Sign-In
Cart
Build a Beehive: A Beginner's Woodworking Guide to Langstroth Hives
Paperback
Publisher: Independently Published
Published: Sep 18 2026
Pages: 150
Weight: 0.34
Height: 0.32 Width: 5.00 Depth: 8.00
Language: English
BUILD YOUR OWN HIVE, THEN WATCH YOUR FIRST BEES MOVE IN
There is a particular satisfaction in building something that will go on to be used every day. A beehive takes that feeling a step further. Once the last piece is fitted and the hive is set in place, it has a purpose: to give your colony a sound, well-made home.
This guide shows you how to build a standard Langstroth hive from the first cut to the finished box, including the frames, bottom board, inner cover, and stand. The measurements are carried through as one complete build, so the parts fit together and the dimensions that matter are right from the start.
Bee space is one of the dimensions that makes or breaks your hive. The difference between a hive buzzing with activity and an empty box in the corner of your garden. This guide puts those critical measurements into the build, with clear drawings and dimensions you can take straight to the workshop.
Harlan Voss is a retired Wisconsin carpenter and small-farm beekeeper who has built his own hives for twenty years. He now runs build days for his local bee club, helping beginners build their first boxes and frames.
INSIDE, YOU'LL LEARN HOW TO:
- Measure the space bees need inside the hive, using a simple gauge you can build and verify before you start cutting
- Work from one complete cut list, with verified dimensions for both 10-frame and 8-frame Langstroth hives
- Build the hive boxes, with three practical corner-joint options, including a rabbet-and-butt method that requires no table saw
- Cut the frame rest accurately so the frames sit at the correct height and the necessary bee space is maintained
- Build the frames and hive covers, including the bottom board, inner cover, and telescoping top
- Build the hive with a circular saw, following a complete cutting sequence for workshops without a table saw
- Finish and protect the hive, using practical methods suited to years of outdoor use
- Build the stand and choose the right location, then prepare for your first package or nuc
You also get 24 measured drawings, a fully annotated cut list for both hive sizes, the bee-space gauge, and an all-in cost page covering lumber, equipment, and the bees themselves, including when to place your colony order.
This is a build manual for the woodworker who wants to keep bees, and for the beekeeper who would rather build a hive than buy one. It covers the construction thoroughly, while leaving ongoing colony management, mite control, and disease treatment to dedicated beekeeping guides and your local club.
By the end, you will have a properly built Langstroth hive, with every part understood from the first cut to the finished roof, ready for the day your first colony moves in.
If you're looking for a meaningful project to work on over the winter months, then look no further. Scroll up and get your copy today.Also in
Agriculture
The Pig and I: The Tale of Our Relationship with a Beast We Eat
Endresen, Kristoffer Hattleland
Hardcover
Wildly Successful Farming: Sustainability and the New Agricultural Land Ethic
DeVore, Brian
Hardcover
The Secret History of Food: Strange But True Stories about the Origins of Everything We Eat
Siegel, Matt
Hardcover
Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal: A Food Science Nutrition History Book
Bittman, Mark
Hardcover
Finding the Flavors We Lost: From Bread to Bourbon, How Artisans Reclaimed American Food
Kuh, Patric
Paperback
Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game: Beef, Veal, Pork, Lamb, Poultry, Rabbit, Venison
Mettler, John J.
Paperback
The Mushroom at the End of the World: On the Possibility of Life in Capitalist Ruins
Tsing, Anna Lowenhaupt
Paperback
Flow Hive's Book of Bees and Beekeeping: Protect, Enjoy, Harvest
Anderson, Stuart
Anderson, Cedar
Hardcover
Seeds of Hope: The Azure Standard Story--Abundant Living Through Healthy Food
Stelzer, David
Hardcover
The Unsettling of America (50th Anniversary Edition): Culture and Agriculture
Berry, Wendell
Paperback
Backyard Homesteading, Second Revised Edition: A Back-To-Basics Guide for Self-Sufficiency
Toht, David
Paperback
The Home Blacksmith: Tools, Techniques, and 40 Practical Projects for the Home Blacksmith
Ridgway, Ryan
Paperback
Let's Become Fungal!: Mycelium Teachings and the Arts: Based on Conversations with Indigenous Wisdom Keepers, Artists, Curators, Feminists and Mycolog
Ostendorf-Rodríguez, Yasmine
Paperback
Sea of Grass: The Conquest, Ruin, and Redemption of Nature on the American Prairie
Marcotty, Josephine
Hage, Dave
Hardcover
Africulture: How the Principles, Practices, Plants, and People of African Descent Have Shaped American Agriculture
Carter, Michael, Jr.
