2
The plan shows the size to make the hive. Standard sizes allow
a beekeeper to move comb from one hive to another. This
allows bees to be more easily managed and makes honey
harvesting easier.
A
A – gable end
B – side panel
C – entrance (no more than 8
mm high)
D – floor (& optional landing
board no bigger than 2 cm)
E - top bar
F – roof
(all measurements are internal
to allow for variation in
thickness of construction
materials)
Top Bars are usually wedge-shaped. It is essential that the top
bars are exactly 3.2 cm wide:
END VIEW OF TOP BAR
3.2 cm
3.2 cm
SIDE VIEW OF TOP BAR
48 cm
44 cm
Basic Beekeeping Manual 1: How to make a Moveable Comb Top Bar Beehive (© Author Pam Gregory, who offers
this as her gift to beekeepers in developing countries)