Going Custom for Our Bee Hive Boxes

We had custom bee hive boxes made for our ladies, got them all painted and now we are transferring our bees into their new fancy homes. We switched our old (or original) green hive into its new 10 frame deep last weekend. Old yellow hive will be left alone and maybe next spring we can set it up with a split from another hive. But today new yellow will become orange hive and new green will become purple hive.

[@alexandrachristiansen383]

Beautiful boxes

[@thebeesmeads]

Thank you 😊

[@mmb_MeAndMyBees]

Hi there. . .
Nothing wrong with 'own' Boxes ! I reclaim* lots of unused 'heat treated' Pallet Wood. (Pallets from monthly Chicken Feed Delivery !) Do Check* its not Chemical Treated Timber (bad for Bees.)
Most Pallets here in the UK are Coloured Coded (Painted: Red Blue etc) And or have 'Branded' Burnt on Markings : re Heated, Chemical Dipped, Surface Spray Treatment etc. . .)
So a lot of nice Pine Wood to Reclaim/Upcycle if you 'choose' the appropriate "Safe Wood*" version of said 'Pallets. Any waste bits of Timber : Use to make Frames ! Offcuts : add into your Smoker for Fuel. 👍
I use the Principle :
Make the 'bigges' Box to need. Then anything smaller will fit into it ! 😁
Eg I have US Langstroth Hives,
the UK Nationa Hives and the Tall stacking French 'Warre Hives.'
All different in Sizes and associated Gear use 'Requirements' ! Don't be put off my different 'variants'. . .
But instead :
Think outside the "Box" . . .
Eg : x2 Warre 'Frames' will easily 'nest' inside x1 Langstroth Brood Frame.
Or two Warre Frames within x1 National Brood Frame.
You can even make DIY Mating Nuc 'Frames' and these can be :
X3 Within a Langstroth Brood Frame.
X2 withing a UK National Brood Frame.
And x1 within a 'Warre Frame'.
Bit like "Russian nesting Babushka Dolls".
Where one 'Frame Style' can be temporarily aded thru 'Twist Wire' (Wired by its top Bar) within its bigger Frame Cousin wise. . . You now have 'options'.
Why you ask ??? : 👀
Well, a great Colony might 'be' the one you make Queen Cells from.
You might 'carefully' cut out a Section of age related Eggs and Larva in its 'Comb' to Size. Rubber Band this say from a 'Beek Friend / Bee Club' 'Donor Hive' into your "Smaller Framed' DIY made Hive Bodies. And their associated Smaller Frames. Get it . . . It's a Win, win. 👍
You to might get that Wood Shop "Relative", to make you
2a small customed made mini 'Mating Nuc' or two, so you can 'make/take/mate' these QC's. Sell some on to other Beeks (make some Bee 'Kit' needs Money.)
Or Donate on to the next Newbie Beek who has their first Hive : That too needs reigning in 'if their Colony' gets a bit angsty ! And needs, the help of a better Queen, to calm it down to being manageable once more. . .
Hope this helps. 😎