The Complete Guide
Your First Year with a Primal Bee Hive
Phase 1
Assembly & Setup
Your Primal Bee hive nest box comes preassembled, the supers and bottom board can be assembled in under an hour. You’ll need pins to attach the bottom board screen and water-based carpenter wood glue for the supers. For full step-by-step assembly instructions, refer to the Welcome to Primal Bee booklet included in your kit or watch the assembly video.
What’s in the Starter Kit
Your kit includes all the components you need to get started:
Bottom Board
Nest
Nest Frames
Top Ring
Outer Lid
Feeder Lid
Follower Board
Nest Beams
Safety Strap
Varroa Tray
Bottom Board Screen
Feeding Hole Plug
Frame Spacers
Entrance Reducers
With the starter kit, you have the choice to select either 2 deep supers or 3 medium supers, depending on which size you prefer. Each super kit includes sidewalls and front walls for assembly. Unless otherwise stated, supers do not include frames — use your existing deep or medium wooden frames, so there’s no need to replace your honey extraction equipment.
Key Assembly Notes
Apply water-based carpenter glue to the hole and peg connections in the corners of the super walls to keep them secure when filled with honey. The Nest generally does not require gluing — its interlocking design provides a tight seal, however if the seam between the nest box walls develops a gap during shipment, storage or use, a bead of waterbased glue can be applied to seal from the outside, while bees will propolize from the inside. For the bottom board screen, slide it into the slots and secure it with pins or staples. Insert the Varroa Tray beneath it. Fit the Entrance Reducers with holes facing outward.
Foundations
Your nest frames can be fitted with wired beeswax foundation or click-in plastic foundation. An easy-to-mount plastic foundation is available in the Primal Bee webshop — it comes unwaxed and needs to be coated with wax before use.
⚠ Important: Materials Safety
Use only water-based glues and paints. Solvent-based products (acetone, mineral spirits, etc.) will dissolve EPS material. Never place a lit smoker directly on the hive heated metal can melt the surface. EPS is flammable, always exercise caution around open flames.
Painting Your Hive
Painting is optional — the EPS material is waterproof and UV-resistant.
Over time, unpainted hives may yellow slightly from sun exposure and attract dust due to the EPS material’s static charge. This is purely cosmetic and does not affect performance.
If you choose to paint for added surface hardness and easier cleaning, use water-based paints only — latex paints, acrylic paints, and tempera paints all work well.
Recommended primers: A white PVA glue diluted with water makes an excellent primer for EPS. Products like gesso (canvas primer used for acrylic painting) or Mod Podge work great as a base coat before painting.
Recommended glues: Titebond or Gorilla Glue (water-based wood glue varieties) for super assembly.
If you choose to paint for added surface hardness and easier cleaning, use water-based paints only — latex paints, acrylic paints, and tempera paints all work well.
Recommended primers: A white PVA glue diluted with water makes an excellent primer for EPS. Products like gesso (canvas primer used for acrylic painting) or Mod Podge work great as a base coat before painting.
Recommended glues: Titebond or Gorilla Glue (water-based wood glue varieties) for super assembly.
✨ PRO TIP:
Not sure if a product is safe? Test it on a small piece of scrap EPS first — just like you’d do a strand test with hair dye. If it doesn’t dissolve or warp the material after a few hours, you’re good to go.
Site Setup
Face hive entrances south, southeast, or east to give bees morning sun and a warm landing area. Have a reliable fresh water source nearby.
Install landscape fabric under the hive stand, extending about 3 ft on each side. Use dark woven or non-woven fabric — it suppresses weeds and the dark color increases larval mortality for small hive beetles. Cover with pea gravel for drainage.
Raise the hive 12–14 inches off the ground to reduce rising moisture and limit access for mice and other pests. Secure each hive with the Safety Strap.
Phase 2
Installing Your Bees
Whether from a package, a nuc, or an existing colony, the principle is the same: start fresh.
Key Insight
Leave your old brood frames behind. It might feel counterintuitive, but old comb can harbor pests, pathogens, and pesticide residues that stress your bees and limit their growth.
The thermal efficiency of the Primal Bee hive allows bees to build fresh comb faster than in any other hive. With smart use of the Follower Board and proper feeding, new comb gets drawn very quickly.
Transferring an Existing Colony
Transferring from Langstroth PB
When transferring a colony into a Primal Bee hive, we strongly recommend leaving old brood combs behind, even if they look usable.
This gives your bees the cleanest and most efficient start possible.
Insert the Varroa Tray. Attach the screen to the bottom board with pins. Fit Entrance Reducers with holes facing outward. Prepare seven frames with foundation (wax or plastic). Place three frames on one side, the Follower Board in the center, and one frame on the opposite wall to create a central gap.
Locate her in your old hive and set her safely aside.
