Why We Use Western Red Cedar

Cedar As A Material

Modern beehives are made from a variety of materials, everything from pine to concrete, so why would we use western red cedar?  The short answer: it’s beautiful, smells great, it’s rot resistant and grows in our geographic back yard.  

Now let’s elaborate on that.

It Lasts

Western red cedar is one of the most naturally rot-resistant woods in North America. The heartwood contains a group of organic compounds called thujaplicins (say that one fast 3 times!) that resist moisture, fungi, and insects without any chemical treatment. In an outdoor application exposed to rain, temperature swings, and the concentrated humidity of an active hive, that's not a minor detail.

What that means for beekeepers is that a cedar hive doesn't need to be painted to survive the elements. You can finish it with a natural oil, and we recommend it, but the wood is doing real work on its own underneath.

Compare that to pine, which is common in beekeeping equipment. Pine is cheaper up front, but needs to be painted. It swells, it cracks, and maintenance intervals are shorter. The lifespan of an untreated pine hive is a fraction of a well-maintained cedar one. 

I had a mentor who once said:
“Price is what you pay, value is what you get”. 

The lower price doesn't stay lower once you factor in upkeep and longevity. We use cedar because it lasts longer, not because it’s cheaper.

It's Beautiful

If your only exposure to beekeeping is the roadside painted box with bricks atop the hives, it’s not very inspiring. Hives can and should be beautiful.

As much as we focus on making our hives great for bees, we also want the design to bring joy to the beekeepers as well as those who see our hives from afar.

The color, the texture, the smell, and even the way it ages…all of it glorious. Western red cedar has a warm tone, an aromatic scent, and a color that dulls to a gentle grey reminder of a day at the beach. 

In most commercial operations, the short-term cost is a primary driver. 

For our customers, the utility is in the form as much as the function. When your property is a reflection of your personality, a hive is worth more than its net honey production. It’s a home for the bees and a source of pride for the keeper. 

A cedar hive that's been in service for a few seasons has a character a painted pine box can’t match.

It’s What We Have

Portland, Oregon, sits in the heart of the Pacific Northwest, where western red cedar natively grows. It's what our woodworkers know, what our regional suppliers stock, and what fits the ecology of how this business was built and where it operates.

That's not a constraint. It's a supply chain that makes sense: a regional material, milled by regional people, assembled in a shop a few miles from where many of the trees grow. Less transport, less abstraction, more accountability for what goes into the finished product.

Choosing cedar because it's local and choosing it because it performs well are not two separate decisions. 

It’s a decision rooted in the core of who we are. 

We have a resource that is native to our place and ideally suited to our purpose. As stewards of both the land and organization, sustainability is not merely a catch phrase; it’s how we make decisions. 

"When people, land, and community are as one, all three members prosper; when they relate not as members but as competing interests, all three are exploited."

— Wes Jackson, Becoming Native to This Place

What This Means For You

A cedar hive is a beautiful hive that genuinely performs better and lasts longer than its less costly counterparts. The additional upfront cost reflects the material, care, and design that produce a lower operating cost AND a big upgrade in visual joy.

If you're comparing hive materials, the honest answer is that the right choice depends on your situation, your climate, and what you're trying to do. For most of the country, and especially in the Pacific Northwest, cedar makes sense on every axis: durability, appearance, and sourcing integrity.

We build with cedar because it's the right call for our customers, not because it's the easy one.

It’s Not Easy

Speaking of doing things for the right reasons: we've begun the process of adding new hive designs to our lineup.

First up is the Langstroth. It's the most common hive in North America, so it's the right place to start.

We're currently exploring designs and joinery that blend durability, functionality, and aesthetics.  

If you want to follow along, sign up below. We'll share ideas, concepts, and designs as we go and would love to hear your thoughts.