The is the beekeeper's idea of how to keep the bees in a controlled environment where they can produce the maximum amount of for human use.
There are many different designs of hive in use throughout the world, although they all work on the same general principles, they have removable frames each a "bee space" away from the next frame.
World-wide there are many different designs of hive, but the two used most commonly in Britain are the WBC and the National, because the frames are interchangeable. WBC stands for William Broughton Carr, a famous beekeeper who invented this traditional style of hive at the turn of the last century.
The National works on the same principle as the WBC but does not have its characteristic outer walls. The Langstroth and Smith are other types of popular hives using different size components, though they work on the same principles.
The most commonly used hive in America and Australia is either the Dadant or the Langstroth
The main components of the man-made beehive are, from the ground up: