Modern Box Hive
Lexikon
The modern box hive is by far the most widespread form of bee dwelling in Germany today.
The modern box hive is by far the most widespread form of bee dwelling in Germany today. It consists of several equally sized wooden or plastic boxes, open at the top and bottom, called hive boxes, which are stacked on top of one another, plus a floor with a hive entrance and a closing lid. Frames holding the combs hang inside the boxes, accessible from above.
The decisive advantage of the modern box hive lies in its flexibility: by adding or removing individual boxes, the beekeeper can adjust the available space to the colony's actual strength at any time, without having to fiddle individual combs out of a closed box as with older designs. This greatly simplifies swarm control, forming nucleus colonies, and harvesting the honey super box by box.
For beginners it is important to know that modern box hives are offered in different frame sizes such as Zander, German Normal or Dadant, which are not compatible with one another. Whoever decides on one system should stick with it, because mixing different frame sizes within one apiary quickly leads to confusion and makes buying used equipment or wax foundation more complicated.