Upgrade your older Apimaye Ergo Hive and Apimaye NUC Hive with the new Apimaye Latch Kit, designed to add the 2026 quick-release bottom board feature to existing hive setups.
Until 2026, Apimaye Ergo and NUC hive bodies were mounted to the bottom boards with screws for maximum strength and security. The screw-mounted system remains an excellent option for beekeepers who frequently move hives, operate in areas with bears or other wildlife, or use their equipment for swarm catching and colony relocations.
Starting in 2026, Apimaye introduced an alternative latch-style mounting system that allows the brood box to be separated from the bottom board more easily when desired. This retrofit kit allows owners of older Apimaye hives to add that same latch functionality to their existing equipment.
The kit includes:
Until 2026, Apimaye Ergo and NUC hive bodies were mounted to the bottom boards with screws for maximum strength and security. The screw-mounted system remains an excellent option for beekeepers who frequently move hives, operate in areas with bears or other wildlife, or use their equipment for swarm catching and colony relocations.
Starting in 2026, Apimaye introduced an alternative latch-style mounting system that allows the brood box to be separated from the bottom board more easily when desired. This retrofit kit allows owners of older Apimaye hives to add that same latch functionality to their existing equipment.
The kit includes:
- 2 bottom board latches
- 2 brood box grooves
- 16 rivets
Installation Requirements (Watch the installation video at the bottom)To install the latch kit, you will need:
- Drill
- 15/32” drill bit
- Rivet gun
- Phillips screwdriver
Features
- Designed for older Apimaye Ergo Hives and NUC Hives
- Adds the 2026 latch-style bottom board system to existing hives
- Allows easier separation of brood box and bottom board when needed
- Genuine Apimaye replacement and upgrade components
- Ideal for beekeepers who prefer latch-mounted hive setups
Important NotesThis conversion kit does not allow the beekeeper to rotate hive boxes. The bottom-most brood box used with the bottom board has a shorter front wall to accommodate the hive entrance, while the upper deep and medium supers have a longer front wall design. Because of this, upper deep and medium supers cannot be used as the bottom-most box in the hive configuration.
The installation process also requires the hive to be turned upside down in order to remove the original mounting screws. Because of this, the conversion cannot be performed while the hive is actively in use by a colony.
After installation, if the latch tension is not to your liking, it can be adjusted by gently bending the wire portion of the latch to modify the curvature and overall length of the latch assembly.
The installation process also requires the hive to be turned upside down in order to remove the original mounting screws. Because of this, the conversion cannot be performed while the hive is actively in use by a colony.
After installation, if the latch tension is not to your liking, it can be adjusted by gently bending the wire portion of the latch to modify the curvature and overall length of the latch assembly.
Installation Instructions
- Make sure the hive is completely empty before starting the installation.
- Place the groove piece into the groove slots located at the bottom center of the hive side walls.
- Mark the hole locations for drilling, then remove the groove piece.
- Drill 4 holes at the marked locations. Be careful not to drill through the opposite side of the wall. Apply light pressure while drilling.
- Place the groove piece back into the slot on the side wall and install the rivets using a rivet gun. Due to home installation conditions, the piece may end up slightly tilted. This is normal and does not affect functionality.
- Take the latch piece and lift the large release mechanism (the flat piece with Apimaye branding) to at least a 45-degree angle. This creates latch tension. Increasing the angle will increase latch tension.
- Place the wire portion of the latch onto the mounted upper groove piece, then gently position the latch assembly onto the bottom board.
- Mark the locations of the two diagonal mounting holes on the bottom board (top left and bottom right, or vice versa).
- Remove the latch piece and drill through the bottom board at the marked locations.
- Reposition the latch onto the bottom board and attach it using the rivet gun.
- Drill the remaining two holes and secure them with rivets using the rivet gun.
- Repeat the same procedure on the opposite side of the hive.
- Flip the hive upside down and remove the screws securing the bottom board. The 10-frame Ergo Hive uses 6 screws, while the 7-frame NUC Hive uses 4 screws.
