Jillibees Apiary offers Complete Western Red Cedar Hive and components. Each piece is handmade with a passion for the bees by retired USAF Veteran, Brad Neal.
The western red cedar hive that we build are made from 1×12 inch Western Red Cedar boards. Western Red Cedar is renowned for its naturally occurring resistance to moisture, decay and insect damage. Its natural durability, dimensional stability and exceptional beauty make it ideal for bee hives. The inside hive walls are intentionally left rough cut and not oiled to encourage the bees to add propolis to their hives for protection, sealing out odors and creating an anti-viral, anti-fungal, and anti-bacterial interior.
The exterior of each piece is sanded three times to a soft smooth touch. Three coats of Hope’s 100% Tung Oil is hand rubbed into every nook and cranny of the exterior to penetrate and preserve and bring out the wood’s natural grains and colors (never paint or oil the inside of the hive parts).
Cedar is lightweight and a great insulator. The molecules are tightly packed creating strong bonds within the wood and large pockets of air making cedar lightweight. The air between the fibers gives greater insulation against extreme temperatures making it easier for bees to regulate their interior temperature. It also makes it lighter to lift when full of honey!
An annual coat of Tung oil is recommended. Again, we use Hope’s 100% Tung Oil, all natural.
Check our “Hives For Sale” page for prices.