The National hive is the most widely used hive in the United Kingdom. It is a square hive, with rebates (grooves) that serve as hand grips. The National can be made out of any type of wood because bees aren't that fussy given where they choose to live in the natural environment. However as we manage the bees to produce a surplus of honey and other products for our own use there have been modifications to the standard National design over the last century. Hives are now typically made from Cedar as the natural oils in the wood help to protect it without the need for additional staining and the wood is durable and less likely to misshape when drying out. The National is also made from Redwood or even exterior plywood but there are pros and draw backs to all three types. Cedar wood is expensive and not readily available to the DIY person without a huge premium but as mentioned lasts a long time due to the naturally occurring oils in the wood which protect it from bacterial and fungal decay. Redwood is good if you plan to stain your hives, when I first started out I had purchased Cedar then moved to Redwood after I decided to stain all my hives dark brown as it keeps the cost of equipment down. Exterior plywood is a less durable wood and will last if looked after annually it is cheap in comparison to Cedar and the bees will happily take up residence but you will have to put in more work to keep the hives at there best and they will not last nearly as long as Cedar. For a new bee keeper it might be worth starting with Redwood or Ply and move to Cedar later. Our hives are made to the highest quality and can be ordered fully assembled or flat packed.
Each complete hive consists of: 
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