New beeks often face a daunting task with so many types of bees and different styles of hives available. I'm often asked questions on this subject and put together this handy guide. Feel free to let me know if I left something out ... I know there are other hive designs and bees out there but wanted to hit on the most common (and the ones we build here in our shop):
Suggested bee breeds:
Italians - docile and hardy, excellent for beginners and accomplished beekeepers alike. These are the most popular bees in the United States and the most common shipped with nucs. As the name suggests, they originated in Italy. While being prolific honey producers, they sometimes struggle in colder climates.
Carniolans - Another excellent beginner breed. I run these in my apiary. Originating from Slovenia, they are suited for cooler weather and produce large quantities of brood during colony growth seasons. They are another of the calmer breeds, but they can defend the hive well when need be. They do have higher swarm tendencies than other breeds so the beekeeper must take mitigation measures (keep a close eye on colony congestion, look for swarm cells, etc.)
Saskatraz - Another favorite variety of mine, and has a large presence in my apiary. These were developed and bred in the United States as a hybrid variety with good disease prevention and mite resistance (both very important traits). They are a calmer breed, generally very easy to work with.
Russians - These are bees that many beekeepers avoid because of their defensive and sometimes aggressive natures. I have just started working with them in my apiary, attracted to their excellent mite resistance. These are perfect for “natural beekeepers” who want to avoid harsh mite treatments but they do come with an attitude. I don’t have enough experience with them to comment fully on their reputed aggressiveness as this is the first year I’ve introduced them to my apiary.
There are other breeds such as Buckfast, etc. but these are the ones that I have had experience with. In my opinion, Saskatraz and Carniolans are safe bets for you and, in particular, Italians if you are looking to maximize honey production.
Here is a great place to purchase bees. I've had nothing but success and great experiences with the folks at Lappes.
Beehives
There are many configurations out there and the pricing on them varies considerably. Pricing is determined by availability of materials in this market, procurement and how involved the building process is. Note that in most cases, beehives are built after order, so please allow sufficient lead time (2 to 3 weeks) before you need it. In same cases I may have a particular hive already built so if you need it in a hurry, please contact me.
Langstroth
The most common beehives in the United States are the white langstroth box stacks you see most often associated with beekeeping. They are easy to work with and hold ten frames per box. Accessories (entrance reducers to restrict the entry way), robber screens (to prevent robbing during nectar dearths) and other accessories are readily available. AVOID the cheap ones on Temo, Amazon, Tractor Supply, etc. It’s easy to go with the cheap ones when trying to build up but as with anything else, you get what you pay for. The foundation (where the bees build their honeycomb) is often bare plastic and bees generally don’t like that as it’s not natural. You generally won’t yield as much or as quickly with these frames. Additionally, the build quality can be lacking, resulting in hives that leak warmth and work apart at the seams through a year or two of changing seasons, etc.
I offer a langstroth hive setup that is complete with overwintering accessories, etc. For a beginner, it’s a good setup that is durable and efficient. Note that while many of my custom hives do not come with frames (ordered as a separate add-on) this package does include frames/foundation. Order Langstroth kit
Layens
These hives are amazing. The frames are double the size of langstroth and are shipped with pure imported wax foundation strips, wired for stability to hold the weight of the comb and honey. The hive is horizontal and contains 20 or 30 frames. I keep mine inside a garden shed, where it is protected from the elements with a PVC entryway to the outside. A heavy top keeps the hive insulated and keeps bees out of your shed. This allows you to work the bees in the cold, rain, snow, etc., things you can’t do with an outdoor langstroth hive. Of course, you can also use these hives outdoors. While good for those who wish to produce comb honey, extracting pure honey requires a different type of honey extractor than the typical langstroth extractor, making it more costly as setup than others. Kitsap Beekeeping will have a Layens extractor available for rent to purchasers of this hive. I love these hives and just added more of them to my apiary. I fully support customers who purchase this type of hive with an assortment of additional frames, div boards, etc. available. Order Layens hive
Coleman/Wrin
These are insulated Langstroth-type hives that are most common in my apiary. Originally developed by Bill Wrin, I modified the design (with his blessing) to be more suited to our climate and these are outstanding hives with great winter survivability. They are typically sold as 8-frame hives (stackable similar to langstroth), making them easier to work with as the shortened box width makes the boxes lighter and more portable when filled with honey. The hives can be configured with two brood/honey deeps with additional honey supers available as needed (honey supers take Western frames, the type commonly used by commercial beekeepers.) The R10 insulation value is maintained with thick sidewalls, double the width of the typical langstroth hive, with heavier tops. Overwintering supplies (feeder, moisture quilt, etc.) are available as optional items. Order Coleman/Wrin hive
AZ hives
These artisan hives originated from Slovenia and are PERFECT for cold weather durability. These are cabinet hives, designed to be placed inside a building (or shed) with the entrance side flush with the outer wall. They have a door on the inside to allow you to work comfortably inside rather than out in the elements. The frames slide in horizontally (as opposed to vertically in most other hive designs) and have screened covers behind the door, allowing you to open the door and not have bees fly out in your face. This also keeps bees from flying around inside the shed. While these are the most expensive hives I build and have sold more than 30 of them in the past year, the precision of these hives does benefit from some past level of beekeeping experience. That said, the beekeepers I equip with these hives in Leavenworth (these are popular there due to the cold conditions) seem to do well with them regardless of past beekeeping experience. These hives come with feeders and mite trays included and do not require moisture quilts or boards as other hives do. Frames are not included but are available separately or in a negotiated bundle with multiple hives. I love these hives for many reasons, particularly because as a 60-year-old man, they are a lot easier to deal with than having to lift 100-pound boxes of honey from langstroth hives. That gets old very quickly. The frames are suitable for langstroth honey extractors, as well. Order AZ hive
