Best beehive

The humble honeybee is an irreplaceable part of our ecosystem and directly responsible for humanity's ability to eat going forward. Therefore, conservation is paramount, and beekeeping is a great way to ensure the survival of those all-important insects. First and foremost, you'll want to track down the best beehive for your particular region, budget, and desired bee species. 

Our staff pick is from BeeCastle, and it's a traditionally designed bee box with two levels. Added protective details like a thick wax coating and metal roof keep pests and the elements away from your queen as well as the rest of the colony. You'll find that the most popular beehives are traditional Langstroth-style hives with removable frames; this is reflected in the collection of beehives below. Take a look, and find a suitable beehive to house your local honeybees.

When investing in your first beehive, you'll want to keep your local climate in mind. BeeCastle's two-layer pine beehive is thickly coated with wax to keep moisture from rain or snow out of the hive. It also has a metal-capped, telescoping top cover and tightly dovetailed corner joints to further protect your new colony from the elements. You do need to assemble this beehive on your own, but instructions and nails are included. A downside is that there's no spigot for easy honey harvesting. BeeCastle based their bee box off traditional designs, requiring beekeepers to pull out and centrifuge the hive frames to collect honey. 

Apimaye's apiologist-developed Ergo collection of Langstroth-style hives are the cream of the crop if you're shopping for a beehive. Ventilation and watertight seams prevent moisture and reduce the amount of honey your colony eats while hibernating. In addition, the sealed nature of this beehive design keeps the colony warmer in cold weather and cool in warm weather. A major plus to buying an Apimaye beehive is that they ship their food-grade plastic beehives fully assembled. They also come in multiple colors and two depths—choose double-deep for large colonies, or white instead of tan to reflect more sunlight if you live somewhere hot. Unfortunately, there is a downside to the Ergo hives; while they're loaded with features, they don't come pre-loaded with frames. 

Perhaps you're looking for a quick start to your beekeeping duties and want to be sure you have all the necessary gear to do things correctly. MayBee's beehive starter kit is loaded with the supplies that professional beekeepers find indispensable. First, of course, there are a couple of queen excluders and a telescoping lid for easy access to your brood and frames, but what about the tools? For example, a bee smoker and pellets are included to help harvest honey. Conveniently, you'll find a pair of canvas beekeeping gloves to keep your hands safe from any errant stings. You'll also be able to fish out frames and hold them firmly as you uncap the wax and release the amber honey within. A cleaning shovel and brushes are also provided, making maintenance much more manageable. Aside from a protective suit and bees, MayBee's starter kit really does give you all the tools you need to feel like a pro.

If you live in a place with reasonably temperate weather, then an unfinished bee box like this model from Little Giant might be okay to use. Generally, you want the components of your frame to be wax-sealed for longevity and waterproofing. Still, its metal roof and precision-milled joints go a long way toward defending your colony and keeping them comfortable. Little Giant provides a mite grid as well to discourage pests from taking up residence in your beehive. I feel like this particular hive is best used as a supplemental hive to manage population booms, move your colony, or handle any honey overflow. Unfortunately, it doesn't come with any tools, so that's an investment you'll need to make ahead of time.

Bottom line

Hopefully, this beehive collection will help you decide which is best for your needs. Our staff pick from BeeCastle is an ideal first beehive, able to withstand the elements and house an established colony. It's fully coated in a thick layer of beeswax, keeping the bees inside safe and dry. If you're new to beekeeping, we recommend the MayBee beehive starter kit. This has all the tools and gadgets you need, plus instructions on how to get started. All you need to add are the bees.

Now, for a couple of pointers. Backyards and open fields are probably the best spots to place your beehive, especially once you plan on harvesting honey. It's also worth getting checked out for an allergy if you want to keep bees but have never been stung by one before. Unfortunately, honeybees are one of the most likely species to sting if they perceive a threat.

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