The most fundamental element to beekeeping is concerned with the hives themselves in which the colony resides. Significant changes have been made to hives, and over time, this has made the process of extracting honey to be far more manageable than it used to be.
The universal standard in beekeeping hives is the Langstroth hive and this is what is most used in the United States. It's what is known as a "movable frame" beehive and the support framework of the Langstroth hive is a wooden, rectangular in shape, and holds the combs inside. Typically, there are about ten combs in the frame at one time. The amazing fact about these frames is that there isn't a top or a bottom as the combs simply "hang" inside. The combs are constructed of a sheet of wax or can be plastic. The bees use this sheet of wax as a starting point to produce extra wax in which to build the honeycomb. Once complete, the bees will then deposit the honey and pollen into the cells of the comb. The box is designed to permit the easy removal of frames that are entirely drenched with the honey that is to be removed.
In Africa the top-bar hives are very common. For hobbyists, these are becoming more popular in the United States. The top-bar hive uses bars across the top of the framework and the honey bees use these bars to affix and hang the wax combs from. Unlike the frames that can be used again and again in a Langstroth hive, the combs used in top-bar hives can only be used the one time only. Producing honey in large quantities is not supported by this specific design. "Why would one use a top-bar hive then?" you may ask. Because the honey that they produce is the highest quality honey that money can buy - and a tidy profit can be had.
There are other factors to take into consideration though, when you are thinking of starting a beehive on your property. The type of hive you buy is just one of them. Researching local restrictions on keeping bees needs to be done first before thinking of actually buying the hive and the bees. The space available on your block of land and the placement of the hive also need to be looked at. A bee hive should not be placed in close proximity to homes, schools or other obvious places of recreation such as parks. Some people find bees vexing, particularly for those who are known to suffer allergies to the sting of a bee. It's advised to place a beehive close to where the bees can easily get to a food source. A beehive also needs to be near to fresh water, either a natural source or provided by the beekeeper. Predators need to be considered as well when choosing where to put the hive. These include racoons, skunks and bears. Vandals can also be an issue when there is the potential for "free" honey. The hive also requires protection from the elements such as severe weather but does need to be accessible at all times of the year. Beekeeping is a full-time hobby, even if the bees are out and about during a certain parts of the year.