Here Are the Winners For 2024
If you read our post on the best bee hives for 2023, this new list will be similar but different.
The companies producing bee hives know that quality is the most important factor to beekeepers. Take a look at our beekeeping for beginners page and learn all about this amazing hobby and lifestyle.
The beehive boxes featured on our list are ones we've personally purchased and used in our own apiaries.
We are currently beekeeping hobbyists focused on the traditional Langstroth and Apimaye hives, though we're open to exploring other hive types like top bar, and flow hives in the future.
At this time we've only invested in a single Warre hive for experimentation beyond the Langstroth. It is doing very well, and we are having a great time watching them grow.
If we expand our apiaries to include those additional hive types down the road, we'll be sure to provide reviews and feedback on those as well.
For now, our hands-on experience is predominantly with the classic Langstroth beehive, which we've found to be a reliable and effective option for backyard beekeeping.
At Vegas Bees, our beehive reviews come from first-hand experience. As professional beekeepers, we've purchased and tested all the products on our list ourselves with no sponsorships or external influences. This allows us to provide completely transparent and honest opinions.
While Langstroth hives make up the majority of our apiaries, if money was no object, we'd choose Apimaye Beehives as our top pick, hands down. Their exceptional construction and durability have impressed us.
However, for those on a budget, we highly recommend the classic Langstroth models from our list. They all deliver great value for almost half of the cost.
Ultimately, our comprehensive hive comparisons aim to help fellow beekeepers make the best choice for their needs and budget. As hands-on apiarists with years of combined experience, we provide reliable guidance you can trust.
There's no doubt that Langstroth hives deserve their popularity amongst beekeepers. They offer an affordable, highly productive option that's a joy to paint and customize. We always have fun adding vibrant colors and designs to the brood boxes in our apiary.
However, for those seeking a more natural, low-maintenance appearance, Hoover Hives are a top-notch alternative. Their handsome dark wood comes pre-waxed, eliminating the need for paint while still protecting it from the elements.
When a friend of ours first saw our Hoover hive, he was convinced it must have been a pricey investment. But that wasn't the case at all.
Our Hoover Hives are loaded with bees, producing many gallons of honey, and the bees are very happy. These honeybees are sweet and hard workers; we love them like family.
In the past, Hoover even offered incredible deals on fully assembled hives with free shipping. Even at today's prices, Hoover provides exceptional value regarding quality beekeeping equipment.
We purchased their complete kit - brood box, honey super, tools, protective gear, telescoping cover, frames and foundations - everything a new beekeeper needs.
What really impressed us was their generosity with wax coating and fine attention to detail. The solid bottom board came waxed, too, a small but meaningful touch. And we adore the classic Hoover logo gracing each hive.
Hoover Hives earns our highest recommendation for outstanding woodenware without breaking the bank. The extra upfront investment pays dividends in durability, aesthetics, and pride of ownership. When it comes to Langstroth beehive boxes, Hoover is tough to beat.
Just another day at the apiary
Braving the extremes of Las Vegas's fickle climate, we've tested countless beehives.
Our #2 choice is Apimaye, a close second place to the legendary Langstroth hives. It commands a higher price, but the performance justifies the investment.
Our hives need sturdy, well-insulated protection when facing scorching summers, frigid winters, and blustering winds. Apimaye delivers exactly that with its hive design and quality craftsmanship. The precisely engineered walls and supers provide unmatched insulation and stability even in punishing desert conditions.
While Langstroth remains a solid, budget-friendly option, Apimaye is our 2nd favorite. The extra cost brings rewards in the long run through greater honey yields, hardier bees, and peace of mind knowing our buzzing colony has a fortress-like haven.
The ventilation system is genius - it maintains the ideal internal temperature without overheating. The screened bottom board provides airflow while keeping pests out. And the insulated walls retain heat in winter and cooling breezes in summer. The entrance reducer is the best we have seen. Our honey bees can defend the Apimaye easily, which means we never have to worry about their security.
With Apimaye's thermal regulation, our bees thrive year-round, producing record honey yields. When it comes time to harvest, Apimaye's frames and super design make the honey collection clean and easy.
This year especially, they've surpassed all expectations, filling the honey supers faster than ever before. While harvesting their honey is a delight for us, we always make sure to leave enough for the bees themselves. The golden honey they produce is a treasure we deeply cherish and enjoy.
The Apimaye store offers an extensive range of beekeeping accessories that have significantly improved our honey harvesting process. Their product lineup includes everything from in-hive feeders, which are crucial for keeping our bees well-fed, to separator bars, pollen traps, and queen excluders that contribute to the health and efficiency of our hives.
Additionally, they provide frames, smokers, and a host of other tools that have enriched our beekeeping experience.
After considering various options, we chose the Apimaye hive as the ideal solution for our apiary. This innovative beehive has simplified our honey harvesting while prioritizing the well-being of our bees.
