Many beekeepers are looking for ways to make the work around the hive easier and faster. Trying to accomplish that new beehives are built with improved ergonomic designs, ensuring long term survival, as well as better housing for the bees. Slovenian AZ beehive is a great hive, and it is used by many beekeepers. It originates from the European country of Slovenia where it has been used for centuries. The beekeeper who designed it is a famous Slovenian beekeeper Anton Žnideršič.
What makes this hive unique and interesting to the beekeepers is that the hive box opens from the back. Usually, hive inspection requires lifting of supers or broods which can be very tiring, especially for older beekeepers. Being able to just pull out frames individually even from lower levels makes colony inspection much easier for the beekeeper and bees.
The AZ hives are designed to fit into “bee houses” which expose the hive to the outside only on one side. This hive contains the same components as Langstroth, but it doesn’t have supers. For easier transportation, some beekeepers build these houses onto trucks.
Outside of the hive
Two openings for bees at the front of the hive which can be easily closed when the hive has to be moved
Since only front side of the hive is exposed to the outside, that side is the only one that has to be painted
Inside of the hive
Rear door allowing easier access to the frames on all levels
Frames rest on metal bars which utilize space, so bees don’t build burr comb along the bottoms, tops, and in between frames
Frames are narrower and taller than Langstroth Deep frames, and wired vertically
Standard foundation needs to be cut down to fit into these frames
The exterior door has ventilation flaps on the top and bottom for additional airflow
Two screened wire doors on the inside keep the bees in place and allow ventilation
Screened doors have feeding boxes so feeding the bees is easier
Removable queen excluders on the top of the interior and screened boards on the bottom.
On the inside of screened doors and front of the hive, there are metal spacers that keep the frames at the same distance
As we already mentioned, the biggest advantage is that supers and brood don’t have to be lifted because of the rear door. Frames can be simply pulled out individually, even from lower levels. Since hives are fitted into the “bee house” their inspection is easier and is not dependant on the weather. Stacking the hives in the house protects the bees from harsh weather and wind.
Feeding is performed inside the “bee house” which prevents any robbing stimulation from other colonies.
The hives only have two or three levels, but by putting a solid board between levels, you can have two colonies per level. When the season starts, you can remove the second queen and merge two colonies. That way you can have a strong colony ready to forage early in spring.
The Slovenian AZ beehive is a way of beekeeping that will work for some and not for others. Because of its design bees might get the swarming urge more often so the monitoring should be done more often. Also, be aware that this hive is not compatible with Langstroth frame sizes and standard foundation needs some adjustments to fit these hives. However, having hives inside a “bee house” and being able to work independently of outside weather is surely a significant advantage. With AZ hive there is no more waiting for sunny days without rain and strong wind just to be able to inspect the hive. Even bees like it, they seem to be less disturbed during inspections through rear doors. Since they are mostly oriented to using front entrances, only small amount of smoke is needed at the rear door during the inspection. Beekeeping requires a lot of hard work, so this type of hive might be a great option to increase the efficiency of both bees and beekeeper.
You can get oneNational Slovenian AZ beehivewith 20-frames ordered by Amazon.It's a small hive and as such is being advertised as suitable for those who find using a full-sized beehive difficult. Basically, the hive is worked from the rear so that there is no lifting of heavy boxes. In Slovenia the hive is kept in a bee house, a building holding a number of the hives, generally with decorated fronts
- Designed in Slovenia
- 100% natural wood
- 100% Slovenian standard
- 100% Brand New
- 1 x Slovenian beehive with 20 frames
FAQs
Though you may not realize it, our agriculture depends on the bees. Bees are pollinators, which means that they help plants make fruit or seeds. If the collapse of beehives continues, our food supply will be seriously jeopardized.
What is a Slovenian AZ hive? ›
A Slovenian AZ hive has similar dimensions to a Langstroth hive in that it is rectangular and comprises of either 2 or 3 levels. This is the equivalent to either 2 or 3 boxes (supers) on a Langstroth hive. AZ hives however are a single unit. You cannot add additional boxes above the unit like you can a Langstroth hive.
What do you mean by beehive? ›
A beehive is an enclosed structure in which some honey bee species of the subgenus Apis live and raise their young. Though the word beehive is used to describe the nest of any bee colony, scientific and professional literature distinguishes nest from hive.
What are the 3 types of bees? ›
A honey bee colony typically consists of three kinds of adult bees: workers, drones, and a queen. Several thousand worker bees cooperate in nest building, food collection, and brood rearing.
What is the biggest BEEZ? ›
Largest Bee Species- Wallace's Giant Bee (Megachile Pluto)
Almost the size of an adult's thumb and four times the size of the honey bee, the wildlife photographer Clay Bolt says, it was a breathtaking sight.
How many Slovenians keep bees? ›
Slovenian beekeeping - facts and figures
The importance of beekeeping in Slovenia can also be seen in numbers: in 2020, Slovenia had 11,293 beekeepers, 15,420 apiaries and more than 210,000 bee colonies, which is 42% more than ten years ago.
How do AZ hives work? ›
AZ hives, if you're not familiar with them were developed in Slovenia, which has a long history with bees and beekeeping. Basically, AZ hives are in a small shed that the beekeeper goes into to work the bees. To work these hives, they are opened from the back, not the top, and the back is inside the shed.
How long can a hive survive? ›
As long as the bees have good honey stores and are able to fight off disease they can live in a place indefinitely.
What is the beehive famous for? ›
The 'Beehive' is the popular name for the Executive Wing of the parliamentary complex because of the building's shape. This is where the Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers have offices, and where the Cabinet meets.
What is the difference between a beehive and a honeycomb? ›
Inside the hive we find different structures formed by cells of wax, which is what is known as honeycombs. Thus, a hive is made up of different structured combs. Inside the hive we find different structures formed by cells of wax, which is what is known as honeycombs.
Lastly, when a honey bee queen suddenly dies, an urgent and unplanned supersedure occurs. Worker honey bees identify several larvae within the proper age range and begin to condition these larvae to become queens.
What kind of bees are the most aggressive? ›
Africanized honey bees are a lot more aggressive than standard bees. If threatened, they will attack in huge swarms with the intent of stinging until it is no longer a threat.
What is a female bee called? ›
Hives include one queen, hundreds of drones, and thousands of worker bees. The worker bees are female, but they do not breed. The queen bee is female and creates all the babies for the hive. The drone bees are male and do not have a sting. Bees communicate with each other about food sources using dances.
What is the meaning of the birds and the beez? ›
The phrase "the birds and the bees" is a term used to explain the mechanics of reproduction to younger children, relying on the imagery of bees pollinating and eggs hatching to substitute for a more technical explanation of sexual intercourse.
Where does the buzz from bees come from? ›
Most of what we hear as buzzing from bees is due to the rapid beating of their tiny wings. Some bees beat their wings a mind-blowing 230 times a second, generating quite the buzz. This is also mostly why we hear buzzing sounds from flies, wasps, and various other fast-flying insects.
What is a buzz bomb bee swarm? ›
Red Bomb (left), Blue Bomb (middle), and Buzz Bomb (right). Bomb collects pollen from flowers in an area. Buzz Bombs collect 7 pollen from all types of flowers. Red Bombs and Blue Bombs collect 10 pollen from only matching-color flowers.
What is the sound of bees called? ›
Flapping of their wings in the air. Flapping of wings by bees and mosquitoes produce a high frequency vibration in the air that is heard as buzzing.
