Hives4 min
8-Frame vs 10-Frame Langstroth: Weight, Cost, Compatibility and Which to Buy
Dimensions, weight when full, cost and compatibility, from Oregon State, Mann Lake, Betterbee and Hoover, so you pick one width and never mix them.
Beekeeping buying guides
The straight answer onbeekeeping equipment
Which hive to start with, which suit and gloves to trust, which extractor fits a backyard apiary and what a first year costs. Every guide names its sources: the makers' own specs and the extension services that teach beekeeping.
Buying guide
Best Beekeeping Starter Kits of 2026: What Each Box Holds and What It Leaves Out
Six kits from Hoover, Honey Lake, Mann Lake, Dadant and Betterbee, compared on what is in the box, what is not, assembly and price.
Buying guide
Best Beehives for Beginners (2026): Langstroth Woodenware for a First Colony
Seven Langstroth hives for a first colony, compared on boxes and frames included, finish, dimensions and what the extension guides say a beginner needs.
Buying guide
Best Bee Suits of 2026: Three-Layer Ventilated, Cotton and Budget Suits Compared
Three full suits and a jacket alternative, compared on fabric layers, veil type, gloves and price, and what a veil has to do.
Buying guide
Best Honey Extractors of 2026: Manual and Electric, 2-Frame to 8-Frame
Seven extractors from 2-frame hand crank to 8-frame electric, compared on capacity, drive, drum, steel and price, with when honey is ready.
Specs from the source
Figures come from maker spec sheets and manuals, linked on the page.
A clear pick
Each guide names what we would buy, for whom, and what to skip.
Sources listed
Every guide ends with the documents it was built from.
Browse by category
HivesStarter kits, Langstroth, top bar, Warre and Flow hives, stands and woodenware.Protective GearSuits, jackets, veils and gloves, by fabric and fit.Tools & FeedersSmokers, hive tools, frame grips, feeders and bear fencing.Honey HarvestExtractors, uncapping tools, strainers and bottling.Bee Health & SeasonsMite monitoring, pests, feeding, the seasonal calendar and starting out.CalculatorsStartup cost and sugar syrup mixing.Laws & DataBeehive registration rules in all 50 states and USDA colony loss data.
Latest guides
New and updated buying guides, comparisons and how-tos.
Hives5 min
Beehive Wood and Coating Guide: Pine, Cedar, Beeswax Dip, Paint and Polystyrene
Beeswax dip, exterior latex, cedar and polystyrene compared from the suppliers' painting guides and extension sources, with what never gets painted.
Protective Gear5 min
Beekeeping Protective Gear Guide: What a Veil, Suit and Gloves Have to Do
How veils, suits and gloves work and fail, what to wear for which job, and what the medical and extension sources say about stings.
Bee Health & Seasons6 min
Beekeeping Seasonal Calendar: What to Do Each Season, From the Extension Guides
The year in five seasons from the extension guides: feeding, inspections, mite counts, supers, harvest, winter prep, and the gear for each.
Calculators3 min
Beekeeping Startup Cost Calculator: What the First Year Costs, Hive by Hive
Per-hive and one-time costs for the first year, with every default priced from a named supplier or listing on October 9, 2026.
Tools & Feeders8 min
Best Bear Fences for Beehives (2026): Energizers, Kits and the Agencies' Specs
A portable bear kit and three energizers judged against the state wildlife agencies' joule, voltage, spacing, grounding and bait rules.