The term “beehive” is frequently used when discussing bees, yet it often causes confusion for people trying to understand the basic mechanics of beekeeping and bee biology. This single word is commonly applied to both the physical home that shelters the bees and the entire living community itself. Understanding the difference between the physical structure and the biological population is the first step in appreciating the complex nature of honey bee life. This distinction is important for accurately describing the environment and the inhabitants.
The Distinction Between a Hive and a Colony
A hive is the physical container or structure, whether it is a manufactured wooden box used by a beekeeper or a hollow space in a tree. It is the shelter that provides protection from the elements and maintains a stable environment, regulating temperature and humidity.
A colony, conversely, refers to the organized biological community living within the hive structure. This population consists of tens of thousands of worker bees, hundreds of male drones, and a single queen bee, all working together as a superorganism. The colony is the living entity, managing the hive’s internal temperature, reproduction, and food stores through coordinated labor.
When people use the common phrase “beehive,” they are often referring to the entire living colony, its structure, and its contents combined. For example, a beekeeper manages colonies of bees, but they maintain and inspect the physical hives that house them. This distinction between the container and the inhabitants is foundational to bee science and communication.
Components of the Modern Managed Beehive
Modern beekeeping utilizes a standardized, modular structure known as the Langstroth hive, named after its inventor, L.L. Langstroth. This design is built around the concept of “bee space,” a specific gap of approximately 3/8 of an inch. Bees will not fill this gap with wax or propolis, allowing keepers to easily remove and inspect components.
The hive rests on a bottom board, which serves as the floor and includes the entrance. Stacked above this is the brood box, the largest chamber where the queen bee concentrates her egg-laying activity. This area is dedicated to rearing new generations of bees and houses the majority of the colony’s population.
Above the brood box, beekeepers place one or more shallower boxes called honey supers. These supers are designated storage areas where worker bees deposit and cap excess honey. The beekeeper harvests honey only from these supers, leaving the stores in the brood box for the colony’s winter survival.
Within all these boxes are rectangular wooden frames, which are perhaps the most functionally important component. Each frame holds a sheet of wax or plastic foundation, guiding the bees to build honeycomb cells consistently for either brood rearing or honey storage. The structure is completed by an inner cover for insulation and an outer telescoping cover for weather protection.
Natural Bee Dwellings and Related Terminology
While many people visualize the managed wooden box, honey bees originally lived in natural cavities. Feral colonies often establish their homes in protected spaces like hollowed-out tree trunks, rock crevices, or within building walls and chimneys. These natural homes are often irregular in shape, but they provide the necessary shelter and thermal regulation found in a constructed hive.
The term apiary refers not to the individual bee home, but to the location where numerous managed hives are kept together. This specialized site allows beekeepers to efficiently manage dozens or hundreds of colonies in one area for pollination or honey production. Apiaries are strategically placed near abundant floral resources to maximize foraging activity.
Another structure often confused with the modern hive is the skep, a historical form of beehive. Skeps were typically dome-shaped baskets woven from straw or wicker and plastered with mud or dung. Their design prevented easy inspection and honey harvesting, leading to their replacement by the movable-frame Langstroth design.