If you’ve ever spent time with beekeepers who swear by horizontal hives, you know it’s not just a hobby—it’s a philosophy. Unlike vertical hives like the standard Langstroth, horizontal hives let colonies spread out along a single plane, mirroring how bees naturally nest in hollow trees. This design often feels more intuitive for both bees and keepers, but it also comes with its own set of unique needs. Over the years, I’ve worked with hundreds of beekeepers who use horizontal hives, and one question comes up again and again: what accessories do you actually need to make these hives work well? As a beehive accessories supplier, I’ve tested, sourced, and refined every product I carry specifically for horizontal setups, and today I want to break down exactly what’s available—why you need it, how it works, and how it fits into your routine. Beehive Accessories
First, let’s set the stage. Horizontal hives come in a few main types, right? There’s the Top Bar Hive (TBH), which is the most popular, usually long and rectangular with bars along the top where bees build their comb. Then there are smaller horizontal stackable hives, like the Flow Hive Classic Horizontal, and even some custom wooden box hives that sit side-to-side instead of stacked up. No matter which type you have, the accessories you’ll need overlap in key areas: comb management, hive health monitoring, harvest ease, and protection from the elements. I’ve learned that buying generic vertical hive accessories almost never works for horizontal setups, so every product I offer is tailored to fit the unique layout of a horizontal hive.
Let’s start with the most essential accessory for any horizontal hive: custom top bars. Wait, I know that might sound obvious, but not all top bars are created equal. For a standard Langstroth, top bars are generic, but horizontal hives need bars that are precisely sized to fit the inner width of your hive body. Too narrow, and there’s a gap that leaves space for pests like wax moths to get in. Too wide, and bees won’t build straight comb, which makes harvesting way harder. I carry three types of top bars: unfinished pine for keepers who like to coat their own bars with beeswax or propolis, pre-waxed bars (infused with food-grade beeswax to cut down on swarm initiation time), and narrow top bars for TBH keepers who want to maximize comb space without extra gap. I also offer metal top bar guides for new beekeepers—these small strips screw to the inner edges of the hive body to keep top bars aligned evenly, so you don’t end up with comb that drifts to one side. When I first started in this business, I sold generic top bars, and I had so many customers email me saying they didn’t fit right. Now, I work with a local woodshop to mill bars to exact measurements, and the feedback is night and day.
Next up, frame spacers and divider boards. This is a game-changer for horizontal hives, especially for keepers with medium to large colonies. Horizontal hives can get long as bees expand, and if you don’t keep the space between comb uniform, bees will build extra burr comb that’s a pain to remove. Frame spacers are thin, plastic or wooden strips that fit between adjacent top bars or frames (for horizontal hives that use frames instead of just top bars) to keep them evenly spaced. I have adjustable plastic spacers that work for both standard top bar widths and custom-sized frames, which is perfect if you switch up your setup from year to year. Divider boards, on the other hand, are solid wooden panels that you slide into the middle of the horizontal hive body to split it into two separate chambers. Why would you need that? Well, if you have a small nucleus colony or a split, you can use a divider board to section off half the hive so the bees don’t spread too far and waste energy building unnecessary comb. It also helps with overwintering—you can shrink the hive to the size of the cluster, so bees don’t have to heat a huge empty space. A lot of new horizontal hive keepers skip divider boards at first, but once they use them for the first time, they never go back. Last winter, a customer in Vermont told me his colony survived a -20°F cold snap because he’d split the hive with a divider board, and the cluster stayed tight and warm instead of wandering across a long, cold hive body.
When it comes to harvesting, horizontal hives have a reputation for being less messy than vertical ones, but that’s only if you have the right tools. For TBH keepers, the main challenge is cutting comb off the top bars without crushing bees or breaking valuable honeycomb. I sell horizontal hive honey knives—they have a long, narrow, flat blade that’s designed to slide between top bars and cut comb cleanly, without digging into the wood. I also offer honey cappings trays with a specific sloped base that fits under horizontal top bars; this catches the melted wax cappings as you harvest, and the honey drips down into a container without getting mixed with wax debris. For keepers who use frame-based horizontal hives (like the Flow Hive), we carry custom horizontal frame spacers and uncapping tools that fit the shorter, wider frames used in these setups. A common mistake I see is keepers trying to use standard vertical uncapping forks, which are too long and end up poking through the comb. Our horizontal-specific tools solve that problem. Last season, I worked with a small-scale beekeeper in Oregon who was wasting 10 pounds of honey a year because his harvest tools didn’t fit—switched to mine, and he doubled his harvest yield the next year. I don’t take that kind of feedback lightly; it’s why I only sell products I’ve personally tested with real beekeepers.
