1. BEEKEEPING equipment- GETTING STARTED
Howard County Beekeepers Association Short Course 2019
BEEKEEPING equipment GETTING STARTED

2. natural comb (What bees do on their own!)

3. Types of hives LANGSTROTH HIVE TOP BAR HIVE
Most things we do in beekeeping attempt to mimic what honeybees do in nature… These hives emulate the space and conditions a honeybee might find in a tree hollow

4. HIVE STAND
Cement blocks, 4X4s, pallet, wooden construction – lots of ways to do this
Keep the hive off the ground!!

5. BOTTOM BOARDS Solid – the standard for over 100 years
Screened – improves ventilation and varroa mite control
Freeman – improves ventilation, mite control and small hive beetle control

6. HIVE BODIES The Box that holds the Honeycomb Can be a “Brood Chamber”
Deep, Medium and Shallow (Height)
“10 Frame” & “8 Frame” (Width)
Protects bees from the environment
Can be a “Brood Chamber”
Houses …Brood!
Bottom of hive
Can Be a “Super”
Holds the Honey
Top of the Hive

7. FRAMES and foundation Where bees build their wax honeycomb
Removable, Inspectable
Comb used to raise brood and/or store food
8 or 10 per hive body depending on the size of the hive body.

8. Shallows, Deeps & Mediums (oH My!)
Weight Comparison between 8 and 10 frame hives (Approximate!)
Body/Frame
Size
8 Frame
Weight w/Honey
10 Frame
Suggested
Use
Shallow
30lbs
25lbs yield
35lbs
30lbs yield
Honey
Medium
40lbs
50lbs
40lbs yield
Brood or Honey
Deep
70lbs
55lbs yield
90lbs
70lbs yield*
Brood
Weights collected from various sources, rounded to nearest 5lb increment, for relative comparison only!
“Deeps” not recommended for Honey Supers (too heavy!)
Same amount of work to extract from a Small, Medium or Deep Frame But,
More honey comes out of medium frames than shallow frames

9. FOUNDATION Foundation is the starter/base for each frame
Has imprints/etching of hexagon cell pattern
Bees will add own beeswax to build honeycomb
Types of foundation:
Beeswax
Plastic (black or white)
Typically has beeswax coating
Black foundation helps make eggs visible

10. FRAMES (Wood or Plastic?) (continued)
Frames hold the Foundation
Wooden: Frame plus separate foundation
Plastic: Frame & foundation are one piece
Beekeepers have their preferences!
Wooden Frames require assembly, mostly reusable (keep frame, replace foundation)
Plastic can be less expensive, no assembly required, more sturdy, hard to reuse (after time)
They say not to mix & match, but…

11. INNER COVER Solid Screened Most common
Solid
Most common
Suggest one with hole in center and notch in side (extra entrance)
Screened
Max ventilation
Late spring and summer only

12. OUTER COVER Telescoping Migratory Most common
Covers hive, extends down sides
Usually metal top
Migratory
Allows placement of colonies side by side (no space in between)
Important when shipping colonies for pollination contracts
Not suggested for Hobbyists

13. BROOD CHAMBERS Bottom Portion of the Hive where bees make new bees
2 or 3 Hive Bodies with Frames
2 Deeps or 3 Mediums
Sufficient to survive MD winter

14. HONEY SUPERS Where bees store honey for winter
Or, where we steal it from! 
Uses the same hive bodies and frames as brood chamber
Typically mediums or shallows (weight)
Placed above brood chamber when nectar flow starts (usually April in Maryland)
Add as many Supers as necessary to accommodate honey flow!

15. HIVE INSPECTION TOOLS Veil 1 per interested person Types
Veil
1 per interested person
Must protect eyes!
Types
Hat with veil
Jacket w/attached hood
One piece jumpsuit w/hood

16. HIVE INSPECTION TOOLS (continued)
Hive tool – 1 per person
Smoker – 1 per family

17. Woodenware What needs paint?
Paint these:
Hive stand (if wooden & not pressure treated)
Bottom board (all sides)
All hive bodies – outer surfaces only
Outer cover
Don’t paint these:
Inner cover
Inside of the hive bodies
Frames

18. Questions?