Top Bars
Optimized Sugar Syrup Feeder
Optimized Sugar Syrup Feeder
Each hive comes with 25 top bars. These top bars are standardized in length, design, and function so all hives from Skookum can share or exchange top bars seamlessly. Each top bar is milled from untreated pine, milled to inset in the hive so they don't slip out of place, and have a beeswax starter strip to help the bees know where to start building their comb.
Optimized Sugar Syrup Feeder
Optimized Sugar Syrup Feeder
Optimized Sugar Syrup Feeder
Each hive comes with a supplemental feeder system so you can feed your bees, as needed. We based our design on the top-mounted feeders used in Langstroth hives, where the feeder is inverted over the bees so they can come up and feed from tiny holes in the lid. Many top bar hives use entrance feeders, which are prone to freezing, invite th
Each hive comes with a supplemental feeder system so you can feed your bees, as needed. We based our design on the top-mounted feeders used in Langstroth hives, where the feeder is inverted over the bees so they can come up and feed from tiny holes in the lid. Many top bar hives use entrance feeders, which are prone to freezing, invite thieving pests, and are placed exactly wrong for mid-winter feeding. Bees clump back and up in the hive cavity to stay away from the cold seeping in through the entrance at the bottom and front of the hive. They also end up back and up in the hive because that is where they end up as they consume their honey stores. Our feeder is placed inside the hive cover, at the top of the top bars, with a refilling bottle that allows you to refill the bottle without exposing the colony to cold air.
Optional Viewing Windows
Optimized Sugar Syrup Feeder
Optional Viewing Windows
Want to see what your bees are doing, but you aren't due for an inspection? Open the door and peer through the glass at the colony without bothering them! The viewing windows allow you to satisfy your curiosity and inevitable need to watch your bees whenever you want. The latched doors allow you to close off the colony from light when not
Want to see what your bees are doing, but you aren't due for an inspection? Open the door and peer through the glass at the colony without bothering them! The viewing windows allow you to satisfy your curiosity and inevitable need to watch your bees whenever you want. The latched doors allow you to close off the colony from light when not in use (recommended).
At just $25 per window (includes the shutter to close it off when not in use), this option is a must-have for honeybee enthusiasts!
Remember, these windows are just to provide you with the joy of seeing your bees at work; they are not in any way a replacement for regular hive inspections.
Hive Stand
Integrated Small Hive Beetle Trap
Optional Viewing Windows
Upgrade your hive with a dimensionally matched hive stand! No need to figure out on what and where the put your new hive. The hive stands are made of treated lumber for durability. You can even upgrade your hive stand with a custom paint job (distressed white over charred wood pictured)!
Adjustable Hive Feet
Integrated Small Hive Beetle Trap
Integrated Small Hive Beetle Trap
Every Skookum hive has wide-profile base legs that span the full width of the hive. This gives the hive superior stability. However, what makes our hives a bit better is that we also include integrated hive leveling feet! Once placed on the included hive stand, you can adjust the four feet until your hive is stable and, most importantly, completely level.
Integrated Small Hive Beetle Trap
Integrated Small Hive Beetle Trap
Integrated Small Hive Beetle Trap
Thanks to a mid-Atlantic beekeeper's recommendation, I incorporate this excellent Small Hive Beetle (SHB) trap. Mounted under a screened hole in the bottom, this trap attracts SHB using either old comb or fruit suspended in oil. The comb and/or fruit attract the beetles (as does the fact that the blacked-out container is a dark, secluded
Thanks to a mid-Atlantic beekeeper's recommendation, I incorporate this excellent Small Hive Beetle (SHB) trap. Mounted under a screened hole in the bottom, this trap attracts SHB using either old comb or fruit suspended in oil. The comb and/or fruit attract the beetles (as does the fact that the blacked-out container is a dark, secluded spot for them to hide), then they fall in the oil and perish. Just unscrew the container periodically to remove the dead beetles and to refresh the bait and oil. Simple and effective.
Hinged Top
Optional Aluminum Top Bar Rests
Optional Aluminum Top Bar Rests
Lifting the hive top off and trying to put it back on is for the birds, and we're beekeepers...so a hinged top is a must!
Optional Aluminum Top Bar Rests
Optional Aluminum Top Bar Rests
Optional Aluminum Top Bar Rests
These add amazing durability to your most-damaged spot on the hive. Hive tools easily pry propolis-glued top bars up off of these aluminum rests.