There are various beehive dimensions that manufacturers use when making beehive bodies. These dimensions make slight differences that cannot be easily noticed. This implies that you can use multiple brands of beehives together.
The solution to this is the Lnastroth beehive which has mostly standard dimensions worldwide. This means that you can replace and mix parts without running into problems. There are 10 and 8 Frame Lanstroht hives with different dimensions.
A 10 frame Langstroth hive has internal dimensions of 18⅜” and 14¾” (LxW) and external dimensions of 19⅞” and 16” (LxW). The hive has a shallow body of 5 11/16”, a medium super of 6⅝”, and a deep body of 9⅝”.
However, a wise beekeeper should consider important factors when making their Langstroth beehive plans. Among the factors are price, size, and weight. You’ve come to the right place if you’re undecided about choosing between the popular 10-frame Langstroth hive dimensions and 8-frame Langstroth hives.
What is a Langstroth Beehive?
Langstroth hives are the most common beehives in Australia and North America. They are mainly composed of stacking rectangular boxes and have removable frames that enable bees to comb in.
The Langstroth beehive comes in various customizable designs that enable the beekeeper to choose the stacked boxes of their preferred height. The boxes come in 3 depths and 2 widths.
The 3 depths are deep, medium, and shallow, while the widths are 10 frames, 8 frames, or 5 frames. However, the 10 and 8 frame hives are the most popular. You can also paint the hive to the looks you want.
10 Frame Langstroth Beehive Dimensions
Most 10 frame Langstroth beehives have similar lengths and widths. They are 19.875 inches long and 16 inches wide. The only varying dimension is the depth. The table below summarizes shallow, medium, and deep boxes that have variable depth measurements:
| Hive type | Shallow | Medium | Deep |
| Length | 504.825 mm (19.875”) | 504.825 mm (19.875”) | 504.825 mm (19.875”) |
| Width | 406.4 mm (16”) | 406.4 mm (16”) | 406.4 mm (16”) |
| Depth | 149.225 mm (5.875”) | 168.275 mm (6.625”) | 244.5 mm (9.625”) |
| Weight | 18.144 Kgs (40lbs) | 22.680 Kgs (50lbs) | 36.287 Kgs( 80lbs) |
8 Frame Langstroth Beehive Dimensions
The 8 frame Langstroth beehive measurements are close to the 10 frame. Ther widths are only shorter by 2 inches.
| Hive type | Shallow | Medium | Deep |
| Length | 504.825 mm (19.875”) | 504.825 mm (19.875”) | 504.825 mm (19.875”) |
| Width | 355.6 mm (14”) | 355.6 mm (14”) | 355.6 mm (14”) |
| Depth | 149.225 mm (5.875”) | 168.275 mm (6.625”) | 244.5 mm (9.625”) |
| Weight | 14.514 Kgs (32lb) | 18.144 Kgs (40lb) | 29.030 Kgs (64lb) |
Langstroth Dimensions by Country
There are a few variations to the dimensions of Langstroth hives in some countries as follows:
| Country | Inner width | Inner length | Brood depth | Super depth |
| Australia | 362 | 464 | 241 | 168 |
| Canada | 380 | 469 | 241 | 168 |
| Denmark | 374 | 463 | 240 | 165 |
| New Zealand | 362 | 464 | 241 | 184 |
| United Kingdom | 370 | 464 | 242 | 146 |
Parts of a Langstroth Bee Hive
The main parts of a Langstroth hive are as follows:
1. Outer Cover
This is the top of the hive and is made of galvanized metal to offer protection from the elements. The telescoping top cover is the most common outer cover as it hangs slightly over the top cover so that water or debris collecting on it can fall off without affecting the rest of the hive.
2. Inner Cover
Just below the top cover and on top of the topmost super is the inner cover. It’s usually made of wood with an entrance hole and another hole in the middle. The inner cover prevents bees from gluing the top of the super to the top cover and helps regulate the hive temperature.
