# Beehive standards



## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

I have noticed that beehives seem to be many different sizes. Yet they talk about the standard hive.
What is the standard outside dimensions for a standard hive (3/4 lumber)?
What is the standard inside dimensions for a standard hive(3/4 lumber)?

Thanks
Mike


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## wayacoyote (Nov 3, 2003)

Mike, 
these are standard and are built with 3/4" lumber.
http://www.beesource.com/plans/langstroth.htm

Inside deminsions, as you guessed, are really the focus when preserving "bee space". That isn't a problem with these plans, or most commercial equipment. It does get a little bit off if you were using off-size lumber (say, 7/8").

The only big difference in commercial equipment is how deep the frame rests are. Some allow the frames to sit lowers than others. At worst, one that sits low stacked above one that sits high results in comb between the frames. This comb can get strong enough to make it nearly impossible to separate the boxes. But this probably isn't too common.


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## MikeJ (Jan 1, 2009)

A question about the plans.
With a 9 5/8" depth and the frames are 9 1/8" this would leave 1/2" gap. 
No matter where it goes since if you split the difference between top and bottom and you stack another deep on it you wind up with 1/2" gap.
This is 1/8" over the correct bee space.

Also with a bottom board you get a 3/4" gap at minimal on the bottom.

What is all the talk about precise bee spacing when the plans have all these extra space?

Thanks
Mike


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## mwjohnson (Nov 19, 2004)

Right...I haven't figured that one out yet either.
I make my deeps 9 1/2".
Like Waya said the frame rest depth is the important thing. 

The distance between the bottom board and lowest brood frames should be more than beespace...this will give them a little clustering space and it will put the brood frames in a little more protected area.


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## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

A properly constructed box has 1/4 inch bee space above the frames to the top edge of the box and 1/8 inch from the bottom bar of the frames to the bottom edge of the box when the frames are resting on a rabbet cut 5/8 of an inch deep.

When stacked this would give a 3/8 inch bee space between the top bars in the bottom box and the bottom of the frames in the top box if the boxes are 9 4/8 inches deep. Most boxes are made 9 5/8 inches deep to give an extra 1/8 inch to allow for wood expansion and contraction and the deforming of the frame bottom bars when putting in and pulling tight the support wires for the foundation.

Frame top bar thickness vary between manufacturers. Some are 1/16 inch thicker than others. A thick top bar and a deformed bottom bar would easily close the extra 1/8 inch of a 9 5/8 inch deep box.


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## BEES4U (Oct 10, 2007)

*"Standard dimentions".*

I have measured the following outside dimentions:

16 & 1/4" X 19 & 7/8"

16 & 1/4" X 20"

16 & 1/4" X 20 & 1/8"

The inside dimentions will vary according to the length of the top bar.
You may want to build your supers to fit your frame source.

Regards,
Ernie


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## mwjohnson (Nov 19, 2004)

Like I said... I still haven't figured that out, and I asked the same question on here 5 years ago. 

It would seem... to my way of thinking that "IF" a 1/2" of beespace was needed for deeps, then it would be needed for mediums and shallows too.

But that doesn't seem to be the case, since neither of these "break the rule"....

I don't understand the expansion/contraction concept either. Wouldn't the stack of boxes expand/contract at the same rate?, keeping the beespaces between the boxes relatively consistant?


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## holze66956 (Nov 23, 2013)

This is the best explanation I have found concerning bee space:
http://beekeepers.amazingbees.com.au/the-beehive.html
<br>
I build everything and try to keep a frame spacing of 1/4" min to 5/16" max for sides and between bodies (accept for the enterence slot) My frames are 1 1/4" to 1 1/2" center on center with 5/16" spacing including end frames. Queen bees need at least 3/16" (queen excluder slots are around .165" or #5 hardware screen). I hope most agree with these findings.

Barney, Phoenix, AZ


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