Thinking of bees, Internet and Facebook. If you express an interest in beekeeping on the Internet, it is likely you will encounter ads on Facebook for “really easy to use beehives.” They show people in shorts and flip flops strolling out to a hive, turning a spigot, and pouring beautiful honey on their cereal or toast, straight from the hive. They offer to sell you such a hive for a measly $500 or something like that. DON’T DO IT!  I admit, that it is conceivable that such a innovative hive design might someday function, but in the four or five years they’ve been pushing this design, I have met no beekeepers who have successfully used such a hive, and, I might add, that those folk are still collecting (now) millions of dollars to tweak and refine their invention.

Don’t fall for sales pitches for “no brains, no work” bee hives!

There are a number of hive systems available. By far the most popular is the standard “boxes” one sees in orchards and fields, the Langstroth hive. If you are new to beekeeping and wish to go with another type of hive, first, I’d recommend that you find an experienced beekeeper using the other kind of hive, who will mentor you with it. Otherwise, go with Langstroth, learn from your mentor, and, when you have successfully kept bees for a couple years, then try that other kind of hive.