Segeberger Hive
Lexikon
The Segeberger hive is a box hive made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), named after the beekeeping school in Bad Segeberg in Schleswig-Holstein and very widespread especially in northern Germany.
The Segeberger hive is a box hive made of expanded polystyrene (EPS), named after the beekeeping school in Bad Segeberg in Schleswig-Holstein and very widespread especially in northern Germany. Its footprint is square, with sides of about fifty by fifty centimeters, so that the boxes can be turned in any direction and used with the combs either parallel or at right angles to the entrance.
Each box holds eleven frames in the German Normal Measure. Thanks to the light but sturdy plastic material, Segeberger hives are much easier to handle than comparable wooden boxes and need no additional weather protection outdoors. The good insulating properties of the polystyrene benefit the colony above all in winter, because less heat is lost through the hive wall.
For beginners the Segeberger hive is a practical choice because of its low weight and the wide availability of accessories; however, according to the rules of most organic associations, honey from plastic hives is not considered organic honey, as they prescribe wood or other natural materials. In addition, polystyrene is more easily damaged than wood, for example by mice or woodpeckers, which is why damaged boxes should be checked regularly.