Apimaye 10 Frame Langstroth Insulated Beehive Review

Hives and other beekeeping equipment take up a huge amount of capital and have a long term impact on your success and enjoyment of beekeeping. It is therefore important that you consider not only the initial cost but also subsequent cost of additional equipment as well as recurrent costs associated with the hive type in question. It is also important to note that the type of hive chosen will affect the amount of time and beekeeper interaction with the bees. The Apimaye 10 Frame Langstroth Insulated Beehive has been tailor-made with the needs of the user in mind. It boasts an array of features that have impressed many, beginners and pros alike.

About Langstroth Beehives

Langstroth beehives are ideally the most common types of hives among beekeepers the world over. Its design resembles a stack of boxes or drawers and is made up of frames in which the bees build wax. You can choose frames with foundations or opt for foundation-less if you like.

In a nut-shell, some of the major components of a Langstroth hive include:

• Hive Stand – this refers to structure on which the hive rests so as to prevent direct contact with the ground.
• Bottom Board – you have two options: solid bottom or screened bottom board. The screened one comes with a sticky board which helps keep off pests.
• Supers or Boxes – the supers are simply large boxes commonly used in Langstroth hives. They differ in sizes and can hold either ten or eight frames. Colder areas require two 10 frame supers full of honey and wax for the bees to survive during winter. Some supers and corresponding frames are designed for brood and others for honey. However, the bees do not necessarily use it as apportioned by the beekeeper.
• Foundation and Frames – the Langstroth hives come either with premade wax frames or without. Those that come with premade wax are meant to act as a guide for the bees, showing them where to build their own.
• Cover – two types of covers are available in the Langstroth hive: the outer and inner cover. The inner cover has an entrance hole and a top hole. As for the outer cover, it can either be flat across the top or simply a telescopic cover that is fitted inside the inner cover and over the top super’s sides.

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About the Apimaye 10 Frame Langstroth Insulated Beehive

• Ideal for both beginners and professionals. It comes assembled and it natural color is appealing and requires no painting.
• Has a design aimed at minimizing the impact on the bees. It is easy to open and inspect, and feed or move the bees.
• Makes it easy to fight small hive beetles and Varroa mites thanks to its easily accessible design.
• Well-insulated to protect the bees from extreme weather. This also helps prevent moisture build-up within the hive. The bees can therefore survive the colder winters without consuming too much honey.
• It has a screened bottom board that has pollen trap and drawer that help fight small hive beetle and Varroa mite. It also has queen excluder, top feeder, entrance reducer, uniting/division board, and frame spacers.
• Entrance reducer prevents looting and helps lock the front for winter. Division or uniting board can be used to divide or unite two colonies.
• Queen excluder creates space between the frames so that the bees can move freely.
• It includes 20 plastic frames (Handy frames) that easily connect for putting swam comb or the foundation. However, it does not include any foundation. The handy frames are designed for wax foundation only.
• It has won an award in the Apimondia International Apicultural Congress.
• Product dimension is 27.5 x 24.5 x 20 inches and it weighs approximately 58.2 pounds.
• Made from food grade, UV-resistant plastic.
• Has good ventilation which helps prevent fungus growth, a common problem in wooden hives.
• It guarantees a productive colony and reduces winter food consumption.
• It is a standard Langstroth beehive and allows the use of wooden or plastic frames interchangeably.

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Allows for least disturbance to the bees when checking bees, moving bees or harvesting honey.
• Best for keeping pests off and creating a healthy environment for the bees.
• It comes pre-assembled making it easy to start the beekeeping enterprise.
• Excellent design with a natural color. No need to paint.
• Easy to assemble.
• Can withstand extreme climatic conditions.
• Well-sealed and waterproof. Reduces the work of the bees.
• Stackable for easy transportation.
• Quality for money.
• Easy to use.

Cons

• The beehive does not have a wooden body. Some beekeepers may prefer to personal preference.
• The mix and match of different colors tends to make the beehive a little unattractive. This is just another personal preference and not a knock against the hive itself.

Further Thoughts

The Apimaye 10 Frame Langstroth Insulated Beehive Set can withstand extreme heat and cold weather unlike wooden hives. The hives are tight and create a waterproof seal which makes it easy for the bees to work on creating honey instead of sealing the hive with propolis.

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Apimaye Beehive Replacement Hive Parts

Apimaye has a number of parts and replacements for beekeepers. These replacement hive parts are designed around their Insulated Langstroth Beehive sets. Apimaye replacement hive parts are a great relief for beekeepers who use Apimaye Nuc products in their apiary. The replacement parts are easy to use. They include super boxes, frames for the beehive, deep boxes and top and bottom sections of the beehive kit. Here are the three Apimaye replacement hive parts most beekeepers find handy.

