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Apimaye insulated hives and nucs

Apimaye makes insulated plastic Langstroth-size hives, 7-frame nucs, deep and medium supers, and bottom boards and upgrade kits that fit wooden hives.

See Apimaye on Amazon
Colorful hives under a tarp cover with snow on the ground and bees flying
Apimaye Ergo Insulated 10-Frame Hive Set, No FramesApimaye Ergo Insulated 10-Frame Honey Maker, 1D+2MApimaye Ergo Insulated 10-Frame Hybrid, 1D+1MApimaye Ergo Insulated 10-Frame Simplicity, 3 DeepApimaye Ergo Insulated Hive Set with 10 Wood FramesApimaye Insulated 7-Frame Nuc with Core Frames, Tan
Photo: Colby Stopa, CC BY 2.0, via Flickr
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Apimaye in our catalogue

Products by category

Hives & kitsHives & kits: 99Frames & foundationFrames & foundation: 22

What Apimaye sells

Apimaye builds insulated plastic hives in Langstroth size. The pitch is a hive that does not need painting and buffers the colony against heat and cold. The maker lists the Ergo boxes as taking standard wooden frames, and the deeps have grooves for an optional division board.

  • Ergo 10-frame hives: a hive set with no frames, a set with 10 wood frames and double-wax foundation, and fully assembled configurations: Honey Maker (1 deep + 2 medium), Hybrid (1 deep + 1 medium) and Simplicity (3 deep).
  • Nucs: insulated 7-frame nucleus hives with core frames and foundation, in two versions.
  • Boxes: insulated deep and medium supers, sold without frames.
  • Upgrades for wooden hives: a 10-frame upgrade kit (screened bottom with pollen trap, 1.1-gallon top feeder, insulated top cover) and an 8-frame screened bottom board with pollen trap.

Apimaye hives by listed spec

ProductFramesBoxesMaterialIncludes
Apimaye Ergo Insulated 10-Frame Hive Set, No Frames10 (frames not included)Double deepInsulated plasticScreened bottom with pollen trap, excluder, top feeder
Apimaye Ergo Insulated Hive Set with 10 Wood Frames10 wood frames, double-wax foundationSingleInsulated plasticScreened bottom, pollen trap, excluder, top feeder
Apimaye Ergo Insulated 10-Frame Honey Maker, 1D+2M101 deep, 2 mediumInsulated plasticFully assembled boxes
Apimaye Ergo Insulated 10-Frame Simplicity, 3 Deep103 deepInsulated plasticFully assembled boxes
Apimaye Insulated 7-Frame Nuc with Core Frames, Tan7Nucleus boxInsulated plasticCore frames and foundations

Specs as listed by the maker or seller; check the listing before you buy.

An R-value is not listed in our catalogue entries, so treat any insulation figure you see as the maker's claim. Read which set you are buying: the Ergo hive set ships without frames, while the version with 10 wood frames includes foundation. The Simplicity build uses three deeps, so every frame in the hive is one size.

How Apimaye compares with other insulated options

Lyson sells a polystyrene 10-frame kit with assembled wooden frames, and an unbranded Layens horizontal hive lists 1.5-inch foam double walls with 20 Layens frames. If you already own wooden hives, a winter wrap from POLLIBEE or Windspeed is the low-commitment route, and Apimaye's own upgrade kit adds an insulated top to a wooden 10-frame hive.

Choosing a box size? See 8-frame vs 10-frame hives.

Who Apimaye suits

Apimaye suits beekeepers in hot summers or long winters who would rather not paint and maintain wood, and anyone overwintering small colonies in a 7-frame nuc. It suits you less if you want a natural-wood hive, or if you plan to mix boxes freely with other brands: Apimaye's latches and grooves are designed to lock to its own boxes and covers, so check fit before buying a mixed setup. Insulation does not replace winter basics such as enough stores, ventilation and mite control.

Where Apimaye appears on Hive & Frame

Apimaye: questions

Do Apimaye hives take standard Langstroth frames?
The maker lists the Ergo boxes as Langstroth-size and compatible with standard wooden frames; the deep super also lists plastic deep frames.
Does the Apimaye Ergo hive set include frames?
One version does not ("no frames"). Another set lists 10 wood frames with double-wax foundation.
Do Apimaye hives need painting?
No. The listings describe them as not needing paint.
What is the Apimaye 7-frame nuc for?
It is listed for raising and overwintering small colonies, such as splits or caught swarms.
Can Apimaye parts upgrade a wooden hive?
Yes. The Hive Upgrade Kit lists a screened bottom with pollen trap, a 1.1-gallon top feeder and an insulated top cover for 10-frame wooden Langstroth hives.