Miller Manufacturing has centralized their line of Little Giant® beekeeping supplies around the Langstroth honeybee hive design. While there other designs for hives in the market, from top bar to native pollinator bee houses, the decision to focus the Little Giant® line was one based on extensive research. In the 1800s, Reverend Lorenzo Lorraine Langstroth was a beekeeper in Ohio. He desired a hive that allowed easier viewing of the colonies' brood and honey activity while still respecting the bees' naturally functioning world. Through his research, he discovered the notion of "bee space," which is simply the ideal measurement for bees to maneuver without feeling the need to fill with propolis or comb. With both of these principles in mind, he began prototyping what we now know as the Langstroth hive: the standard hive of modern beekeeping in North America.

At least 75% of the world's beekeepers are using Langstroth hives, and that number is even higher in North America. This means that our Langstroth hive and the woodenware products are not only great for beginning beekeepers, but also compatible with the equipment existing beekeepers are already using. The Langstroth hive was designed with the modern beekeeper in mind. The screened bottom board and mite grid allows for superior pest management, while the Langstroth design is ideal for honey harvesting and extraction. And, of course, nature reaps the benefits of a healthy, thriving hive of pollinators.