Primal Bee Usage Guides

The key principle is to start fresh. Old comb often carries pests, pathogens, or residues that limit colony health and growth. In a Primal Bee hive, the superior thermal efficiency allows bees to build fresh comb much faster than in any other hive, so leaving old brood frames behind gives them the healthiest start possible.

Step-by-step process:

1. Prepare the hive – Insert the Varroa tray, attach entrance reducers with holes facing outward, and set up seven frames with foundation. Place 3 frames with foundation on one side of the follower board and 4 frames with foundation on the other side, with the follower board in the middle. The bees start on the 3-frame side — this is their active nest area. Next, temporarily remove the 3 frames to give yourself space to install the bees.
   
   
2. Handle the queen – From an old hive, locate and safely cage her. With a package, set the queen cage aside for now.
   
   
3. Transfer the bees – Shake bees from brood frames or a package directly into the space in the nest. Any bees left outside will find their way in.
   
   
4. Release the queen – For existing colonies, release her immediately. For packages, place the cage inside and check after 2–3 days to ensure release.
   
   
5. Close and feed – Reinsert the frames you removed, close the nest, and feed through the top hole. Use concentrated syrup — 80% sugar, 20% water (4 parts sugar to 1 part water). Your own honey works too if available.
   
   

With this approach, your bees establish a clean, resilient nest in record time, making full use of the Primal Bee hive’s design advantages.

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Primal Bee hives are built from waterproof, UV-resistant material, so they can be placed directly in the field without any need for painting.

That said, painting can be a good option if you’d like to increase surface hardness and extend durability.

Attention: Use water-based paints only, as solvent-based paints may damage the material.

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The supers of the Primal Bee hive should be glued to achieve a complete seal and ensure maximum insulation. Please review the guidelines below before applying any glue.

The nest does not require gluing—its interlocking design already provides a tight seal and excellent insulation. However, if you wish to add glue for extra reinforcement, follow the same guidelines as for the supers.

Glue guidelines:

• Use only fully water-based glue to protect the EPS surface.
  
  

If using vinyl glue, confirm it contains no solvents, as these can damage the material.

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Humidity is a natural and necessary part of a bee colony’s habitat. The real concern is when that humidity condenses into water on the inner walls or nest frames. In a Primal Bee hive, a healthy colony regulates the nest temperature so efficiently that the dew point stays well away from the nest surfaces. Thanks to the hive’s thermal efficiency, condensation doesn’t form—so there’s no excess moisture inside.

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Primal Bee hives are made from high-density expanded polystyrene (EPS) – the same safe material used in construction, food and medical packaging, and known for its durability and insulating qualities.

• Durable: Built to last for many years in the field, while staying lightweight.
  
  
• Safe: EPS is food-grade and does not contaminate honey, wax, or propolis.
  
  
• Recyclable: 100% recyclable and part of a sustainable lifecycle.
  
  
• High Quality: We use the best density available, giving your bees maximum insulation and protection.
• Animal Contact: The bottom board may get cosmetic dents from animals like rodents, but these don’t affect hive performance. We’re working on a sturdier design to better handle such exposure.
• EPS is different from Styrofoam® (a brand name). Made from expanded beads, it’s lightweight, breathable, and insulating, using less raw material, more recyclable, and generally more sustainable than extruded foams like Styrofoam®.
  
  

EPS keeps the hive strong, clean, and energy-efficient, creating the best possible home for your bees.

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Primal Bee’s propietary click-in plastic foundations (available from October) are easy to install, click in place and brush on melted beeswax. Traditional beeswax foundations can also be wired and fitted manually (about 10 min per frame). Check our YouTube channel for a full tutorial.

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In a standard Langstroth hive, swarm control requires frequent interventions: the beekeeper must constantly provide extra space for colony growth and repeatedly dismantle the brood nest to monitor swarm cells. With three separate deep boxes and 24 frames, this process is both time-consuming and disruptive to the bees.

The Primal Bee hive simplifies this dramatically. Its brood chamber equals the volume of three Langstroth deeps, but on just 8 oversized frames. That means:

• You only need to inspect 8 frames instead of 24.
  
  
• The queen has ample uninterrupted laying space, making swarm cell formation far less likely in the first place.
  
  

As a result, Primal Bee reduces both the labor and stress involved in swarm management, while giving colonies the room they need to thrive naturally.

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