Apimaye Insulated Deep Super for 10 Frame Hive (no frames)

The Apimaye Insulated Deep Super for 10 Frame Hive is a replacement for beekeepers that are using the Apimaye 10 Frame Langstroth Insulated Beehive. As its name suggests, it takes a  maximum of 10 frames, though none are included upon purchase (you’ll have to get them separately). The super is designed in the Langstroth style and insulated using Apimaye’s signature insulation method. The super can serve as a great addition to your beehive if you’re looking to expand.

Beekeepers need to leave some amount of honey for bees to use over winter. The Apimaye Insulated Deep Super is good to store this essential honey. You may have one or two of these depending on the size of your bee colony. Larger colonies need more food for winter.

The Apimaye Insulated Deep Super is insulated. This is good as you are sure that your bees will not experience a temperature drop as they access honey. The insulation additionally serves as a weatherproofing layer. With an insulated beehive, your Spring build up of honey is faster. This Apimaye Insulated Deep Super can be used to achieve better yields from your beehive.

The super is built using plastic material that is durable and food grade. It does not impart impurities into the honey you harvest from your beehive. Additionally, the plastic does not add odors or flavors to honey.

The Apimaye Insulated Deep Super has latches on the sides for easy handling. This allows you to lift the super box easily and with excellent grip. This insulated deep super weighs 13.6 pounds (6.2 kgs). It measures 7 x 19.7 x 11.2 inches in dimension. It sits well on and under other boxes you use on your beehive.

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Apimaye Screened  Premium Bottom Board with Built-in Pollen Drawer and Pollen Trap

Apimaye recognizes the important role a nice bottom board plays in a beehive. They have availed a nice bottom board cover for beekeepers who use both screened and unscreened bottom boards. The Apimaye Screened  Premium Bottom Board with Built-in Pollen Drawer and Pollen Trap does not interfere with your beehive bottom board preference. This bottom board cover is for Apimaye’s Insulated Beehives.

The bottom board fits in well with the other parts of the Apimaye 10 Frame Langstroth Insulated Beehive. It has a drawer and a pollen trap. The Apimaye screened bottom board has a built-in pollen drawer and pollen trap which allows the collection pollen for beekeepers who want to. It is ventilated to prevent moisture building up in your beehive. Both beginner and professional beekeepers using the Apimaye insulated beehive may find this replacement screened bottom board very handy.

The ventilation in the Apimaye screened premium bottom board additionally allows it to help in cooling during cold weather. This board does not leave you with rotting in your beehive.

Screened bottom boards help with pest control. When bees get mites off them, they fall to the ground. This Apimaye screened premium bottom board allows beekeepers to enjoy this advantage of a screened bottom board while giving superior protection from cold weather. This replacement kit is made of the same durable material used in the Apimaye 10 Frame Langstroth Insulated Beehive. Beekeepers buying this replacement kit from Apimaye are assured of quality since it is manufactured by the same makers of the kit they will be fitting it onto.

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Apimaye Insulated Deep Super with 10 Plastic Handy Frames

The third very important replacement part that Apimaye has availed to beekeepers is the Apimaye Insulated Deep Super with 10 Plastic Handy Frames. It is made for beekeepers using the Apimaye 10 Frame Langstroth Insulated Beehive. The super and frames are made out of the same material as the beehive and they are very durable.

This is a complete super that fits into a Langstroth beehive. The super has nice latches that give you excellent grip when you are working with the box. The latches are molded on to the super’s outer plastic. The super can hold a maximum of 10 frames. The frames are made of plastic that is food grade. It is safe for use with honey which is to be consumed by people.

The frames are easy to work with for both amateur and pro beekeepers. They hold foundation well and bees take to them easily. No additional setup is needed since the frames come with foundation applied on them.

An Apimaye logo adorns the side of the deep super. This symbol of quality on the insulated super box assures you that you are buying an authentic product. Apimaye is proud of their super boxes and the excellent performance they give beekeepers that are expanding the size of their beehives. More space in your insulated beehive gives you higher honey yields. The Apimaye Insulated Deep Super with 10 Plastic Handy Frames allows you to also enjoy larger honeybee colonies since it can be used as an insulated deep box using a queen excluder.

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Conclusion

The Apimaye 10 Frame Langstroth Insulated Beehive has taken many by surprise. I particularly love the fact that it can withstand extreme weather conditions without jeopardizing the well being of the bees. This is a sure bet for the savvy buyer.

Additionally, getting replacement parts for beekeeping equipment can be quite a hassle sometimes. Extension and additions that fit well are additionally difficult to get at times. Beekeepers using Apimaye insulated beehives have been spared the agony of canvassing for parts. The Apimaye replacement hive parts are made by the original makers of your kit, so you can be sure of its quality The replacement parts work well with the other parts you may have purchased previously.

Do you own the Apimaye 10 Frame Langstroth Insulated Beehive? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think of it.