How Do You Choose What You Use?

Why do you use the hive that you use?  Is it because someone told you use it? 

Did you inherit it or get it for free or nearly so?

A very great number of beekeepers I talk to typically use the hive and methodology they do because of someone else's influence by way of advice, gifting/inheriting the hive or because it was cheap.

That's all fine and well, but how much thought did you really put into the hive you are using?

What are your beekeeping goals and objectives?  In other words, why are you a beekeeper?

What you want to get out of beekeeping really should be your primary reason for using the hive that you.use.

If your main reason for beekeeping is honey production, you should be using a hive and method that is conducive to mass production and ease of harvesting honey.

If crop or garden pollination is the primary purpose and honey is secondary or even tertiary, you really should use a hive and method that is most conducive to large and rapid buildup of colony population and travels well.

What if you are a "homesteader" type of beekeeper?  You want all you can get out of a bee hive. Pollination, honey, beeswax, propolis, pollen, etc... without needing to move the hive much, if at all.

In that case, you want a hive that allows the bees to produce as much of all of those things without requiring a lot of time and effort on your part.  One that allows it to be added to with the least amount of interference except at specified harvest times.

Some people might tell you that one type of hive can do all of those things.  I would agree, but I would add that while it may do all of those things, it won't do all of them equally well.

I won't try to tell you you should use this hive or shouldn't use that hive.  I will tell you that you should put a great deal of thought into your goals and objectives in beekeeping (your reason for beekeeping) and do your homework and write down a comparison of what various ives do well and what they don't do well.  Compare those and then put your goals against them.

Whichever hive best meets the needs of your beekeeping is the hive you should choose and use.  Keep in mind there is no such thing as a universally "best" type of hive.  There is most popular and most common, but those are not the same thing as "best".

There are many people who would advise you to use the same type of hive they are using so they can mentor or advise you better.  Others will say to use a particular type of hive because it is so cheaply produced on a large scale thus making it easy and cheap to get.

While commonality, price and access are all things we should take into consideration, they should not be the primary reason to use a given hive type.  Selecting based on those concerns first may cause you a lot of stress and headache later because while it was cheap and common, it doesn't meet all your individual needs.

Compromises always exist and must be accommodated for, but they should take a back seat to the purpose for your endeavors.  Why commit to the task if the tools you are going to use are not helping to best get the job done?

Beekeeping is a fascinating endeavor.  It will easily become more than "just" a hobby or pastime.  For many, it is a second job or career.  For others, it is a passion.  For everyone who takes it up though, it should be something gone into wide both eyes wide open and a complete awareness of what you you will put into it and what you plan to get out of it.

A beeyard is no place for rose colored glasses.