BeeCastle10 Frame Langstroth Bee Hive Coated with 100% Beeswax Includes Beehive Frames and Waxed Foundations (2 Deep Boxes & 2 Medium Boxes)

M honest review after use for 2 months.Short:It is a great hive. Had a couple opportunities for improvement.Detailed:As a beginner beekeeper, the BeeCastle 10 Frame Hive checks my boxes for style and practicality. Its appearance stands out with a natural, rustic charm, thanks to the natural wood appearance and wax coating. I like the wax coating a lot enhances its look but also provides weather protection, blending quite nicely into our bee yard. The smell is lovely. They bees certainly notice the beeframes. When I wax the foundation more, the bees build them very consistently. For value for money, it’s a strong contender—reasonably priced and equipped with all essentials like frames and foundation sheets. It was a breeze to assembly. The dovetail joints, pre-drilled holes, and screws all worked wonderfully. Finally, its sturdiness shines through with robust cedar wood and secure dovetail joints, offering stability and resilience against harsh weather. In one package, this hive delivers durability, functionality, and appeal, making it an excellent choice for both novice and seasoned beekeepers.Things I did after assembly, which might be extra, but felt important:MORE WAX ON THE FOUNDATION SHEETS!!!When I put assembled frames into the hive fresh from the factory, the bees consistently draw comb from them in a very patchy manner. Although it is not strictly required, I added bees wax to most of the foundation sheets after observing the unevenness of the combs being drawn. After I added wax to the foundation on the frames, the bees started uniformly drawing comb and it looked awesome. That is a hidden cost. I paid $20 for 2lbs of bees wax to add to my frames. I included am image of factor wax versus waxed up with bees wax and a foam brush.Longer nails.When building the frames I used longer nails just to make sure that the frames wouldn't fall apart later on.Gluing the frame.I added glue to the frames which did not come with the Kit. I used Titebond 3.Vent holes.I drilled some vent holes in my box because it will get hot in the area I live. Ventilation is important.It has been a fun family project.

I love these! Well-built, fun to put together. I used air stapler instead of the nails, just for expediency. They are beautiful hives, people have complimented me for them. Quality lumber, and care in construction to avoid knots in the wrong places. And...the bees love them. I bought two and put nucs in them. I thought the price was great, they came quickly and were solidly packed in sturdy boxes.

Best beehive on Amazon! Everything is well coated in beeswax, all the joints fit nice snug and tight especially with the wax in between. Each panel has counter sunk holes and pre-drilled holes for all of the hardware. Usually includes extra hardware just in case you lose a screw or two. Frames and foundation are in great shape and not the cheap stuff. Everything assembles nicely and quickly, boxes are actually flat on the bottom and made up with very little gap if any at all. The only negatives I can say about this kit is that it comes with a solid bottom board, and my climate a screen bottom board is better. And last the nails they give you to hold the frames together are not the best. I liked ribbed finishing nails for my pleasure, I don't like heavy frames falling apart when trying to remove them because the nails weren't ribbed. Lol. I now have five of the full 10 frame to brewed box two honey super kits, and four of the five frame nuc boxes. I have other brands as well but I am now the castle for life. Four of my other hives are at least two years or older and holding up great.

If you have any woodworking skills, you will appreciate this build and design. I did not need the instructions, as the tongue and groove design only allow for it to be assembled one way. It took me a minute to figure out the frames, but they two were easy to understand. The two different comb boards are a neat design, and hopefully will expedite the bees motivation and productivity.The stand out is the precision of the cuts, and how close the tolerances are, this is quality.Also, the outsides are well weatherproofed, and I believe wax coated.Another point is the very well thought out packaging. There was very little dead space in the box, so it would have had to endure a large drop to damage anything inside. The lid for the hive is upside down on the bottom, so if it travels upright, it has very strong natural reinforcement.This will be my first go at bees, so I won't need all four boxes and frames to start, but I'll be able to grow into them if all goes well.The only negative I can see, and it is a reach, is that the day mine arrived I see it listed for $229 with a $12 discount coupon, where I paid $249. Free shipping has to be built into the price or companies would not make any money, the craftsmanship is worth the price I paid, and this is one heavy and large box. Even so, you always hate being on the wrong side of price drops, and rejoice when on the right side.

Package showed up earlier than expected . Good instructions and included everything needed to assemble . This product is of high quality and very easy to assemble . Joints fit perfectly . Frames fit together perfect. Completely satisfied

Very nice hive, very well built. I really like th dove joints. It was easy to assemble.

I have 7 . The oldest is on its 3rd season. No issues. Great quality, wax coated, easy to put together. No smell. It looks like a beecastle beehive