Funny Bug Bees & Wood Works offers three grades of lumber for the construction of the medium honey supers, deep hive bodies and the shallow honey supers we sell.

This gives you, our beekeeping customer, more choice about your budget when purchasing your beekeeping supplies. This article will explain the grades we sell and show you some photographic examples so you know what you are buying.

Budget Grade Beehive Boxes

The first grade we offer is Budget Grade. Budget grade beehive boxes are our least expensive bee hive box lumber choice. Budget grade beehive boxes are made from Spruce.

Budget grade beehive boxes can have any or all of the following:

  • Surface marks, gouges, pits and other milling errors which do not penetrate through the wood forming a hole.
  •  Chips in the fingers which would not cause a gap into the box, in the joint once assembled
  • Knots larger than a US Quarter dollar coin.
  •  Knots in the finger joints.
  •  Knots in the hive box handle area.

See below for a photograph of a typical budget grade box

 Budget Grade Hive Box 

  

Commercial Grade Beehive Boxes

The second grade we offer is commercial Grade. Commercial grade beehive boxes are our mid-priced bee hive box lumber choice. Commercial grade beehive boxes are made from Spruce.

Commercial grade beehive boxes MUST have all of the following:

  • No knots larger than a US silver dollar coin.
  • All knots must be tight
  • There can be NO knots in the finger joints
  • There can be no knots in the hive handle area

See below for a photograph of a typical commercial grade beehive box.

Commercial Grade Hive BoxCommercial Grade Hive Box

  

Select Grade Beehive Boxes

The third grade we offer is select grade. Select grade beehive boxes use our most beautiful bee hive box lumber choice. Select grade beehive boxes are made from hard pine. This wood is harder than spruce and will stand up longer to the rigors of repeated prying by your hive tool at the corners than spruce will.

Select grade beehive boxes MUST have all of the following:

  • No knots larger than about the diameter of a pencil
  • No loose knots, all knots must be tight
  • No knots in the finger joints
  • No knots in the hive handle area

See below for a photograph of a typical select grade beehive box.

Select Grade Hive BoxSelect Grade Hive Box