Why Our Hives
Why Our Hives
We're proud to offer lumber options that are not only ideal for housing bees but environmentally conscious and long-lasting.
The finest hives begin with top quality lumber.
Our wood options are FSC® certified. That means they come from forests that are strictly audited to promote growth, protect ecosystems, protect indigenous rights, support surrounding communities, and prohibit illegal logging. We don’t compromise our environmental standards when we source our wood, and we don’t compromise quality either.
Western Red Cedar, Sugar Pine and Douglas Fir are stable, long-lasting woods that provide excellent insulation for bees. They are harvested just a few hours from our mill in the Pacific Northwest. Whatever wood you choose, you're choosing a hive that is not only kind to the bees, but kind to the environment. Below are some key points about each wood option.
Western Red Cedar
Our kiln-dried,sustainably sourced Western Red Cedar is our premier wood option. Although this premium cedar costs more, it has many advantages: excellent strength for weight, natural rot resistance, and a beautiful, natural glow. Kiln drying ensures consistent moisture levels to minimize warping and cracking. If cared for correctly, a Western Red Cedar hive can last decades. We usually leave our hives unfinished to weather naturally into a grey patina, or alternately you can seal them with a coat of pure tung oil.
Douglas Fir
Douglas fir has the highest strength to weight ratio of all North American softwoods. We use the highest grade of FSC® certified Douglas Fir for our hives, meaning no knots appear anywhere. The lumber is kiln-dried, making it incredibly stable and less prone to warping or shrinking. Douglas Fir won't chip, splinter, or split easily—it's one of the hardest softwoods available! It can handle repetitive action from the prying and cutting of hive tools. With superior fastener holding (once screwed together), your boxes will remain solid. Douglas Fir is widely available throughout the Pacific Northwest. We don't have to go far to get this durable, sturdy lumber, keeping our material miles low. Also, Douglas Fir has greater resistance than Pine, making it a long lasting choice for your yard or apiary. Treat the outside with natural tung oil for even more longevity!
Sugar Pine
Our kiln-dried, FSC® certified Sugar Pine is our value wood option. Pine is slightly heavier than cedar and it doesn’t last quite as long. Even so, Sugar Pine is a very stable wood with few, infrequent knots. It’s strong, durable, and provides great insulation for bees. Sugar Pine trees grow very straight, are dimensionally stable (meaning they resist warping and shrinking), and process beautifully through our machines with minimal tearing or cracking. Sugar Pine is the ideal Pine species for bee hives. It can be painted or sealed with a coat of pure tung oil.
Customer Service
We provide assembly instructions with every hive we ship out. Whether you have a question about the status of your order, assembly, or anything bee-related, you’re just a click away from support.
Successful beekeeping starts with education and we want every beekeeper to be successful. That’s why we makes strides to continually release rich and informative videos, researched articles, and blog posts.
Our videos are produced with beekeepers and bee-enthusiasts in mind. Sometimes reading about bee behavior or beekeeping practice isn’t enough to fully grasp the wonder, beauty, and impressiveness of bee biology. With our videos, real-life bee footage, and expert advice we help pull the whole picture together.
We want to ensure our customers are happy with their purchase, and confident about raising healthy, successful colonies. We take a couple different measures to promote these goals, including beekeeping education, resources, and customer support 6 days per week. We update our blog and social channels regularly with helpful information and tips. Be sure to follow us!
Which Hive Is Right For You?
Which Hive Is Right For You?
From first-time setups to seasoned beekeeping, our guide helps you choose the right hive style, size, and setup for your goals.