BeeCastle 10-Frame Complete Bee Hives and Supplies Starter Kit,Beehives for Beginners with Beehive Frames and Waxed Foundations (2 Deep Bee Boxes & 1 Medium Super Bee Box)

This set is well made and easy to assemble. We wanted to get an unfinished set because it is easy enough to paint and repaint as necessary.We have one other set that was dipped in beeswax and the wax made it a little chunkier and more difficult to assemble. Additionally when boxes need new wax it can be a pain to reapply.This set that can simply be painted assembles with ease, the jointery is clean cut and fits together snugly, and it gives you a good supply of boxes and frames for the money. Just remember to use a bit of wood glue when assembling the frames so the nails dont pull out and fall apart when the frames are full of comb and honey.

I research for quite a while to decide what beehive to buy, if it was a good idea to buy one that was not from a beehive supplier. This beehive is great! It is cut perfectly, every single dovetail went together beautifully, the frames were all easy to put together. This is my first year as a beekeeper, so I will see how it holds up, but I would definitely recommend!

No wax at all not even one single drop

The wood and fitting on this kit is as good or better than the other 3 hives I've built. I'll never build another without dovetail corners. It's just a way better construction. The foundations are very well waxed and the frames are well built. I would have liked a screened bottom board and the inner cover lacks a ventilation notch, but small details. Otherwise a great kit for a very good price.

I bought this beehive kit based off of reviews.1st.The inner lid is out of spec. It is deep on both sides, not offset. Meaning the plywood is centered in the frame instead of being 1/3-2/3 so that one side of the lid is shallow and the other side is deep. This is for proper bee space, so expect them to fill the gap with burr comb on top of the frames.The center hole is long and skinny instead of standard size. So if you are using a bee escape that fits in this hole you will have to trim the lid to install it.2nd.The telescoping lid is 1/4” plywood in a frame with sheet metal over it. Functional yes but standard is built with 3/4” thick wood to act as an insulator from heat and cold3rd.The dove tail joints are so-so. They are very splintered, like they were cut using very dull blades. The fit is okay. Obvious not tight like a furniture maker would make them but they aren’t super loose either. They are tight enough that you need to smack them with your fist or the palm of your hand to get them together. Overall they come out square when assembled (less than 1/16” out of square)4th.The bottom board had some loose heartwood that you could just peel away. I filled it with glue and put the big chunks back in. And put extra paint over them to seal any gaps when I painted it.5th.These boxes are physically lighter than all the rest of my (fir) bee boxes. Maybe cedar is lighter than fir.6thThe frames go together well. Pretty square. But I did have 1 or 2 that the foundation sheets fit extra loose in. I haven’t inspected why yet but a quick guess I’d say the slot in the bottom bar is extra deep since they don’t go very deep into the top bar. They really should supply 2 sizes of nails for assembly. I ended up using my own nails and put cross nails at the bottom connections fore more strength.7thThere is larger gap between these boxes when stacked than other boxes that I have.8thBe sure to add more way to the foundation sheets before putting it to use. This goes for every beehive kit that I’ve looked at, not just this one.FYI double waxed means one thin coat of wax on each side of the foundation sheet. Not 2 coats in each side

Very nice hive. Good quality wood. Great price for a complete hive.

Great frame for beginners! Love this hive! Painted and sealed with bees wax. They are awesome! They aren’t hard to put together.

Love Bee castle products. My only complaint is that the shipping boxes are always damaged. The driver dropped parts in my driveway and said if anything is missing take it up with the seller. Wish we could pick our shipping options. Bee castle always smells amazing, easy to put together and durable.