Abstract: A wind shield supported by a beehive bottom board prevents directly impinging wind from creating high-pressure differences across the beehive such as promote excessive ventilation. By providing an entry path that opens upward and follows a twisted path, proper ventilation and access to the beehive by the bees may be maintained. The wind shield may be quickly installed on a variety of beehive designs and easily removed during warm weather.

Abstract: There is provided herein an universal inner cover for a beehive which has a plate having a perimeter, and an upper surface and an opposing lower surface; and, a housing which is disposed on the upper surface of the plate having a perimeter which is smaller than the perimeter of the plate and which has four interconnected side sidewalls which are orthogonal to the upper surface of the plate. The plate's upper surface can be convex and the opposing lower surface can be convex. The housing can have a layer of insulation disposed therein, which can optionally contain cut-outs to hold various components for beehives.

Abstract: A beehive includes a column of stacked boxes which open onto each other at their tops and bottoms, with the column bearing a cap at its top and a floor at its bottom. The boxes have access ports for ingress and egress of bees, and the column is suspended above the ground on a support post which bears a pivot such that the column can be tipped from a vertical orientation to a horizontal orientation for easy maintenance. Bars, frames, and/or screens may be hung within and atop the boxes to promote desired comb-building behaviors, with bees tending to build comb downwardly from higher boxes into lower boxes. At desired times, upper boxes bearing honey may be removed from the column and lower boxes bearing brood may be rotated to the top of the column so that the bees continuously propagate down the column.

Abstract: A beehive (100) for honey production comprising a movable top entrance (104) positioned above a brood chamber (102). The movable top entrance is operative to releasably mount to the top of the brood chamber. In addition, the movable top entrance is operative to releasably support one or more honey supers (106) on top of the movable top entrance. The movable top entrance includes an outer frame (112) with at least one aperture (116) therethrough. the moveable top entrance further includes a baffle (122) in supporting connection within the outer frame. The baffle includes a cavity (126) adjacent the aperture in the outer frame. The aperture and the cavity have a size and shape which are sufficiently large to enable honeybees to pass through the aperture and the cavity to a location either above or below the baffle. The baffle has a surface area which fills the majority of the space between the outer frame and is operative to generally prevent the queen honeybee from moving to the honey super.