Editing Langstroth hive (section)

=== Hive body and hive super ===
Hive bodies and hive supers are rectangular boxes with standardized inside dimensions to take standardized frames, but regional and brand differences exist.<ref>The Langstroth Bee Hive: http://www.dave-cushman.net/bee/lang.html</ref> Outside box dimensions vary depending on the type of material used; for example, polystyrene foam boxes have much larger outside dimensions than boxes made out of wood.

Three heights of boxes are standard—deep, medium, and shallow. Deep and medium hive bodies are used for the brood chamber. Medium and shallow supers are used for honey stores. The frames holding combs have top bars that hang on [[rabbet]]ed slots or rails along the upper sides of a box.

The deep hive body is normally used only for brood. If it becomes filled with honey, it becomes too heavy to handle manually. Shallow supers are not ideal for the brood chamber of the hive because the bees need to form a single compact sphere during the cold winter months—a sphere that can expand and contract without being divided by a horizontal plane in the middle caused by the gaps between combs in multiple hive bodies. Commercial operations usually use one or two deep hive bodies for brood, and additional shallow boxes for honey supers. Some hobbyists prefer to standardise on two "medium" boxes. Also, a continental deep hive body called "jumbo" allows for Dadant-sized big brood frames. 

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="width:200pt;"|Name
! style="width:200pt;"|Type
! style="width:200pt;"|Depth
! style="width:200pt;"|Frame length
! style="width:200pt;"|Frame depth
! style="width:200pt;"|Frame width
|-
| Jumbo, Dadant<br />(''Continental'')
| body
| {{convert|294|mm|in}}
| {{convert|19|in|mm}}
| {{convert|285|mm|in}}
| {{convert|1+3/8|in|mm}}
|-
| Deep
| body
| {{convert|9+9/16|in|mm}}
| {{convert|19|in|mm}}
| {{convert|9+1/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|1+3/8|in|mm}}
|-
| Medium<br />(''Illinois, Western'')
| body or<br />super
| {{convert|6+5/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|19|in|mm}}
| {{convert|6+1/4|in|mm}}
| {{convert|1+3/8|in|mm}}
|-
| Shallow
| super
| {{convert|5+3/4|in|mm}}
| {{convert|19|in|mm}}
| {{convert|5+3/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|1+3/8|in|mm}}
|-
| Comb
| super
| {{convert|4+3/4|in|mm}}
| {{convert|19|in|mm}}
| {{convert|4+1/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|1+3/8|in|mm}}
|}

The hive body or hive super holds 8 to 10 frames that are standardized in length. The frames hold the foundation and the honeycomb that is built on it.

Hive equipment manufacturers often produce bodies and supers that vary slightly. The differences between manufacturers are generally {{convert|1/8|in|mm|adj=pre|of an|0}} or less. The following table includes interior dimensions and volumes for the 5-, 8-, and 10-frame shallow, medium, and deep bodies/supers.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.beesource.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/10frlang.pdf|title=Beesource Beekeeping Forums}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.michiganbees.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Hive-Bodies_20110323.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=2015-08-01 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160304080902/http://www.michiganbees.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/Hive-Bodies_20110323.pdf |archive-date=2016-03-04 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable"
|-
! style="width:280pt;"|Type
! style="width:220pt;"|Depth
! style="width:220pt;"|Interior length
! style="width:215pt;"|Interior width
! style="width:120pt;"|Volume (cubic Inches)
! style="width:66pt;"|Volume (liters)
|-
| 10-frame deep body
| {{convert|9+5/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|18+3/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|14+3/4|in|mm}}
| 2608.68
| 42.75
|-
| 10-frame medium body/super
| {{convert|6+5/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|18+3/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|14+3/4|in|mm}}
| 1795.58
| 29.42
|-
| 10-frame shallow super
| {{convert|5+11/16|in|mm}}
| {{convert|18+3/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|14+3/4|in|mm}}
| 1541.49
| 25.26
|-
| 8-frame deep body
| {{convert|9+5/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|18+3/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|12+1/4|in|mm}}
| 2166.53
| 35.50
|-
| 8-frame medium body/super
| {{convert|6+5/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|18+3/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|12+1/4|in|mm}}
| 1491.25
| 24.44
|-
| 8-frame shallow super
| {{convert|5+11/16|in|mm}}
| {{convert|18+3/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|12+1/4|in|mm}}
| 1280.22
| 20.98
|-
| 5-frame deep body
| {{convert|9+5/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|18+3/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|7 +3/4|in|mm}}
| 1370.66
| 22.46
|-
| 5-frame medium body/super
| {{convert|6+5/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|18+3/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|7+3/4|in|mm}}
| 943.44
| 15.46
|-
| 5-frame shallow super
| {{convert|5+11/16|in|mm}}
| {{convert|18+3/8|in|mm}}
| {{convert|7+3/4|in|mm}}
| 809.94
| 13.27
|}