Base:  Floor or bottom board.  This base is the floor of the hive. It is also the door where the bees fly in and out. You must leave a bee space between the base and the bottom bars of the frames in the brood box so the bees don’t stick the frames to the floor.   An opening is left on one side so the bees have a place to go in and out of the hive.   The base is usually made a few inches or centimetres longer than the brood box so that it sticks out.  This gives the bees a landing strip. When they come back to the hive loaded down with nectar and pollen, they need a platform to land on so they don’t fall on the ground.

Brood and Honey Box: The first, or bottom box of a hive is usually called the brood box. This is where the queen lays most of her eggs and where the young bees (brood) are raised. The top box is called the honey box. Most of the honey is put there.

There can be more than one honey box on a hive. Bees sometimes put honey in the brood box. The queen sometimes puts brood in the honey box, but as the bees fill the box with honey, the queen will move back down to the brood box to lay her eggs. Both boxes are the same size. They have 8 to 10 frames in them. A bee space must be left between each frame and between the frames in each box. Hand -holds are cut into the sides of the boxes or handles can be nailed to the outside of the box. This makes them easier to lift.

Frames: Each frame has 4 sides, a top bar, bottom bar, and 2 sidebars. The top bar usually has a groove on the bottom to slide the wax foundation into. The sidebars have tabs on them so that you cannot push the frames tight together. This would damage the comb and crush the bees.

These are called self-spacing frames, and the tabs keep the bee space open. The side-bars also have 3 or 4 evenly spaced holes drilled in them. You must weave wires back and forth between the holes to make the wax foundation strong.

Wax Foundation: These are thin sheets of beeswax.  They are the size of the frame.   They have the honeycomb pattern pressed into them.  They are fitted into the groove in the top bar of the frame.  The wires are pressed into the wax.  When you put the frame in the hive, the bees begin to add wax to the foundation.  They build out the comb until the cells are able to hold honey or brood.  

Honeybees do not need the foundation to start.  They are able to make comb by themselves.   Giving them the foundation encourages them to build comb where the beekeeper wants it.  This makes the frames easy to remove, and the honey easy to extract (get out).  Bees have to eat 10 kg. of honey to have enough energy to make 1 kg. of wax.  Giving them wax foundation means there is more honey left for the beekeeper.  If you take care not to break or spoil the comb when you harvest the honey, the wax comb can be used over and over again.  This way the bees do not have to make so much wax.

Inner Cover or Rice Bag:  Some beekeepers put something between the honey box and the lid. They do this so that the bees do not stick the top bars of the frames to the lid with propolis.  A rice bag can be used.  Some beekeepers use a thin sheet of Masonite. They raise the outside edge to leave a bee space above the top bars. This is called an inner cover.

Lid: This is the roof for the hive. It must be water tight to keep out the rain.  Some beekeepers use a solid piece of timber so there are no spaces between boards to let the rain in.  Others put sheet steel roofing on top of the lids or build a larger leaf roof high overhead to shelter their hives.

Painting the outside of your beehives will make them last longer.  They do not have to be painted white. A light colour is best so that they don’t get too hot when the sun hits them.

Good bee equipment makes beekeeping easier. If frames fit well, they are easy to remove. If the frames and boxes are nailed together well, they will not come apart when you are shifting them.  If the bee space is right, then the bees will not stick everything together with propolis.  If the lid keeps the rain out, your bees will be more comfortable and will make more honey.  If your frames and comb are good quality, there will be more space for the queen to lay eggs and the bees to store honey.  All of this means your bees should not be cross when you work with them. You will be stung less often.

Replace old, or damaged wax comb, broken or damaged frames and boxes as soon as you can.  Don’t leave spaces in your boxes without frames, or the bees will fill it with comb that can’t be removed without breaking it.