Reviews

Hear what people are saying about us!

There are a lot of hive bodies available on the market but nothing compares to these. I am not after the cheapest, I want the best. First and foremost, these are high quality wood. The cedar is dense and clean, and the 7/8 thick design provide more structure than common thinner wood. This is what I want to stand up to harsh winters in the Midwest, and to last season after season. I've bought other Cedar hives that are as light as balsa wood and there is just no comparison. I've used Bobs hives now for several winters with success. They are cut well and assemble tight but easy. I finish with clearcoat, and they are standing up well to the elements and seasonal changes of sun/wind/rain/cold. More than functional, these are simply beautiful to have. My visitors and friends all comment on the breathtaking beauty of these hives in my yard and garden. 'Too beautiful to be outside' is one comment I hear a lot, these look like a fine piece of furniture nestled in the landscape. Some of my pictures are in the gallery for you to see. Bob and Family - thanks for what you do.

~ Mark from Iowa

The reviews are correct! Ozark Cedar Hives are well constructed and the red cedar wood is beautiful. I have been immensely satisfied with my first purchase and I am expanding my apiary with another set of medium hives. With the all 8 frame medium hives I am able to efficiently manage each of the boxes and the bees didn't mind that they were no deep boxes. ~ Phyllis from Indiana

All of my hives up to this point have been purchased from Seattle/Portland companies, constructed from western red cedar. I found myself searching for a replacement vendor and Ozark Cedar Hives piqued my interest. I asked Bob for a quote on a complete hive and subsequently purchased one. What I quickly received was an artisan-grade beehive at a commercial-grade price shipped without any damage due to excellent packaging. Bob’s hives are made from 7/8” boards of Eastern Red Cedar (Virginia Juniper), a wood that is more than twice the hardness of my traditional Western Red Cedar. Combined with Bob’s ventilated-quilt box roof, this hive should do well in my Northern Wisconsin apiary. I treated my hive with natural Tung oil which may help retain the prized purple and cream coloration of this wood. My only regret is that I can’t but help viewing my new hive like a Claude Monet amongst amateurs! ~ Kyle from Wisconsin

I started purchasing these hives about 4 years ago. They are very sturdy, and they fit together perfectly. I started getting them unassembled, not just because they cost less, but they are kind of fun to put together. I can't recall how many supers I have order. I'm sure it is more than a dozen. I have only had 1 problem with 1 super. It was cut short. I called them and they sent a replacement out the same day. I am making a order today for more, But only because I am going to put in another hive. I really can't say how long it would be before I would have to order parts to replace any the other ones. But, longer than 4 years. The price is very reasonable for the quality, and for the added pest control. The cedar really does seem to help against wax moths, ants, hive beetles and maybe more. But, that is just my observation in my limited 3 hives. After having pine hives, I can't see anyone being disappointed in these. ~ Frank from Ohio

Received my first hive from Bob. Working with him over the phone was great (wanted a garden top cover, not shown on the website, which he had, He was very accommodating and everything was worked out well. In addition, the wood is of very high quality, and he uses 7/8” wood as compared to 3/4"x wood that others use. The bees have settled in nicely! ~ Christopher from South Carolina

I've purchased 12 ozark hives over the past 3 years and can't say enough about them. They are extremely durable and hold up to Chicago weather like no others. The bees take to them nicely and they are easy to work with.
thank you !! ~ Martin from Chicago

I purchased my first hives in 2014. They are a beautiful piece of craftsmanship. Sturdy, well built, and the cedar wood makes them look beautiful. The hives show no wear after four years of Missouri weather. I will be making another purchase to replace a hive from a competitor that has not with stood the elements. ~ Marie from Missouri

This is my third year of ordering hives from Bob and I just love my hives. My bees do great and they look better every year. I have had pine boxes and they always needed paint and seem to be always pulling apart on the corners but not these. And did I say they look better every year with very low maintenance. THANKS SO MUCH Bob. ~ David from Utah

Bob at Ozark Cedar Hives is our Apiary's go to hive provider for all hive upgrades. I started with Pine but after a season was looking to experiment with different styled hives and different materials. Last season I picked up one hive to test out, and after a successful winter I have upgraded two more of my hives to these wonderful Ozark Cedar Hives. When people walk into the Love Lane Honey bee yard they immediately comment on the unique golden look of these Cedar hives. Finally, Bob's bottom boards are so good that I have upgraded all my hive bases to these. The slant of the base allows for an easy landing, the screened bottom affords excellent ventilation and mite control.