3. Hive Frames
In each box, there is a frame whose size coordinates with the size of the box. A large super, for example, will require a large frame. The bees build combs on the frame in the brood box for raising the brood. In honey supers, bees build combs on the frames to store honey.
To guide the bees on where to build their combs, a foundation is used. The foundation can be plastic or wired. The plastic foundation is the easiest to work with as a beekeeper although bees prefer the wired one.
4. Super
The super is where bees store the honey. Supers are often stacked upon each other and quite heavy. For this reason, shallow and medium boxes are used for stability. You can use as many supers as you desire.
5. Queen Excluder
As the name suggests, the queen excluder is meant to exclude the queen from entering the honey supers. It’s placed on the brood chamber and has holes that are just small enough to allow the worker bees to go through it but not the queen bee.
6. Brood Chamber
The brood chamber is where the queen bee lives and lays her eggs. It’s a deep box on top of the bottom board or the slatted rack. For safety and the continuity of the hive, hives have two brood chambers at the bottom.
7. Slatted Rack
The optional slatted rack is a piece that raises the brood chamber a bit higher for better ventilation and to reduce congestion in the hive.
8. Entrance Reducer
The entrance reducer is a rectangular piece of wood that reduces the size of the hive entrance to keep out intruders like mice and robber bees. It’s placed between the brood chamber and the bottom board.
9. Bottom Board
The bottom board is the lowest piece of the hive and has the entrance to it as well. It can either be screened or solid.
10. Hive Stand
Below the bottom board is the hive stand which elevates the hive off the ground to prevent moisture from damaging it. It also helps protect the hive from some pests and also keeps it at a good height for the beekeeper to work on the hive.
With these parts of the hive, your bees will be organized such that taking care of them is easy no matter the season. If you already have a hive without bees, you can easily find a bees’ nest in the wild to populate your hive.
10 Frame vs. 8 Frame Langstroth Beehives
10 frame deep beehives are the most common hives in the US. However, 8-frame boxes are becoming increasingly popular. Therefore, it is essential to differentiate between them to determine the most suitable beehive for your project.
Although the larger frame creates more space for honey and bees, experienced beekeepers do not choose the 10 Frame Langstroth hive for the following reasons:
1. They weigh less
Honey and bees add some weight to the hives. An 8 Frame hive will weigh less as compared to a 10 Frame. Therefore, when choosing the right hive for your project, always remember you need to lift multiple boxes at various heights. An 8 Frame Langstroth hive weighs 8 to 16 pounds less than a 10 Frame hive.
The approximate weight of an 8-frame shallow, medium, and deep box are 32, 40, and 64 lbs. respectively. On the other hand, 10 frame boxes will weigh approximately 40, 50, and 80 lbs. on shallow, medium, and deep boxes, respectively.
Therefore, if you use deep boxes, you will lift 16 lbs. more on the 10-frame hive.
2. They’re cheaper
10-frame boxes are relatively more expensive than 8-frame boxes. However, the price difference varies with the season, materials, and other factors.
8 frame Lanstrogh hives cost about $195 while the 10 frame ones cost about $230.
3. Better hive body size
Bees often build upwards rather than sideways. 8-frame hives have a narrow body that makes them more natural to bees. Bees nest in a hollowed-out tree. As such, an 8-frame hive acts almost similar to the wild nest.
4. Better in winter conditions
8-Frame hives are advantageous during winter since bees cluster for warmth. The cluster utilizes space in 8-frames, and there is no extra horizontal space, implying that bees can focus mainly on moving upwards as a group.
5. Faster filling boxes
8-frames hives generally fill up faster than the 10-frames, implying that this is at the expense of buying more super and grames as they fill up.
6. Higher tripping hazard
On the downside, there are more boxes stacked vertically in an 8-frame than a 10-frame beehive. Therefore, an 8-frame hive has more risk of tipping in windy and rainy weather.
7. Fewer equipment variations
Since the 8-frame hives have not been in the market for long, you may encounter challenges when looking for pollen traps and top feeders for the 8-frame variety. The most available equipment is for 10-frame hives.
