Which type of beehive should I buy?

If you are new to beekeeping it can be quite confusing on the type of hive to buy. There are many different types to choose from such as the traditional WBC which everyone recognises to the Kenyan top bar hive. The most widely used beehives here in Ireland are the National and the Commercial hive.

The number of worker cells in a fully framed National hive is 50,000 and the number in a Commercial hive is 70,500. The frame sizes are different and therefore are not interchangeable. Some beekeepers feel that the National brood box is too small but this can be increased to the approximate size of the commercial by adding a super called a brood and a half. This has certain advantages. Please remember that the `Commercial boxes are heavier to lift!

For the newcomer, the deciding factor is where you are going to get your colony of bees from. These are generally purchased from a beekeeper as a Nuc short for nucleus. These are supplied as a 5 or 6 frame Nuc. In either a wooden or polystyrene hive. As purchased the bees will almost fill this box so very soon they will need to be transferred into your new hive. If you buy a Nuc on National frames then you must transfer these into a National hive. If you buy a Commercial Nuc then you will need a Commercial hive.

To summarise your type of hive depends on the source of bees you are buying however if you are lucky enough to attract a swarm into a swarm hive then the type is immaterial as the bees will make their home in any type of hive.