Shake bees from each brood frame into the central gap. Brush off stragglers if needed — they’ll find their way in.
Gently fill in the rest of the nest with frames (all frames should have foundation installed). When the colony gets bigger, adjust the follower board position to gradually give the bees more space. Close the nest with the feeder lid.
For existing colonies, release her directly into the nest. If the queen is in a queen cage, received from a package or is otherwise not related to the adult bees being installed, perform a slow release using a candy plug on the queen cage and check for release and acceptance.
Provide feed through the Feeding Hole. When first installing bees, we recommend using a heavy syrup, mix 4 parts sugar to 1 part water (boiled, then cooled). For a feeding jar, use a regular mouth quart mason jar with holes in the lid placed upside down into the feeding hole. Place an empty super around the feeder jar to protect it, then close with the top lid and secure the Safety Strap.
Confirm the colony has settled and is building comb. Check that there’s enough food supply.
✨ PRO TIP:
Move your old equipment at least 5–10 feet from its original location. Place the Primal Bee hive in the footprint where the old hive was. Returning foragers orient to the original location — you want them finding their new home, not empty boxes.
Starting from a Nuc
When transferring bees from a nuc, the same principle applies: start fresh. Cage the queen temporarily, then shake or brush all worker bees from the nuc frames into the central gap of the Primal Bee nest. Release the queen, close the hive, and feed immediately with dense syrup (4:1 sugar to water).
✨ PRO TIP:
The nuc frames left behind (if there are eggs or young enough larvae) along with about one cup of nurse bees found on top of the brood area can actually generate a new queen and repopulate your nuc for future use. This is called a walkaway split.
Starting from a Bee Package
Shake bees from the package into the Primal Bee nest.
Place the caged queen above the frames inside the nest.
Place 4 frames in storage on one side of the follower board, with 3 frames in use by the bees on the other side. Each kit comes with one follower board.
After 2–3 days, check that bees released the queen — if not, release her manually.
Begin feeding immediately using the initial configuration.
Feeding Your Bees
Feed from day one. The Primal Bee hive requires less feeding overall compared to standard hives because of its thermal efficiency — but during establishment, continuous food availability is critical to fuel buildup of comb for resource storage and egg laying.
Use concentrated sugar syrup (4:1 sugar to water, boiled then cooled) to minimize excess moisture and stimulate comb building. Use a jar placed upside down in the feeding hole — the vacuum prevents dripping. Keep the jar vertical. Place an empty super around the feeder jar for protection.
For cold-season feeding, you can use fondant or candy boards. Place solid feed on a piece of parchment paper across the top of the nest frames, underneath the feeder lid. Make sure it covers the feeding hole completely to create a seal.
Various supplements can be added to liquid or solid feed. Some encourage the queen to lay eggs; others discourage laying to induce a brood break. Always read the label carefully to understand what a supplement is intended to do before feeding it to your bees.
✨ PRO TIP:
We recommend against internal frame feeders — they create humidity problems and bees can drown in them. We also recommend against front entrance feeders, which sit low enough to attract ants and block one of your entrances. The top-feed initial configuration is the safest and most effective method.
Phase 3
Inspections
Three scheduled checks in your first 45 days, then step back and let the colony grow.
First Full Inspection
Look for a frame with fresh brood to confirm the queen is laying. You should see capped brood, uncapped larvae, very young uncapped larva and possibly very small rice, shaped eggs. If young larva or eggs are visible — everything is on track and the queen is present and fine (or at least has been on the frame within the past 12-48h). If there’s no brood, look for the queen. If you can’t find her and there’s no brood, look for queen cells. It is possible for the queen to fail and be replaced, usually the bees will make queen cells prior to replacing her. If the hive has gone queenless it is possible to add a queen using the slow release candy-cage method.
Expansion Check
Quick check — open the top cover and see how the bees are progressing. If the bees are building comb on 70–100% of the frames they have access to, add more frames to the accessible side from the storage side by moving the follower board along. Each kit comes with one follower board.
Brood Assessment
Pull frames and review the brood pattern. You’re looking for an elliptical, well-extended pattern with pollen stores and food stores (capped or uncapped honey). If food stores are missing, resume feeding.
About Inspections
Primal Bee nest frames weigh about 2–3 kg (4–6 lbs) full of brood, and 8–9 kg (17–20 lbs) packed with honey. You never extract from these large frames — honey comes from the supers, which use standard Langstroth frames and fit your existing extractor. Inspections happen one frame at a time, at waist height, with no unstacking heavy boxes. An experienced beekeeper might only open the nest 3–4 times per year. Every opening causes temperature and humidity changes that the colony must recover from. Over time, skilled keepers learn to “read” a colony by flight activity or a quick peek under the lid, avoiding unnecessary disruption.
