BeeCastle 10 Frame Langstroth Bee Hive Coated with 100% Beeswax Includes Beehive Frames and Waxed Foundations (2 Deep Boxes & 2 Medium Boxes)

Here’s a quick review if you don’t want to read my entire one: It’s cheap, it works, the wax may not be bees wax and everything arrived in one piece and went together well. ——— Edit: 2/15/26 Brought the hive to the yard and before it was even out of the car the bees were on the glass and seemed to really love the smell of it. I’ll try using the boxes for swarm traps and update. As a beginner bee keeper who’s looking for quality and also cost effective, this does the job pretty well so far. I haven’t used it outside, but straight out of the box it fit well, comes with a few extra nails and screws, no knots where it could be detrimental to the structure. The pre drilled holes made it easy and only one frame ever got a little crack from the nails. It did take us a few hours to put together. The roof did have some sharp corners so we just hammered it down a bit so it didn’t cut our hands. The Queen excluder was a little larger than our actual box so it stuck out on the side which we could probably just cut off and the bees will seal any cracks from it to the box. The frames are covered in wax but it’s very thin, (some reviews said bees would not build on it, my bees are picky too so we’ll see this spring.) I had to really look for it to even notice it. It seems most bad reviews are about broken pieces and the wax not being bees wax. It looks like the picture and is covered in some kind of wax but I can’t say it’s bees wax with 100% certainty. The wax also gets everywhere so be aware when you’re putting it together. 😅 I don’t expect it to last for years and once the “wax” comes off I’ll probably have to paint it so the boxes are protected from weather. For now though it works and I hope it holds up outside. Be aware it doesn’t come with a stand so you’ll have to get one separately (which I’ll just make one with some wood beams and cinder blocks.) Compared to the natural hive from Dr. Leo the box is thin, (he compares it to the more natural ways bees are kept like in hollow trees.) So yeah it’s pretty thin in that regard but if you don’t mind and are just looking for a “standard” langstroth box, it’s standard and you’ll need a cover in the winter. —— So far my overall review is 5/5 stars and I’ll update this review when I find out how it lasts long term.

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 don't really know where to begin, but I would give it 10 stars if I could, and will be buying another one in the future, along with any extra hive parts from this company. The wood is sturdy and durable, and comes coated in the best smelling beeswax. This makes it waterproof, makes the screws stay in better in a weird way, and smells amazing and saves me even more money because I don't have to melt beeswax and coat the frames for the bees take to it better because it's already done. The material is heavy duty pine and seems like it will last for years. I got the 10 frame, and it seems giant, but I know will be perfect for me. I have to say assemble was fun and pretty easy and my kids actually helped with the process! Overall, this is one of the best things I have ever bought on Amazon and I am going to be getting another one in the future. I am so impressed by the quality and condition of the hive! Buy it now, you won't regret it. I am so happy with the product. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews for me to read before purchasing, it was a big help!

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.

well built and designed. the only complaint i have is the two most important parts are built with cheap staples instead of screws. the bottom board and the top both.. a little redesign and repair on our part and small scews used instead of the staples it was built with and it made it as pefect as i have been made for a hive. not sure why they cheapen it at the top and bottom but the rest is awesome. i have bees trying to move in before it was fully assembled. the instructions are excellent and easy to understand. pre-drilled screw holes and all hardware including screws provided. some assembly is required! to say the least but worth the time and effort.

We love these hives. Great quality and easy to assemble. Ordered 2 sets of the 2 deep and 2 supers. Will be looking to purchase nukes in the future for breeding. Everything fit together perfect and the outer layers were coated in a nice layer of bees wax. Plastic foundation cells but with an extra coating of wax will work perfect. Boxes are heavy when shipped but a good weight when put together individually, not super heavy empty but not feather light either. Customer service is outstanding.

I am putting my hives together today. So far so good. However, I have experience as a bee keeper, I know what goes where, etc, but for a total beginner? I am thinking this is a bit much without any instructions. There was zero documentation. Granted, one can always go online to find out how to assemble the parts, but it would really be nice if there was a simple how to as well as a list of what is supposed to be in the box. Also, a drill bit tip would be something nice to add to the screws so you one doesn't have to start digging through their garage looking for one. A few of the parts had uneven wax (the extruder for example) so I will be painting wax over some things to keep the rot at bay, but all in all they look very nice. UPDATE: So when I opened the box, I opened it from the bottom, took everything out and toss the box, put it all together, was a bit irked there were no instructions, but I know beehives, so no biggy. I saw that there were supposed to be instructions on the product page, so went back and looked in the box, and since I had opened it from the bottom, I missed the instructions that were hidden by the box flaps, would have seen them first and foremost if I had opened the box like a normal person. SO, there are indeed instructions. Than you!

Easy to assemble and bees haven’t left to find a new home.

This is the first hive I have assembled from a kit. If you are an old hand at constructing furniture from IKEA kits you will have no problem. The instructions were minimal. You definitely need a mallet, a hammer and a Philips screwdriver.