Advantages of 10-Frame Hives
The benefits of having a 10-frame Langstroth hive include:
- The 10-frame box’s height is lower than the 8-frame boxes. Their width makes them store more honey at a lower height.
- The boxes have two more frames which creates more room for bees to brood and make honey in each box.
- 10-frame hives are popular and famous. Hence, knowledge of managing bees can be shared among beekeepers.
- The whole hive allows you to purchase fewer boxes.
- You have fewer frames to inspect.
- Most manufacturers make 10-frame box accessories hence their availability.
This makes 10-frame hives some of the best on the market.
Disadvantages of 10-Frame Beehives.
The cons of 10-frame Langstroth hives include:
- Full 10-frame beehives weigh approximately 15+ lbs. more than 8-frame hives.
- Since honeybees prefer moving upwards, they will move outside on the two outside frames to create more honey.
- Average beekeepers cannot lift the heavy 10-frame boxes by themselves.
- Lifting the heavy-weighted boxes poses risks of knee and back injuries.
These downsides, however, aren’t deal-breakers when using this type of hives.
Advantages of 8-Frame Beehives
The pros of having 8-frame Langstroth hives are as follows:
- The 8-frame hives generally weigh less, reducing the weight to be shifted at once.
- 8-Frame hives occupy less space. This enables you to fit more hives in a smaller area.
- The low-weighted hives reduce the risks of injury posed by heavy hives.
- Bees tend to use more frames on 8-frame hives when moving upwards.
- Honey inside the hives is more accessible and compatible with winter bee clusters.
While less popular than 10-frame hives, the 8-frame ones are beneficial in many different ways.
Disadvantages of 8-Frame Beehives
The downsides to having 8-frame beehives include:
- The high hive stack poses a risk of tapping in adverse weather.
- You are required to purchase more boxes as compared to 10-frame hives.
- Specified equipment is more difficult to find and fit compared to 10-frame boxes.
- You have to handle and move more boxes during honey harvesting.
- During an inspection, you will inspect more boxes.
Even with these downsides, 8-frame hives are some of the best on the market.
8-Frame Hives vs. 10-Frame Hives: Which is Better?
Although choosing the hive size and frame size is your personal decision, it is essential to consider some important factors. If you are looking for a popular standard frame in the beekeeping industry, consider choosing the 10-frame hive.
Also, if you are against heavy weight, choosing an 8-frame Langstroth hive can be a suitable decision. If you have a low budget for your frames, 8-frame beehives offer friendly shopping.
Most importantly, if you choose a hive that offers more space for bees’ brooding and honey, a 10-frame Langstroth hive is the best choice.
Besides Langstroth hives, you can also find self-draining beehives which offer an easy way to harvest honey from the hives without disturbing the hive. This comes in handy during the winter when opening up the hive can kill the bees.
Bottom Line
A 10-frame beehive slightly differs from an 8-frame beehive. The popular hive gives bees more space for brooding and honey-making. However, the beehive is associated with some adverse risks of injury due to its heavy weight when full.
Therefore, it is essential to consider some helpful discussed factors before choosing it for your next project. Now, with this useful information, make a decision today on whether a 10-frame beehive is perfect for you and secure the boxes for your beekeeping project.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the dimensions of a Langstroth hive?
Langstroth boxes in a single hive use the same length and width with a traditional box measuring 16” wide by 19⅞” long.
What are the dimensions of a 10 frame bottom board?
The dimensions of a screened bottom 10 frame board are 16¼” by 22” by 2 9/16” (LxWxH).
What size frame is a Langstroth beehive?
A Langstroth beehive’s frame is 18” wide and 19” deep with the Jumbo Langstroth hive being 18” wide and 11” deep with approximately 75,000 cells.
References
Oxford University Press. Lorenzo L. Langstroth and The Quest for the Perfect Hive.
University of Illinois. Integrating Gender and Nutrition within Agricultural Extension Services.
National Museum of American History. Bee Hives Buzzing with Invention.