From resilience to productivity, Apimaye delivers. If you're a desert dweller like us, their superior engineering guarantees your colony's success through scorching summers and frigid winters. Simply outstanding.
For a closer look at what makes Apimaye our #2 pick, check out our in-depth review. We break down the pros, cons, and costs and why we believe this innovative modern hive outperforms traditional models. If your apiary faces extreme weather fluctuations, Apimaye is a game-changing investment.
Transffering them into a 10-frame as they will need more space
Bee Castle's 8-frame hive configuration ranks as a top contender for us. We adore the more compact size, and a thriving honey bee colony has flourished there for over two years now.
As a Langstroth-style hive, Bee Castle delivers impressive quality. The pine boxes boast a coating of food-grade wax for protection, with the frame foundations dipped in beeswax to entice bees. This natural wax is irresistible to our busy, buzzing residents, and gives them a jump start to producing comb.
We prefer using foundations in our hives rather than going foundationless. While that approach works for some, for us, the consistency and guidance of a foundation feels right. But we know beekeepers have different philosophies on this!
Though Bee Castle offers a full starter kit for beginners, we only needed the brood box and honey super setup. Our beekeeping supplies have expanded over the years, leaving us well-stocked with extras!
Assembling the kit was a relaxing and satisfying task. The parts fit together seamlessly, this charming hive coming to life before our eyes. We'd wholeheartedly recommend Bee Castle's 8-frame hive to anyone seeking that configuration. Their first year was great, with the install being flawless. They filled up the deep pretty quickly and just picked up steam as the years rolled by.
The colony inhabiting our Bee Castle hive originally came from a bee removal we did in Vegas a couple of years back. Watching them thrive in this hive has been incredibly rewarding. We couldn't have asked for a better match!
Yes, Bee Castle is a solid choice, and we love the setup, and so do the bees; going on three years now!
In the world of beekeeping equipment, striking the balance between quality and value can be tricky. We've found MayBee Hive kits hit that sweet spot. As one of the more budget-friendly complete setups available, MayBee offers beginners sturdy, well-built components without breaking the bank.
We first took a chance on these kits years back when starting out with a captured swarm. Despite their lower price point, we found the boxes to be solid and more thoughtfully constructed than expected. And happily, that initial MayBee colony is still going strong season after season!
Beyond durability, it's the small touches that make MayBee stand out. Their kits feature charming bee graphics and coated wax finishes adding welcome pops of color. It shows the company's passion for bees rather than taking a generic, mass-produced approach.
The complete equipment packages live up to their reputation as well, with everything a new beekeeper needs. We appreciated that our first MayBee order came with assembled hive bodies, frames, foundation sheets, and even handy extras like entrance reducers and a queen excluder.
Given the significant upfront investment this hobby requires, the prices MayBee charges make adoption more accessible for newcomers. Their setup costs around 10% lower than leading brands and they include a brood box, medium honey super, bottom board, inner cover, metal-covered top cover, queen excluder, entrance reducer, and frames.
Of course with beekeeping, success isn't just about the equipment. But having reliable, beginner-friendly gear at a reasonable price via these kits gives your colony its best shot at thriving.
We say MayBee offers the total package – solid construction, charming personal touches, and serious savings. That trifecta is why they remain a trusted go-to suggestion for first-time beekeepers.
We recently acquired a Honey Keeper beehive, and so far, our experience has been quite positive. We are always on the lookout for quality equipment that will enhance the well-being of our bees, and this new addition to the apiary seems promising.
From the outset, the build quality of the Honey Keeper has impressed. It's made from durable pine that feels sturdy and well-constructed. This gives us confidence that the hive will be able to withstand the various environmental elements it will face throughout the seasons.
We did have to paint it a bright orange color that we love, as it came unpainted and unwaxed. The foundations were unwaxed as well, so we had to wax them, but that was actually fun for us to do.
The design of the hive is both functional and visually appealing. Setting it up was a straightforward process, thanks to the clear instructions provided. We predrilled the holes, and advise you to do the same. This ease of assembly is a big plus, especially for those who might be new to beekeeping and are setting up a hive for the first time.
Betsy and Pete
Las Vegas, Nevada
We're Betsy and Pete, passionate Las Vegas beekeepers trained by a master in the field. With hundreds of successful bee and bee swarm removals under our belts, we're not just experts; we're enthusiasts committed to the well-being of these incredible pollinators.
We manage dozens of beehives, both natural and honey-bearing at our Joshua Tree Preserve.
We believe education is an ongoing journey, especially in a field as dynamic as beekeeping. That's why we're continually updating our knowledge base, collaborating with other experts in beekeeping and bee removal, and staying abreast of the latest advancements in bee control methods and beekeeping practices.
Open 24 hours, 7 days a week.
Copyright © 2024 Vegas Bees - All Rights Reserved.