Temperature Thresholds for Inspections
Phase 4
Colony Growth
Your nest box is full and it’s time to expand. Here’s how to go from the initial configuration to the nectar flow configuration.
Because your bees spent less energy overwintering, they start with more reserves. Begin stimulative feeding when the queen starts laying consistently, continuing until natural nectar flow begins. Stop if weather turns cold for an extended period.
In the nectar flow configuration, the super sits above the top of the nest, filled with your standard wooden frames. The feeder lid and outer lid go on top. The feeding jar is removed — the bees are now foraging on natural nectar.
Add supers when the colony has drawn 70–100% of the frames they have access to in the nest box. There’s no need to feed while the supers are in place — the bees are now foraging on natural nectar.
When a super is 70–100% full, you have two options: add another super on top, or checkerboard in empty frames by removing full frames and placing them in storage or harvesting them. This keeps the hive manageable and avoids stacking too many supers.
In a standard Langstroth, swarm control means inspecting 24 frames across three deep boxes. The Primal Bee brood chamber equals the volume of three Langstroth deeps on just 8 oversized frames. Only 8 frames need to be inspected for swarm cells — not 24.
The queen has ample uninterrupted laying space, making swarm cell formation far less likely.
Short answer: you probably don’t need one. In the Primal Bee hive, temperature is constant from the nest bottom to the super. Without the hot-air bubble that draws queens upward in wooden hives, the queen prefers to stay in the nest.
If she occasionally lays a few eggs in the first super frame, simply don’t harvest that frame.
Phase 5
Honey Flow
Honey is surplus energy. When your hive is efficient, there’s more surplus.
In inefficient hives, bees spend a large amount of energy regulating temperature, and that energy comes from consuming honey. When too much is used for this, the colony struggles to build a surplus.
In a Primal Bee hive, the insulation handles temperature management. Your bees redirect that energy toward foraging, comb building, and honey storage. Stronger populations mean more foragers collecting nectar and more house bees processing it.
✨ PRO TIP:
Check super frames periodically — not the nest.
Pull a frame from the middle of the super and examine both sides. Only harvest honey that is fully capped. Uncapped nectar has too much water content and can ferment.
During extreme heat, the EPS insulation works in both directions — keeping heat out just as effectively as it keeps heat in during winter. Fewer bees on water-hauling duty means more bees collecting nectar.
Phase 6
Harvest Time
You only harvest from the supers. A standard extractor works perfectly.
⚠ Key Rule
IMPORTANT: Never harvest from the nest frames. The large continuous brood frames stay with the bees. Your supers use standard Langstroth frames (medium or deep) that fit your existing extraction equipment.
Harvest Process
Verify honey is fully capped on both sides of the frame.
Shake or brush bees from super frames back into the nest, frame by frame.
If found on honey frames, stop and gently return her to the nest box.
Lay supers next to the hive (not on the ground).
For strong colonies, add new empty supers; for smaller populations, close up the nest.
Managing Super Height
You don’t need to keep stacking supers on top of supers. If you have one or two supers on and a frame is honey-bound (full of capped honey), pull that frame out and place it in a storage chest. Put an empty frame in its place. This way you’re harvesting individual frames as they’re ready rather than lifting full, heavy supers or worrying about the hive becoming top-heavy and falling over.
Fall Harvest
Some beekeepers harvest honey in the fall. If you do, always leave the bees with at least one full super of honey to get them through the winter. Going into fall with at least one super of honey stores is a good indicator that your colony is well-positioned for overwintering.
Phase 7
Varroa Treatment & Winter Prep
Consolidate space, treat for Varroa, and let the hive’s design do the heavy lifting.
Varroa Monitoring
Check the Varroa Tray regularly. Before sliding it in, spray it lightly with cooking oil so fallen mites stick to the board and can be counted accurately. Slide it out and count fallen mites over a 3-day period to assess Varroa levels.
Assess Colony Strength in Early Fall
Before configuring for winter, assess your colony. When nighttime temperatures begin dropping below 60°F and nectar flows are ending, it’s time to evaluate.
Strong colony signs
Bees covering 6–8 frames. Heavy bee traffic during warm days. Queen laying eggs with a good brood pattern. Honey stored in several frames — ideally at least one full super.
Weak colony signs
Bees covering 4 or fewer frames. Light entrance activity. Smaller, patchy brood patterns. Limited honey stores.
Winter Configuration
Keep all brood frames. Use the follower board to reduce empty space in the nest for extra insulation. Leave one frame the bees can still work on for growth room.
Bees need easy access to food stores. Move honey frames close to the bee cluster.
One Entrance Reducer closed, one reduced (small opening). Flip the entrance reducers so holes face outward.
