9 ½”
Shallow – 15 7/16” x 5 ½”

How many frames in each box:
11 Hoffman frames in either a brood body or super.
10 Manley frames in the super.

Smith Beehive Dimensions and statistics
External dimension – 16 3/8” x 18 ¼”
Brood body depth – 8 7/8”
14” x 12” brood body depth – 12 ½”
Super depth – 5 7/8”
The brood area is 2200 sq. ins.
No. of worker cells 50,000
Top Bee Space

Frames sizes.
Top Bars – 15 ½”” long
Bottom bars – 14” long
Deep side bars – 8 ½” long
14” x12” side bars – 12” long
Shallow side bars – 5 ½” long Foundation sizes
Deep – 13 7/16” x 8”
14 x 12” – 13 7/16” x 11 ½”
Shallow – 13 7/16” x 5”

How many frames in each box:
11 Hoffman (self-spacing) frames in either a brood body or super. Although it is possible to fit in 12 frames, it is easier for manipulation to use 11 frames and a dummy board.
10 Manley frames in the super.

Dadant Beehive Dimensions and statistics
External dimension – 20” x18 ½”
Brood body depth – 11 ¾”
Super depth – 6 5/8”
The brood area is 3740 sq. ins.
No. of worker cells 85,000
Top Bee Space

Frames sizes.
Top Bars – 19” long
Bottom bars – 17 9/16” long
Deep side bars – 11 ¼” long
Shallow side bars – 6 ¼” long

Foundation sizes
Deep – 16 ¾” x 10 ¾”
Shallow – 16 ¾” x 5 ¾”

How many frames in each box:
11 Hoffman frames in either a brood body or super.
10 Manley frames in the super.

Why Honey Comes in Every Shade: From Snow-White to Espresso-Dark

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{“visual”:false,”title”:””,”text”:”Why Honey Comes in Every Shade—from Snow-White to Espresso-Dark\r\n\r\nNext time you’re at a farmers’ market, line up a few jars of honey. You’ll see a natural rainbow: crystal-clear acacia, sunshine-gold clover, coppery wildflower and almost black buckwheat. That color isn’t just pretty—it’s a shorthand for what’s inside the jar.\r\n\r\nFlower power\r\nBees don’t make color, plants do. Each blossom hands the bee a nectar cocktail of sugars plus pigments, minerals and aromatic compounds. Pale honeys, such as acacia or orange blossom, come from nectars low in dark-hued polyphenols and metals. Heather, chestnut and buckwheat nectars brim with those darker ingredients, producing richer, deeper tones once the bees evaporate most of the water.\r\n\t\r\nMeasuring the rainbow\r\nPackers grade bulk honey on the USDA Pfund scale, which runs from “water white” to “dark amber.” It’s basically a ruler held against an amber wedge: the farther the light travels through the wedge before the honey matches, the darker the sample. Scientists now use tiny spectrophotometers for an even finer reading, helpful in spotting diluted or artificially colored products.\r\n\r\nColor = flavor\r\nGenerally, the darker the honey, the bolder the taste. Light clover honey whispers of vanilla and fresh hay; dark buckwheat can be malty, earthy and even slightly bitter. Those same dark pigments are potent antioxidants. Lab tests show buckwheat honey may pack four or five times more polyphenols than pale varieties—great if you drizzle it over yoghurt or into a smoothie.\r\n\r\nWhat happens after harvest\r\nHeat and time can shift the shade, too. Warming honey to bottle it or melt crystals speeds up the Maillard reaction—the same browning that darkens toast—creating deeper color and caramel notes. Long storage or hot kitchen shelves will gradually do the same, and a compound called HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural) builds up as a tell-tale sign of age or overheating.\r\n\r\nBuying tips\r\nChoose color to match the job: pale honeys for tea or baking where you don’t want extra flavor; dark honeys for marinades, barbecue sauces or cheese boards.\r\n\r\nStore jars in a cool, dark cupboard to keep the original hue (and delicate aromas) longer.\r\n\r\nCrystals are natural simply warm the jar gently in hot water, and the color you see after it re-liquefies is the best indicator of its true character.\r\n\r\nIn short, a jar’s color is nature’s label, a quick clue to its botanical roots, nutritional punch and flavor personality. Enjoy the spectrum!\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n”,”filter”:”1″,”legacy”:false}