Hardcover
Mushrooming Without Fear: The Beginner's Guide to Collecting Safe and Delicious Mushrooms
Schwab, Alexander
Paperback
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle - Tenth Anniversary Edition: A Year of Food Life
Kingsolver, Barbara
Kingsolver, Camille
Hopp, Steven L.
Paperback
Sugar Coated: Unboxing the Hidden Forces Shaping America's Favorite Breakfast Food Volume 89
Sutherland, Lisa
Nestle, Marion
Hardcover
An Absolute Beginner's Guide to Keeping a Pet Rabbit: Handling, Feeding, Housing, and Grooming
Cinteza, Adriana
Paperback
The Beekeeper's Bible: Bees, Honey, Recipes & Other Home Uses
Sweeney-Lynch, Sharon
Jones, Richard a.
Hardcover
The Complete Guide to Home Permaculture: How to Transform Your Yard Into a Thriving and Productive Ecosystem
Hall, Brandy
Hardcover
Feed the People!: Why Industrial Food Is Good and How to Make It Even Better
Rosenberg, Gabriel N.
Dutkiewicz, Jan
Hardcover
The Science of Spice: Understand Flavor Connections and Revolutionize Your Cooking
Farrimond, Stuart
Hardcover
We Are Eating the Earth: The Race to Fix Our Food System and Save Our Climate
Grunwald, Michael
Hardcover
The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It: The Complete Back-To-Basics Guide
Seymour, John
Hardcover
The Fleece & Fiber Sourcebook: More Than 200 Fibers, from Animal to Spun Yarn
Robson, Deborah
Ekarius, Carol
Hardcover
Farming While Black: Soul Fire Farm's Practical Guide to Liberation on the Land
Penniman, Leah
Paperback
Life on the Octopus Farm: The Ethics and Future of Growing the World's Most Intelligent Invertebrate
Schweid, Richard
Paperback
The Chicken Ladies' Guide to Life with Chickens: The Joys of Delicious Eggs and Raising a Healthy Flock
Dicarlo, Chrisie
Callahan-Kasmala, Holly
Paperback
The Beginner's Guide to Backyard Homesteading: Step-By-Step Instructions for Raising Crops and Animals
Lombardo, Lisa
Paperback
The Living Soil Handbook: The No-Till Grower's Guide to Ecological Market Gardening
Frost, Jesse
Paperback
Beekeeping For Beginners: The Beginning Beekeepers Guide on Keeping Bees, Maintaining Hives and Harvesting Honey
Morrow, Erin
Paperback
The Oyster Book: A Chronicle of the World's Most Fascinating Shellfish--Past, Present, and Future
Martino, Dan
Paperback
The Julia Rothman Collection: Farm Anatomy, Nature Anatomy, and Food Anatomy
Rothman, Julia
Paperback
The Market Gardener: A Successful Grower's Handbook for Small-Scale Organic Farming
Fortier, Jean-Martin
Paperback
Accidental Shepherd: How a California Girl Rescued an Ancient Mountain Farm in Norway
Greensfelder, Liese
Hardcover
The Last Sweet Bite: Stories and Recipes of Culinary Heritage Lost and Found
Shaikh, Michael
Hardcover
The Field Guide to Fleece: 100 Sheep Breeds & How to Use Their Fibers
Ekarius, Carol
Robson, Deborah
Paperback
The Backyard Homestead Seasonal Planner: What to Do & When to Do It in the Garden, Orchard, Barn, Pasture & Equipment Shed
Hansen, Ann Larkin
Paperback
Keeping a Family Cow: The Complete Guide for Home-Scale, Holistic Dairy Producers, 3rd Edition
Grohman, Joann S.