~ Avery from Massachusetts

The bee package I put in your hive from last year is going gang busters! The bees are drawing comb in the last (5th) medium super as we speak. Please send me the following as quickly as you can. ~ Tom from Colorado

We LOVE the hives. They are beautiful. All of the hives in our bee yards are pine, but we wanted a couple for our backyard/garden that looked good. Your hives are gorgeous in the Montana sunset with Bee's doing their thing to and fro... Anyway, I wanted to say thanks again for being so stand up, and for making great hives. I'll be sure to pass your name to the local beeks and anyone else looking to get into it. ~ Matt in Montana

Hi Mr. Owen, I received my medium hive today and it is absolutely beautiful. I am kicking myself that i didn't find you before this Spring when i purchased three cedar hives that do not even compare to yours. It is easy to say you will be my exclusive hive/component dealer from now on. Thanks. ~ Ben from Kansas

Bob’s hives are as functional as they are beautiful. I particularly appreciate the thicker hive body and super material. Even the telescoping cover and inner cover are hand-crafted from solid cedar. And last but not least, Bob and Kathy are super nice people to do business with. ~ Burton from Western Missouri

Let me start by saying that I didn’t know how much junk that I had until I ordered your hive boxes! I have western cedar, pine, cypress and plywood hives but none as nice as yours. I’m a carpenter and we have a lot of different wood available to construct hive boxes from but I didn’t know how nice that juniper would be. ~ Steve from Pennsylvania

Just to let you know, our bee colonies are doing great and they really like your hives!!

I'd like to order two more of your complete hives. ~ Paul from Connecticut

The hive arrived today. It's beautiful. Thank you so much for offering such a well built hive at this cost. I am very impressed with everything you've done. Take care and God bless your family and business. I'm sure you'll hear from me again. :) ~ Kevin from Michigan

The cedar hives are awesome. My bees did better in them than any other hive!

~ Cinda from Western MO

The cedar hives that I received from Bob Owen were not only very well built but also aesthetically pleasing to look at. The material construction appears to be handling the seasons here in MO quite nicely. Bob was a great resource of information and a pleasure to do business with. I can happily state that my bees are flourishing in their new homes. I am hoping to acquire some more of these units before the line gets too long.

~ Ken from Southwest MO

I love my cedar hives I bought last year! I bought 4 and have bees in 3 of them. The 4th one is to use if I get to catch a swarm this year. The bees are doing well and bringing in tons of pollen right now. I fed the 2 new young hives this winter that I got started last year. I just recently added supers on both so they will have lots of room for honey this year. They are all strong and doing real well. The hive color is still really pretty and they look so pretty sitting up in the fruit patch. I would and do recommend them to anyone I find that has an interest in beekeeping. ~ Elaine from MO

I wanted to let you know that I received the hive pieces, put the supers together, sanded the joints a little, and finished everything. I love the finished hive. My intention was to use the hive without finishing it, but the wood was so beautiful, I could not resist sanding and putting on a finish that would preserve the wood and preserve the color. I used an outdoor, water-based polyurethane with a satin finish that should keep them looking fresh for many years and probably add a few years to their life. I want you to know that I really appreciate your hives for several reasons:
1) Hive base, with screened board and insert.
2) Construction: box joints with sanded exterior.
3) Wood thickness: I use rough cut for everything I build and appreciate the thicker wood.
4) The wood: I love the color and grain. I do a lot of woodwork myself and it is just plain fun to have such a nice looking hive.
Thanks to you both and keep up the great work. ~ Chuck from Pennsylvania

The best quality hive I have seen in this price range! An incredible product and friendly service. ~ Erin from Southern MO

I was very pleased with the look and the construction of the hive I bought last year. Your hive stand and bottom board that accepts both a screened and solid bottom are so much better than most commercially available components. Everything fit together well, and the construction on the hive components is all around excellent. I appreciate the attention to detail. ~ Larry from Northwest Arkansas

I have noted that my bee colonies in your cedar hives are stronger than the ones in the commercial grade wood. ~ Geneva from the Bahamas