Hives & Accessories

HYBRID BEEHIVE

ABL Box Hive

African Beekeepers Limited developed the ABL Box Hive as a practical hybrid between the Langstroth beehive and the Kenya Top Bar Hive.

• The brood box is fitted with bars arranged with appropriate bee space.
• Worker bees can move between the brood box and honey super.
• A queen excluder separates the brood chamber from the super.
• The design supports relatively simple colony management.
• Honey can be harvested using the crush-and-strain method.
• Both honey and beeswax can be recovered from harvested combs.

MODERN FRAME HIVE

Langstroth Beehive

ABL manufactures a locally adapted Langstroth beehive with modifications developed for managing African honeybees and handling hives under local apiary conditions.

• The brood chamber accommodates 11 frames rather than the standard 10, reducing excessive spaces in which bees may build burr comb.
• The hive floor is permanently attached to the brood box, making the colony easier to handle when moving it from a trapping location to a permanent apiary stand.
• The landing board is shortened to reduce the space available for bee-eating birds to perch near the hive entrance.
• Removable frames support systematic colony inspection and selective honey harvesting.

HONEY STORAGE

Super Box

The super box is placed above the brood chamber to provide the colony with additional space for storing honey.

ABL fits the super with nine frames rather than the standard 10. The additional space between frames improves ventilation and encourages the bees to draw deeper honeycombs.

The removable frames allow mature capped honey to be harvested while leaving the brood chamber below relatively undisturbed.

COLONY CAPTURE AND TRANSPORT

Catcher Box

The catcher box is manufactured to accommodate five Langstroth brood frames. It provides a compact and versatile unit for trapping, relocating and temporarily holding a bee colony.

Its dimensions correspond with the Langstroth frame system, allowing occupied frames to be transferred into a standard brood box after the colony has been relocated to its permanent apiary.

• Accommodates five Langstroth brood frames
• Suitable for colony trapping and relocation
• Compact enough for practical field handling
• Compatible with standard Langstroth frames

COMPLETE STARTUP PACKAGE

Beekeeping Startup Kit

The Beekeeping Startup Kit provides the principal equipment needed to establish a small modern apiary, manage colonies and undertake initial honey harvesting and processing.

The package includes:

• 10 Langstroth beehives
• 10 single-post hive stands
• Protective bee suit with veil and gloves
• Bee smoker
• Hive tool
• Bee brush
• Torch
• Three-frame centrifugal honey extractor
• Uncapping tray and uncapping fork
• Double stainless-steel honey sieve

COLONY MANAGEMENT

Queen Excluder

The ABL queen excluder is manufactured from galvanized wire mesh secured within a timber frame.

The mesh openings allow worker bees to move between the brood chamber and honey super while restricting the larger queen from entering the super.

Keeping the queen in the brood chamber helps prevent brood from being raised in honeycombs intended for harvesting.

PREPARING FOR HARVEST

Clearer Board

ABL developed the clearer board to help beekeepers remove worker bees from honey supers before harvesting.

When correctly positioned between the brood chamber and honey super, its one-way design allows bees to move down into the brood chamber while limiting their return to the super.

Under suitable colony conditions, the clearer board can substantially clear bees from the honey super within approximately 24 hours.

HIVE INSTALLATION

Single-Post Hive Stand

The ABL single-post hive stand is designed to accommodate one Langstroth beehive and raise it securely above ground level.

The single-post construction helps protect the colony from honey badgers and reduces the number of access points available to crawling pests.

Raising the hive also reduces contact with ground moisture and places it at a more convenient height for colony inspection and apiary management.

SUPPLEMENTARY COLONY FEEDING

Feeder Box

The feeder box is manufactured from plywood and sealed with beeswax. It is used to provide supplementary sugar syrup to a colony during severe dry periods or times of limited natural forage.

Supplementary feeding should be managed carefully and used only when necessary. Feeding should not take place while honey intended for harvesting is being stored in the supers.

HONEY EXTRACTION ACCESSORY

Comb Cage

The comb cage holds cut honeycomb harvested from Kenya Top Bar Hives or traditional beehives during centrifugal extraction.

Because these combs are not supported by Langstroth frames, the cage prevents them from breaking apart inside the extractor basket.

The loaded cage can be placed inside a compatible three-frame or nine-frame centrifugal honey extractor.

TOP-BAR BEEKEEPING

Kenya Top Bar Hive

The Kenya Top Bar Hive provides bees with removable top bars from which they construct natural hanging combs.

The ABL model is fitted with a queen excluder to help separate the brood area from the section intended for honey storage.

• Simple top-bar hive construction
• Removable natural combs
• Fitted with a queen excluder
• Suitable for honey and beeswax production
• Protective metal roof covering