The Langstroth Hive

The Langstroth hive along with manufactured foundation, the smoker and the centrifugal honey extractor revolutionalized the beekeeping industry into the modern standards used today by beekeepers around the the world.

Rev. Lorenzo L. Langstroth, Pennsylvania, invented the Langstroth hive in 1851. His hive uses standardized and interchangeable parts that can be added or removed to meet the needs of both the beekeeper and the bees. The frames inside the supers, upon which the bees build their comb, are individual allowing for the removal one at a time. This enables the beekeeper to inspect with little disturbance to the bees. It also makes it possible to remove brood from one hive and put it in another weaker hive to help bolster its brood count. This ability to inspect and manipulate frames gave the beekeeper for the first time, a way to monitor for disease; and to harvest the wax and honey without having to kill or drive off the bees, or destroy the hive. The design also allows for spacing the frames 3/8 inches apart. Proper spacing enables the bees to build straight and even comb, and provide a way for the bees to move around in the hive. Bees require an exact space. Too little and they glue everything together with propolis; too much, they fill the space with burr (extra) comb.

Hive Parts

Hive Stand:  The hive stand lifts the hive off the ground minimizing dampness, improving circulation, and gives the bees a clearer access to the entrance. The
angled front gives the bees a landing zone. The hive stand needs to be built from water resistant wood.

Bottom Board:  The bottom board is the floor of the hive. Today a lot of bottom boards are screened with #8 hardwire mesh. While this helps with circulation in the hive, the main reason is mite control. Whenever the varroa mite loses its grip and
falls off the bee, it falls through the screen and is gone for good. If the floor is solid,
the mites are be able to crawl back up and re-attach themselves to the bees. 

Entrance Reducer:  The entrance reducer is used only newly established hives or during cold weather. It limits access, helping the guard bees protect the hive from robber bees and other invaders. It has two different sized openings a large and a small. The entrance reducer is not used on established hives, allowing bees full access to the hive.

Deep Super:   A deep super, 80 lbs when full, provides a place for both the brood
and the food for the bees. In warmer climates, one deep is sufficient. A second, used
in colder climates, allows for more food storage. A second deep also relieves brood congestion, possibly minimizing the swarming instinct.

The Queen Excluder:  The screening used on the queen excluder is sized allowing worker bees access to the shallow honey supers to build comb and place nectar, but keeps the larger queen out due to her size. This prevents the queen from entering
and laying eggs in the shallow supers intended for honey harvest. With no eggs in the super, the bees are not inclined to place pollen there either. The excluder is not used when honey is not going to be collected.

Shallow Super:  The shallow super is used for honey collection by the beekeeper. The depth provides easier handling by the beekeeper. A shallow super full of honey weighs 40 lbs. versus the backbreaking 80 lbs. of a deep super. Medium is the third size of supers, weighs in at 60 when full.

Ross Round Super:  The Ross Round is a specialized frame placed in shallow supers and is used to produce "prepackaged" honey comb. The frame has removable parts that the bees use for building comb and filling with honey. At harvest, the beekeeper removes the round and and seals it with a cover.

Frames:  The frames are the wooden framework that hold the foundation upon which the bees build their comb. They come in two sizes for use in either the shallow or the deep super. Ten frames per super provide the proper bee space required by the bees.

Foundation:   Foundation, which is attached to the frame is one of four types. The traditional has vertical wire embedded in 100% beeswax. If the traditional is used in deep frames, it has an additional horizontal wire for added support. The newer plastic style also has a thin layer of bees wax. The plastic foundation is easier to install in the frame than the traditional. Bees draw their cells out from both sides of the foundation. doubling the amounts of cells available for brood and food storage. The third type of foundation is extra-thin pure beeswax with no support and is used for comb honey. A fourth type of foundation is used by queen breeders needing to produce more male drones. This foundation is milled to a larger sized cell to accommodate the larger sized drone larva. A frame of drone foundation may be used in place of regular cell size foundation to help with varroa mite control.

Inner Cover:  The inner cover provides the ceiling for the hive. It has notched holes on the front to provide air circulation and a hole in the middle that serves as second exit for the bees. It is not used when a top feeder is in place.

Outer Cover:  The oversized telescoping outer cover, with its galvanized top, protects the hive from the weather. It should be made from water resistant wood.

 

History of the managed hive: 

http://outdoorplace.org/beekeeping/history1.htm