Product Overview
12 Frame Double Wax Dipped 9-5/8" Deep Hive Body
The Foundation of a Healthy Honey Bee Colony
The 12 Frame Double Wax Dipped 9-5/8" Deep Hive Body serves as the primary brood chamber where honey bee colonies raise brood, store pollen, and build the population needed for a productive hive. Manufactured by Lappe's Bee Supply, this premium deep hive body is protected using our double wax dipping process to provide exceptional durability, improved moisture resistance, and long-lasting performance in the apiary.
Whether you're replacing worn equipment, expanding an existing hive, or building a complete colony from individual components, this hive body provides a dependable foundation designed to work with standard 12 frame Langstroth equipment.
Quick Answer
A 9-5/8" deep hive body, often called a deep brood box, is the primary living area of a honey bee colony. It houses the queen, brood nest, pollen stores, and much of the colony's food reserves while providing the space needed for population growth.
What Is a Deep Hive Body?
The deep hive body is where the queen lays nearly all of her eggs and where worker bees raise developing brood. It also contains much of the colony's stored pollen and nectar that support larval development and colony growth.
Because the brood chamber is the center of colony activity, deep hive bodies are among the most important components of a Langstroth hive.
As colonies grow, additional deep hive bodies may be added to provide more brood space before honey supers are installed.
Why Choose a 12 Frame Deep Hive Body?
Compared to traditional 8 frame and 10 frame equipment, a 12 frame hive body provides additional comb space within a single box.
Benefits include:
- Larger brood nest capacity
- More room for pollen and nectar storage
- Fewer brood boxes may be needed
- Greater flexibility during rapid spring buildup
- Excellent choice for strong colonies
- Compatible with other 12 frame equipment
Why Double Wax Dipped Woodenware?
Every hive body is manufactured by Lappe's Bee Supply and protected using our premium double wax dipping process.
Double wax dipping helps:
- Improve moisture resistance
- Extend the service life of woodenware
- Reduce maintenance
- Help protect wood from weather exposure
- Provide years of dependable service in the apiary
When Should Another Deep Hive Body Be Added?
Many beekeepers add a second brood chamber when the colony has drawn comb on most of the frames in the first hive body and the queen has little room left to expand the brood nest.
Providing additional brood space at the appropriate time helps support continued colony growth while reducing congestion within the hive.
Excellent For
- Primary brood chambers
- Colony expansion
- Replacing damaged hive bodies
- Building complete hives
- Swarm captures
- Installing package bees
- Installing nucleus colonies
- Long-term colony management
What's Included
- One Fully Assembled 12 Frame Double Wax Dipped 9-5/8" Deep Hive Body - Measures 19-7/8" x 18-1/2" x 9-5/8"
Frames sold separately.
What This Component Does
The 12 Frame Double Wax Dipped 9-5/8" Deep Hive Body serves as the primary brood chamber of a Langstroth hive. This is where the queen lays the majority of her eggs, worker bees raise developing brood, and the colony stores pollen and a significant portion of its food reserves.
As the colony grows, the deep hive body provides the space needed for population expansion while supporting the brood nest—the heart of every healthy honey bee colony. Built from premium double wax dipped woodenware, this hive body is designed to provide long-lasting durability and dependable performance season after season.
Where This Fits in Your Hive
The 9-5/8" deep hive body forms the foundation of the colony's living space and is installed directly above the bottom board.
Typical hive configuration (top to bottom):
-
Telescoping Hive Lid
-
Inner Cover
-
Honey Super(s) (when installed)
-
9-5/8" Deep Hive Body (Brood Chamber) ← This Product
-
Bottom Board
Many colonies begin with a single deep hive body before a second brood chamber or honey supers are added as the colony expands. The deep hive body remains the center of colony activity throughout the active beekeeping season.
What This Product Is Compatible With
This 12 Frame Double Wax Dipped 9-5/8" Deep Hive Body is designed for use with compatible 12 Frame Langstroth hive equipment, including:
-
12 Frame Triple Wax Coated Frames
-
12 Frame Plastic Foundation
-
12 Frame Wax Dipped Telescoping Hive Lids
-
12 Frame Wax Dipped Inner Covers
-
12 Frame Solid Bottom Boards
-
12 Frame Screened Bottom Boards
-
12 Frame 6-5/8" Honey Supers
-
Complete 12 Frame Double Wax Dipped Bee Hives
Using matching 12 frame components helps ensure proper fit, efficient hive management, and the flexibility to expand your colony as it grows.
When You'll Need This Component
A deep hive body is one of the most important components of every Langstroth hive and is used throughout the life of the colony.
You may need this component when:
-
Building a new 12 frame hive
-
Starting package bees
-
Installing a nucleus colony (nuc)
-
Expanding an established colony
-
Adding a second brood chamber
-
Replacing damaged or worn hive bodies
-
Building additional hives as your apiary grows
As your colonies become stronger, additional deep hive bodies can be added to provide more brood space before honey supers are installed. Maintaining quality brood chambers helps support healthy colony development, strong queen performance, and long-term hive productivity.
Why Buy from Lappe's Bee Supply?
Lappe's Bee Supply has roots in commercial beekeeping dating back to 1978.
Our double wax dipped woodenware is manufactured to provide long-lasting durability while remaining fully compatible with standard 12 frame Langstroth equipment. Every component is built by beekeepers who understand the demands of managing healthy, productive colonies season after season.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a deep hive body used for?
A deep hive body serves as the primary brood chamber where the queen lays eggs and the colony raises brood while storing pollen and nectar.
Does this hive body include frames?
No. This product includes the assembled deep hive body only. Frames and foundation are sold separately.
Is this compatible with standard 12 frame Langstroth equipment?
Yes. It is designed for use with compatible 12 frame Langstroth hive components.
Why choose double wax dipped woodenware?
Double wax dipped woodenware helps improve moisture resistance while providing durable hive equipment designed for years of use.
When should I add another deep hive body?
A second brood chamber is commonly added when bees occupy and actively use most of the frames in the first deep hive body.
Can this be used for package bees or nucs?
Yes. When paired with frames, foundation, and the remaining hive components, this deep hive body can be used as part of a complete hive setup for either package bees or nucleus colonies.
