Beehive Components Explained: Every Part of a Langstroth Hive
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A standard Langstroth beehive is a stack of simple wooden parts. From the ground up, the main beehive components are the stand, the bottom board, the entrance reducer, one or two brood boxes full of frames, a queen excluder, honey supers, an inner cover and an outer cover. Each one has a clear job, and once you know what they do, a hive stops looking like a puzzle.
This walk-through goes bottom to top, explains what every part is for, and ends with a reference table of standard sizes so you can buy parts that fit together.
Why every part fits: bee space
The Langstroth hive works because of bee space, a gap of about 1/4 to 3/8 inch. Bees leave a gap that size open as a walkway. Anything smaller they seal with propolis, and anything larger they fill with comb. Every component is built so the gaps between frames, boxes and covers stay inside that range. That is why frames lift out cleanly, and why mixing parts from different systems can end in a mess of burr comb.
The parts of a Langstroth hive, bottom to top
1. Hive stand
The stand lifts the hive off the ground, usually by 12 to 18 inches. That keeps the bottom board dry, improves airflow, makes it harder for skunks and ants to reach the entrance, and saves your back during inspections. A stand can be a purpose-made frame, cinder blocks with rails, or a simple timber build. It must be level side to side and strong enough for a full hive, which can easily top 150 pounds in summer. See our picks for the best hive stands.
2. Bottom board
The bottom board is the floor of the hive. Its raised rim on three sides creates the main entrance at the front. There are two types:
- Solid bottom board: a plain wooden floor. Warmer in winter and simple to use.
- Screened bottom board: a floor of #8 mesh (8 wires per inch) with a removable tray underneath. It adds ventilation and lets you count varroa mites that drop onto the tray.
Both work. The trade-offs are covered in screened vs. solid bottom boards.
3. Entrance reducer
An entrance reducer is a notched strip of wood that sits in the front opening of the bottom board. It shrinks the entrance so a small or new colony can defend itself against robbing bees and wasps, and it keeps mice out in autumn and winter. Most reducers have a small notch on one side and a wider notch on the other. A strong colony in midsummer usually does better with the reducer removed.
4. Brood boxes (hive bodies)
The brood boxes are where the colony lives. The queen lays eggs here, the young bees are raised here, and the bees store the pollen and honey they need to get through winter. A brood box is just a four-sided box with no top or bottom and a ledge (the rabbet) along two inside edges for the frames to hang on.
Most beekeepers in cold and temperate areas use two deep boxes for brood. Some use three mediums instead, so every box on the hive is the same size and parts are interchangeable. In warm climates a single deep is often enough.
5. Frames and foundation
Frames are the removable rectangles that hang side by side in every box. Each has a top bar, two end bars and a bottom bar. Inside the frame sits foundation, a thin sheet of beeswax or plastic stamped with a hexagon pattern that gives the bees a starting point for building straight comb.
Frames are what make a Langstroth hive practical: you can lift each comb out, check the brood, spot the queen and harvest honey without destroying the nest. Wax foundation is readily accepted by bees; plastic is tougher and faster to set up. Some beekeepers go foundationless with just a guide strip. Our guide to the best beehive frames compares the options.
6. Queen excluder
A queen excluder is a flat grid of metal or plastic placed between the brood boxes and the honey supers. The gaps are wide enough for worker bees to squeeze through but too narrow for the larger queen and drones. The result is honey supers with no eggs or brood in them, which makes harvesting cleaner.
Excluders are optional and a little controversial: some beekeepers find workers are slower to move up through them. Read more about how queen excluders work before deciding.
7. Honey supers
Supers are the boxes stacked on top where bees store surplus honey, the honey you harvest. They are identical in construction to brood boxes but usually shallower, because a box of honey is heavy. A deep box full of honey weighs roughly 80 to 90 pounds; a medium is closer to 50 to 60. Most backyard beekeepers use mediums for supers. You add supers during the nectar flow, once the box below is about 70 to 80% drawn and filled.
8. Inner cover
The inner cover is a flat board with a raised rim and an oval hole in the middle. It sits on the top box and creates a dead-air space under the outer cover, which insulates the hive. The rim stops the outer cover from being glued down with propolis, and the center hole can hold a bee escape at harvest time or sit under a jar feeder. Many inner covers also have a notch on one edge that acts as a small upper entrance and ventilation gap.