For the strongest thermal protection, use this configuration from the nest up: Feeder Lid (feeding hole plugged when not feeding), an empty Primal Bee super as a roof chamber, and the outer lid on top. This creates a thermal buffer with a total insulating value exceeding R-125.
Snug but not too tight. Check connections.
Examine Varroa tray for mite drops. Look for signs of disease.
✨ PRO TIP:
In snowy regions, place a cinder block or similar barrier in front of the hive entrance to prevent snow from blocking it, or add a simple roof or cover above the entrance.
Raising hives on an elevated stand also helps ensure good clearance.
Phase 8
Overwintering
This is where the Primal Bee design pays its biggest dividends. Monitor without disturbing.
The Overwintering Advantage
Colonies in Primal Bee hives consume roughly 6 kg of winter stores versus 30 kg in standard wooden hives. This allows more efficient clustering, reduced honey consumption, and prevents moisture issues like mold and condensation. A healthy Primal Bee colony regulates nest temperature so efficiently that the dew point stays well away from nest surfaces.
Condensation doesn’t form.
Primal Bee hives have been successfully overwintered in Alaska, the northern Italian Alps, Germany, Poland, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin, Utah, and other extremely cold climates.
Winter Monitoring Schedule
Check the Varroa Tray for natural mite drop. Look through the entrance at the bottom to see if there are single dead bees or multiple bees.
Observe flight activity from outside — cleansing flights are a good sign.
Peek through the Feeding Hole or listen to identify if the colony is in cluster mode. Do not open the nest cover.
Check the Varroa Tray first. If mite levels warrant treatment, the broodless period (if it occurs - some colonies may not go broodless depending on location) makes treatment more effective.
Winter Feeding
If your bees need supplemental food during winter, use solid feed (fondant or candy boards) placed on parchment paper at the top of the nest box, under the feeder lid. Make sure the paper does not cover the entire top of the frames.
Phase 9
The Cycle Begins Again
Even the designers of the hive are sometimes surprised by how well colonies emerge from winter.
The thermal properties of the Primal Bee hive create overwintering performance that continues to exceed expectations. Colonies emerge from winter stronger and with significantly more reserves than those in standard wooden equipment.
First Spring Actions
Assess and treat if needed. Nosema can mimic queen problems — a colony may seem weak or queenless when the real issue is Nosema infection.
Begin stimulative feeding to encourage brood production. Use liquid syrup (4:1) to stimulate comb building.
When the colony needs more space, transition to the nectar flow configuration (Welcome Kit p.24).
Wait for temps above 64°F (18°C).
Making Splits
With a second Primal Bee hive, move 2-3 nest frames with eggs or 1-3 day old larvae into the new nest box. Nurse bees will start a new queen as soon as they realize they're queenless — or you can provide a mated queen.
Splitting Colonies. A split makes sense when: your supers are full of bees and the nest is fully developed (7–8 frames with brood), or your supers are full of bees and the nest is partially developed (4–6 frames with brood) and the first blossom has ended with another coming up.
FAQ SECTION
Do I need special tools?
You’ll need pins for attaching the bottom board screen and water-based glue for super assembly. If you’re using beeswax foundation, you’ll also need wire and a way to embed it (hot air gun or electrodes). Beyond that, your existing hive tool, extractor, and feeding systems all work. You may want a slightly longer hive tool for the deeper nest frames.
Can I use my existing Langstroth frames?
Yes. Supers are compatible with both medium and deep Langstroth frames, as well as Dadant frames. The spacers adjust for different frame types. See Welcome Kit p.11 for the full compatibility chart.
How often do I really need to inspect?
Most users report a significant reduction in inspections. An experienced beekeeper might open the nest only 3–4 times per year. The hive’s thermal stability means fewer emergency checks and less seasonal guesswork.
Is the EPS material safe and durable?
High-density EPS (over 90 kg/m³) is food-grade, recyclable, and does not contaminate honey, wax, or propolis. It’s the same material used in construction and medical packaging. Built to last many years in the field.
Why is there so little propolis?
The inside of a Primal Bee hive is more sterile and less drafty than wood. Bees don’t need extra propolis to quarantine the substrate or fill cracks and crevices. A thin propolis film is normal and healthy.
Can I start with just one hive?
Absolutely. Many beekeepers transition one or two colonies at a time to compare performance.
Standard frame compatibility means it integrates into your existing workflow.
Do I need a queen excluder?
Probably not. The hive’s even temperature distribution means the queen has no reason to move up into the super. If she occasionally lays a few eggs in the first super frame, simply don’t harvest that frame.
Can I paint the hive?
Yes, but it’s optional. Use water-based paints only. See the Painting Your Hive section above for recommended primers, glues, and the scrap-test tip.
Ready to start your first year?
Join thousands of beekeepers who’ve switched to a Primal Bee hive and discovered what their bees can really do.