{“visual”:false,”title”:””,”text”:”Why Honey Comes in Every Shade—from Snow-White to Espresso-Dark\r\n\r\nNext time you’re at a farmers’ market, line up a few jars of honey. You’ll see a natural rainbow: crystal-clear acacia, sunshine-gold clover, coppery wildflower and almost black buckwheat. That color isn’t just pretty—it’s a shorthand for what’s inside the jar.\r\n\r\nFlower power\r\nBees don’t make color, plants do. Each blossom hands the bee a nectar cocktail of sugars plus pigments, minerals and aromatic compounds. Pale honeys, such as acacia or orange blossom, come from nectars low in dark-hued polyphenols and metals. Heather, chestnut and buckwheat nectars brim with those darker ingredients, producing richer, deeper tones once the bees evaporate most of the water.\r\n\t\r\nMeasuring the rainbow\r\nPackers grade bulk honey on the USDA Pfund scale, which runs from “water white” to “dark amber.” It’s basically a ruler held against an amber wedge: the farther the light travels through the wedge before the honey matches, the darker the sample. Scientists now use tiny spectrophotometers for an even finer reading, helpful in spotting diluted or artificially colored products.\r\n\r\nColor = flavor\r\nGenerally, the darker the honey, the bolder the taste. Light clover honey whispers of vanilla and fresh hay; dark buckwheat can be malty, earthy and even slightly bitter. Those same dark pigments are potent antioxidants. Lab tests show buckwheat honey may pack four or five times more polyphenols than pale varieties—great if you drizzle it over yoghurt or into a smoothie.\r\n\r\nWhat happens after harvest\r\nHeat and time can shift the shade, too. Warming honey to bottle it or melt crystals speeds up the Maillard reaction—the same browning that darkens toast—creating deeper color and caramel notes. Long storage or hot kitchen shelves will gradually do the same, and a compound called HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural) builds up as a tell-tale sign of age or overheating.\r\n\r\nBuying tips\r\nChoose color to match the job: pale honeys for tea or baking where you don’t want extra flavor; dark honeys for marinades, barbecue sauces or cheese boards.\r\n\r\nStore jars in a cool, dark cupboard to keep the original hue (and delicate aromas) longer.\r\n\r\nCrystals are natural simply warm the jar gently in hot water, and the color you see after it re-liquefies is the best indicator of its true character.\r\n\r\nIn short, a jar’s color is nature’s label, a quick clue to its botanical roots, nutritional punch and flavor personality. Enjoy the spectrum!\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n”,”filter”:”1″,”legacy”:false}

{“visual”:false,”title”:””,”text”:””,”filter”:”1″,”legacy”:false} {“visual”:false,”title”:””,”text”:”Why Honey Comes in Every Shade: From Snow-White to Espresso-Dark\r\n\r\nNext time you’re at a farmers’ market, line up a few jars of honey. You’ll see a natural rainbow: crystal-clear acacia, sunshine-gold clover, coppery wildflower and almost black buckwheat. That color isn’t just pretty—it’s a shorthand for what’s inside the jar.\r\n\r\nFlower power\r\nBees don’t make color, plants do. Each blossom hands the bee a nectar cocktail of sugars plus pigments, minerals and aromatic compounds. Pale honeys, such as acacia or orange blossom, come from nectars low in dark-hued polyphenols and metals. Heather, chestnut and buckwheat nectars brim with those darker ingredients, producing richer, deeper tones once the bees evaporate most of the water.\r\n\t\r\nMeasuring the rainbow\r\nPackers grade bulk honey on the USDA Pfund scale, which runs from “water white” to “dark amber.” It’s basically a ruler held against an amber wedge: the farther the light travels through the wedge before the honey matches, the darker the sample. Scientists now use tiny spectrophotometers for an even finer reading, helpful in spotting diluted or artificially colored products.\r\n\r\nColor = flavor\r\nGenerally, the darker the honey, the bolder the taste. Light clover honey whispers of vanilla and fresh hay; dark buckwheat can be malty, earthy and even slightly bitter. Those same dark pigments are potent antioxidants. Lab tests show buckwheat honey may pack four or five times more polyphenols than pale varieties—great if you drizzle it over yoghurt or into a smoothie.\r\n\r\nWhat happens after harvest\r\nHeat and time can shift the shade, too. Warming honey to bottle it or melt crystals speeds up the Maillard reaction—the same browning that darkens toast—creating deeper color and caramel notes. Long storage or hot kitchen shelves will gradually do the same, and a compound called HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural) builds up as a tell-tale sign of age or overheating.\r\n\r\nBuying tips\r\nChoose color to match the job: pale honeys for tea or baking where you don’t want extra flavor; dark honeys for marinades, barbecue sauces or cheese boards.\r\n\r\nStore jars in a cool, dark cupboard to keep the original hue (and delicate aromas) longer.\r\n\r\nCrystals are natural simply warm the jar gently in hot water, and the color you see after it re-liquefies is the best indicator of its true character.\r\n\r\nIn short, a jar’s color is nature’s label, a quick clue to its botanical roots, nutritional punch and flavor personality. Enjoy the spectrum!\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n”,”filter”:”1″,”legacy”:false}