9. Outer (telescoping) cover
The outer cover is the roof. A telescoping cover has a rim that drops an inch or two down over the sides of the top box and is usually capped with sheet metal to shed rain. It is used with an inner cover. Commercial beekeepers often use a flat migratory cover instead, which sits flush with the box so hives can be packed tightly on a truck.
Beehive component sizes: reference table
Langstroth parts are built to standard dimensions, so parts from most US suppliers fit together. Box length is the same for all sizes; only the height and width change.
| Component | Box height | Frame height | Typical use | Full weight (approx.) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep box | 9 5/8 in | 9 1/8 in | Brood | 80–90 lb of honey |
| Medium box | 6 5/8 in | 6 1/4 in | Honey supers, or all-medium brood | 50–60 lb |
| Shallow box | 5 11/16 in | 5 3/8 in | Honey supers, comb honey | 35–40 lb |
| 10-frame | 8-frame | |
|---|---|---|
| Outside width | 16 1/4 in | about 13 3/4–14 in |
| Outside length | 19 7/8 in | 19 7/8 in |
| Frames per box | 10 (many beekeepers run 9 in supers) | 8 |
| Main advantage | Industry standard, widest choice of parts | Two fewer frames, so roughly 20% less weight per box |
Pick one width and stick with it. 8-frame and 10-frame boxes do not stack on each other, and bottom boards, excluders and covers are width-specific. Frame length (19 inches across the top bar) is the same for both, so frames of the same depth are interchangeable.
Optional extras you will hear about
- Feeders: entrance, top or in-hive frame feeders for sugar syrup when nectar is short.
- Slatted rack: a slatted spacer between the bottom board and brood box that gives the colony a buffer at the entrance.
- Quilt box or moisture board: sits under the roof in winter to absorb condensation. See how to build a quilt box.
- Mouse guard: a metal strip with bee-sized holes for the winter entrance.
For a first hive, a kit that includes the core parts (bottom board, reducer, two deeps, frames, inner and outer cover) plus one or two medium supers is the simplest start. Our beehive starter kit guide covers what good kits include, and the Langstroth hive hub has assembly and management guides.
Top-bar and Warre hives: different parts
Not every beehive uses stacked boxes and frames.
- Top-bar hive: one long horizontal box, usually on legs, with wooden bars laid across the top. Bees hang comb straight from each bar. There are no frames, no foundation and no supers, and you never lift a heavy box. The trade-off is fragile comb and smaller honey harvests. More in our top-bar hive overview.
- Warre hive: a vertical stack of small, square boxes with top bars instead of frames. New boxes go on the bottom as the colony grows downward, and honey is taken from the top. It is designed to be managed less often than a Langstroth.
Langstroth parts are the most widely available in North America, which is why most beginners start there.
Frequently asked questions
What are the main parts of a beehive?
In a Langstroth hive, from the bottom up: hive stand, bottom board, entrance reducer, brood boxes with frames and foundation, queen excluder, honey supers, inner cover and outer cover. The brood boxes hold the colony; the supers hold the honey you harvest.
What is the difference between a brood box and a honey super?
They are built the same way. The difference is use and usually size: brood boxes (often deeps) sit at the bottom and hold the queen, brood and winter stores, while supers (often mediums) sit on top and hold surplus honey for harvest.
Do I need a queen excluder?
No, it is optional. It keeps brood out of your honey supers, which makes harvesting easier, but some colonies are slower to move up through it. Many beekeepers use one only once the supers are partly drawn.
Should I choose 8-frame or 10-frame boxes?
10-frame is the standard, with the widest range of parts. 8-frame boxes are narrower and lighter to lift, which matters if heavy lifting is a concern. The two widths do not mix, so choose one before buying.
How many boxes does a beehive need?
A typical first-year hive in a temperate climate uses two deep brood boxes plus one or two medium supers. Strong colonies in a good nectar flow may need three or more supers. In warm climates, one deep for brood is often enough.
What does the inner cover do?
It creates an insulating air gap under the roof, stops the outer cover from being glued down with propolis, and gives you a center hole for a bee escape or feeder. The notch on many inner covers doubles as a small upper entrance.