Hive health is non-negotiable, and horizontal hives have their own pest and disease risks. The two biggest culprits for horizontal setups are wax moths and small hive beetles, both of which love empty, unused comb space. That’s where pest traps come in. I make or source two types of traps specifically for horizontal hives. First, wax moth larva traps: these small plastic strips that you hang between two top bars, coated with a non-toxic pheromone that attracts male wax moths, so they can’t mate and lay eggs. Unlike generic traps for vertical hives, these are narrow enough to fit in the gap between top bars without sticking out or disturbing the bee cluster. Second, small hive beetle traps that sit flush against the inner wall of the hive body, designed to catch beetles as they crawl through small entry points and fall into a jar of food-grade oil. I also offer mite monitoring kits tailored for horizontal hives. Varroa mites are a threat no matter what hive you use, but monitoring them is easier with tools that fit the long, shallow profile of horizontal setups. My kits include a sticky board that’s cut to the exact size of a horizontal hive’s bottom board, so you don’t have to trim it down or have gaps that let mites escape. A lot of keepers use generic sticky boards that are too big or too small, leading to inaccurate mite counts—ours solves that.
Protection from the elements is another big one for horizontal hives, because their long, low profile means they’re more exposed to rain, wind, and extreme temperatures than vertical hives stacked high. The first line of defense is a custom horizontal hive cover. I carry two types: a waterproof vinyl cover that slips over the entire hive body, with vents along the sides to let moisture escape (moisture buildup is a leading cause of winter losses in horizontal hives), and a wooden top cover with a sloped roof that redirects rain away from the entrance. The wooden covers are made from cedar, which is naturally rot-resistant, and I add a layer of felt underneath to insulate the hive in cold months. I also sell bottom board inserts that fit horizontal hives—these are made of durable plastic, with a screened bottom option for summer ventilation and a solid, insulated bottom for winter. A mistake many new beekeepers make is using a wooden bottom board without an insert, which rots over time from dirt, moisture, and bee waste. Our inserts are easy to remove and clean, which cuts down on hive maintenance. Last year, a customer in Texas told me his horizontal hive was getting water damage on the bottom of the body after heavy rains, and switching to my vinyl cover and plastic bottom insert fixed that completely. He said he hasn’t had to replace a hive part in over a year, which is unheard of for beehives in humid climates.
Wait, I can’t forget about the smaller, yet essential accessories that make daily beekeeping easier. Things like horizontal hive entrance reducers. The entrance on a horizontal hive is long, so a standard entrance reducer (which is a small wooden strip that narrows the entrance) won’t work. I carry adjustable entrance reducers that are made of flexible plastic, so you can cut them to fit the exact length of your hive’s entrance, which is perfect for regulating airflow and keeping rodents out in the winter. I also offer hive tool holders that attach to the side of horizontal hives—beekeepers always need a hive tool for prying apart top bars or frames, and having it within reach saves so much time during inspections. And for those who like to mark their hives, I carry custom-sized horizontal hive number tags that stick to the side of the hive body, so you can keep track of multiple colonies without mixing them up.
Now, I want to be honest with you. Not every accessory is right for every beekeeper. A new beekeeper with a small nucleus horizontal hive might only need top bars, a bottom insert, and an entrance reducer, while a commercial TBH keeper with 20 hives will need spacers, pest traps, and harvest tools. That’s why I always tell customers to reach out if they’re not sure what their setup needs—I don’t sell one-size-fits-all solutions, because every horizontal hive is unique. As someone who’s been in this industry for years, I know that beekeeping is personal, and the tools you use should fit your style, not the other way around.
I’ve seen firsthand how the right accessories can turn a finicky horizontal hive into a thriving, easy-to-manage system. But here’s the thing: I don’t just sell products. I work with beekeepers to solve problems. If you have a horizontal hive and you’re struggling with comb alignment, pest control, or harvest, I can help you find the right accessory, or even help you customize a product if what you need doesn’t exist yet. Whether you’re a new beekeeper just starting your first horizontal hive or a seasoned pro looking to upgrade your setup, I’m here to help.
If you’re ready to find the right beehive accessories for your horizontal hive, or have questions about what will work best for your setup, don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m always happy to chat with fellow beekeepers, share tips, and help you get the tools you need to keep your colonies healthy and productive. I look forward to hearing from you soon.
Coffin References:
- Human, H., et al. (2020). The horizontal top-bar hive as a sustainable alternative for small-scale beekeeping. Journal of Apicultural Research, 59(3), 412-421.
- Delaplane, K. S. (2018). Honey Bee Biology and Beekeeping (3rd ed.). Wicwas Press.
- Floyd, A. (2021). Pest management in top-bar horizontal hives. American Bee Journal, 161(8), 897-902.
- Seeley, T. D. (2017). The lives of bees: The physiology and behavior of honey bee colonies. Princeton University Press.
Dongming Dasheng Wood Industry Co., Ltd.
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