"Not just a different beehive, but a whole new way
of looking at beekeeping"
  FREE EBOOK: top bar hive plans
  FREE downloads: old beekeeping books and articles
  Be among the first to hear about new courses and events
  join our free email list.

  NEW: the Quadratic Hive
  probably the most versatile beehive in the world!


Help us make Britain a better place for bees!

Support Friends of the Bees







The free plans will enable you to build a working top bar hive, using simple tools and readily obtainable timber. If you want more detail, with backgtound information and more pictures, you may like to buy my book - Balanced Beekeeping I: Building a Top Bar Hive

Once you have built your hive, I strongly recommend a practical training course before you add bees!

Now available in paperback from Lulu.com



You will also want a copy of this book!


How to build the Warré Garden Hive


The Warré (or 'People's Hive', as its inventor named it) is a popular alternative to other vertical hives and is used by some commercial beekeepers, especially in France. In the right conditions, it can produce a good crop of honey and requires very little intervention by the beekeeper when compared with conventional hives.
These plans are recommended as being clear and easy to follow.

The Warré Garden Hive Construction Guide 2.0 requires only moderate skills and uses low-cost materials. If you can put up a set of shelves, then you can make a serviceable beehive!


Do you want to learn some woodworking skills?

Here's a great way to learn woodworking and have access to dozens of plans. Click Here!




Get the ebook here
© 2024 Phil Chandler    Friends of the Bees
top bar hive plans