8-Frame Vs 10-Frame Beehives: Which One to Choose?

With the right size beehives and beekeeping equipment, you can produce sufficient and high-quality honey as per the needs and requirements of your business. Running a small size business can be difficult, especially if you don’t know how to cut your expenses or invest in the right equipment. Furthermore, beekeeping education plays a viable role in helping you succeed in your beekeeping journey and earn maximum profits throughout. It is also important to note that what worked for one beekeeper might not work for you. Therefore, you should avoid taking decisions without acquiring proper knowledge. 

In this article, we will be talking about the pros and cons of using the two most popular beekeeping supplie options and ways you can determine which one to choose for your business. Without further ado, let us begin this article by understanding what 8-frame and 10-frame beehives are. 

What is The 8-frame Beehive?

A beehive is generally a place that a bee colony calls home and conducts the process of producing honey. Wooden beehives are man-made hives that are occupied by a bee colony to build their hives. An 8-frame beehive is a type of Langstroth hive that comes with 8 frames. An 8-frame beehive body is generally 13 ⅞ inches and weigh around 60 pounds. The approximate weight of the box when full of honey, shallow-32 lbs, medium-40 lbs, and deep-64 lbs.

An 8-Frame beehive can be an optimum option for beekeepers who want to produce honey at a higher speed compared to the 10-frame beehive.

Advantages of Using 8-Frame Beehive

One of the greatest benefits of using 8-frame bee hives is that these frame beehives are cheaper than 10-frame beehive boxes. These types of frames beehives can do wonders for your business and help you achieve your goal cost-effectively. Furthermore, if you are planning to keep a beehive in your home backyard as a hobby, then these handy frame beehive boxes can be a perfect option for you. These types of frame beehives are an ideal option for winter survival and help bees produce honey more efficiently.

Disadvantages of Using 8-Frame Beehive

Due to 2 fewer frames compared to 10-frame beehive boxes, 8-frame bee hives tend to fill up at a much faster rate. This way you might have to buy or install more supers and frames as the existing ones fill up. As a result, it also increases the risk of tripping over in windy and rainy weather. At times you might also face a difficult time finding the right equipment for your 8-frame beehive.

What is The 10-frame Beehive?

A 10-frame is the most popular and traditional method of producing honey. It is generally the first choice of most beekeepers, as it allows them to produce honey in a much higher quantity compared to other options available in the market. Similar to the 8-frame beehive, a 10-frame beehive is also a type of Langstroth hive that comes with 10 frames. This frame has a body of 16 ⅜ inches and can weigh around 75 lbs. The approximate weight of the box when full of honey, shallow-40 lbs, medium- 50 lbs, and deep-80 lbs. 

The greater the quantity, the better it will be for the business. With a greater quantity of honey, you get an opportunity to increase your sales and fulfill the requirements of more customers.

Advantages of Using 10-Frame Beehive

One of the biggest advantages of using a 10-frame beehive is that it consumes less space. Even with two more frames, this type of beehive can store more honey, consuming less space. With two more extra frames, with these types of beehives, you can enjoy a larger quantity of honey in one cycle. In this way, you don’t have to worry about purchasing more equipment every now and then. Most beehive accessories are made keeping in mind the 10-frame beehive boxes.

Disadvantages of Using 10-Frame Beehive

Due to more frames, these types of wooden beehives can be quite heavy to carry. You might need some help to shift these boxes from one place to another, as an average beekeeper cannot move a full 10-frame deep box by themselves. 10-Frame beehive boxes can be an expensive investment for small size business owners, as honey bees often tend to move up instead of moving outside to create the honey on the two sides of the frame.

Which One to Choose?

Which frame beehive boxes to choose primarily depends on the needs and preferences of your business. You can select the beehive that fits well with your budget and business requirements, based on the pointers mentioned above in this article. 

Before starting with your honey-making business, it is important that you gather sufficient knowledge about the process and types of beekeeping products used in the process. We hope with the help of this article, you will be able to make mindful decisions for your business. You can check best health benefits of Honey for detailed health benefits.