Wooden Langstroth Beehive with Sand Paint

01 · THE SAND PAINT

Stone paste, and on the outside

The finish is not ordinary paint but a stone paste that forms a rough mineral layer over the wood: it takes damp and weather far better than a varnish, which is why the hive arrives ready for the field without a trip through the workshop. One thing worth knowing: the layer is rigid, so with the natural movement of the wood it can craze at the joints — you touch it up with the same paint and it goes no further. It comes in the standard colour, which cannot be chosen.

02 · WHAT IT CARRIES

Chamber, super, and the details you do not see

It comes with a brood chamber and a super, 10 Hoffman frames each, wired and tensioned with galvanised wire. The joints are half-lapped with anti-extraction nails — stronger than a simple butt joint and without relying on a dovetail —, the roof is weatherproof with galvanised sheet, and the crown board has a frame and a window to look without opening. The pine is Galician or maritime, kiln-dried under control and with a plant passport.

03 · ENTRANCE AND LANDING BOARD

Built for the traffic of a strong colony

The landing board is wide, which is what a big colony appreciates in a heavy flow, and the entrance is a metal angle rather than wood, which is the part use eats first. The handle is broad and doubles as a bird guard: it closes the gap through which a persistent bird can reach the entrance in winter.

04 · THE FLOOR AND THE FRAMES

Two things you decide

The floor is chosen when ordering — plain or open mesh — and can be changed later: it also takes a Nicot plastic mesh floor with no adaptation. And the frames come without foundation: the sheets are bought separately, so count them into the same order if you are populating it straight away.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

Choose the floor when ordering: plain base or open mesh. The frames are wired but come without wax foundation.