Paperback
What I Stand On: The Collected Essays of Wendell Berry 1969-2017: (A Library of America Boxed Set)
Berry, Wendell
Hardcover
Farmall Cub Encyclopedia: The Essential Guide to Models, History, Implements, and Repair
Updike, Kenneth
Gingell, Rachel
Paperback
Debunked by Nature: How a Vegan-Chef-Turned-Regenerative-Farmer Discovered that Mother Nature Is a Conservative
Engelhart, Mollie
Paperback
The Organic Medicinal Herb Farmer, Revised Edition: How to Produce High-Quality Herbs on a Market Scale
Carpenter, Jeff
Paperback
The Backyard Chicken Keeper's Bible: Discover Chicken Breeds, Behavior, Coops, Eggs, and More
Federman, Rachel
Ellis, Sonya Patel
Ford, Jessica
Hardcover
Storey's Guide to Raising Sheep, 5th Edition: Breeding, Care, Facilities
Simmons, Paula
Ekarius, Carol
Paperback
Wicked Bugs: The Louse That Conquered Napoleon's Army & Other Diabolical Insects
Stewart, Amy
Hardcover
How to Speak Chicken: Why Your Chickens Do What They Do & Say What They Say
Caughey, Melissa
Paperback
Eating on a Mountain at the End of the World: How I Found Love, Humor, and Beauty in My Quest for Ethical Food
Vernon, Zackary
Paperback
Land Rich, Cash Poor: My Family's Hope and the Untold History of the Disappearing American Farmer
Reisinger, Brian
Paperback
The Beekeeper's Lament: How One Man and Half a Billion Honey Bees Help Feed America
Nordhaus, Hannah
Paperback
Beeswax Alchemy: How to Make Your Own Soap, Candles, Balms, Creams, and Salves from the Hive
Ahnert, Petra
Paperback
Life and Death of the American Worker: The Immigrants Taking on America's Largest Meatpacking Company
Driver, Alice
Hardcover
The Swine Republic: Struggles with the Truth about Agriculture and Water Quality
Jones, Chris
Paperback
Farming the Woods: An Integrated Permaculture Approach to Growing Food and Medicinals in Temperate Forests
Mudge, Ken
Gabriel, Steve
Paperback
How the Other Half Eats: The Untold Story of Food and Inequality in America
Fielding-Singh, Priya
Paperback
The Regenerative Garden: 80 Practical Projects for Creating a Self-Sustaining Garden Ecosystem
Rose, Stephanie
Paperback
The Lost Flock: Rare Wool, Wild Isles and One Woman's Journey to Save Scotland's Original Sheep
Cooper, Jane
Paperback
One-Cow Revolution: Achieving Food Independence with a Grass-Fed Family Cow
Dougherty, Beth
Dougherty, Shawn
Paperback
Song of Increase: Listening to the Wisdom of Honeybees for Kinder Beekeeping and a Better World
Freeman, Jacqueline
Paperback
Polyface Designs: A Comprehensive Construction Guide for Scalable Farming Infrastructure
Salatin, Joel
Slattery, Chris
Paperback
Unraveling: What I Learned about Life While Shearing Sheep, Dyeing Wool, and Making the World's Ugliest Sweater
Orenstein, Peggy
Paperback
The Oyster Book: A Chronicle of the World's Most Fascinating Shellfish--Past, Present, and Future
Martino, Dan
Hardcover
Nourishment: What Animals Can Teach Us about Rediscovering Our Nutritional Wisdom
Provenza, Fred
Paperback
Backyard Beekeeping: Everything You Need to Know to Start Your First Hive
Burns, David
Burns, Sheri
Paperback
Self-Rising: The Magic Rise Behind Biscuit and Cornbread Culture
Carman, Linda
Merrell, Mindy
Quinn, R. B.
Hardcover
An Illustrated Catalog of American Fruits & Nuts
Us Department of Agriculture Pomological Watercolor Collecti
Hardcover
Sepp Holzer's Permaculture: A Practical Guide to Small-Scale, Integrative Farming and Gardening
Holzer, Sepp
Paperback
Attracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide Protecting North America's Bees and Butterflies
The Xerces Society
Paperback