A Review on NuBee Beehives

Like most hobbies, beekeeping can incur some costs.  The most pricey of them is buying a beehive. While quality beehives aren’t cheap, it’s important to get a good one to ensure a successful season. Plus, a good beehive can last many years.  

That’s why I like NuBee beehives. Their goal is to create affordable, yet quality beehives for anyone interested in beekeeping.  

Disclosure: As an affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases. This is at no cost to you and helps to keep this website running.

About NuBee

NuBee was created to allow more people to pursue beekeeping.  To achieve this, they aim to provide lightweight, durable beehives at an affordable price. 

They started out making 8 frame hives, but have now expanded to 10 frame hives, starter kits, and supplies. All hives are cut to industry standards, so they can be used interchangeably with other brands, if needed. 

NuBee takes pride in their craftsmanship, using a combination of fir and pine to create their hives. This results in a durable and high quality, yet affordable beehive. 

Quality Beehives

NuBee’s main objective is to provide quality beehives at an honest price. Just because their hives are more affordable than some other brands, does not mean that they are of lesser caliber.

NuBee shows attention to detail with their precisely cut dovetail joints. Their craftsmanship aims to provide you with a beehive that will last you years to come. 

NuBee Shipping

NuBee is sold by the website galenafarms.com. I’ve personally used this site many times and I’ve always had a good experience. This site may sound familiar to you because it’s also where I get my Hoover Hives from.

Galena Farms offers free shipping for orders $50 and up, so if you buy a NuBee hive, it’ll ship for free.   They also try their best to ship quickly. 

Galena Farms tends to ship their hives out within 24 hours of the order being placed.  Either FedEx or UPS will be used, whichever is faster. Depending on where you live, you can expect to receive your hive in 1-4 business days.  

See my review on Galena Farms here.

Furthermore, the NuBee Painted 10 Frame Starter Kit can be purchased at galenafarms.com.  It includes an assembled and painted deep box, frames, foundation, and several accessories, such as gloves, a jacket, and smoker. 

NuBee Painted 10 Frame Beehive Starter Kit

This is the perfect kit for beginners or anyone who is interested in getting into beekeeping.  It comes with 1 assembled and painted deep brood box, frames, foundation, a bee suit, smoker, and all the tools you’ll need to get started.  

I like that you can buy everything all together instead of having to purchase each item separately.  It’s faster, easier, and even comes out cheaper this way. The hive even comes assembled and painted, which saves you a lot of time and effort. 

You also have 2 options with this kit. You can either get it with 10 frames, or nuc ready – with 5 frames. It is called nuc ready because it has space for the 5 frames that typically come with a nuc.  All you have to do is put the nuc frames in. 

The foundation that comes with this kit is wax coated and colored black. This makes it easier to spot eggs, especially for new beekeepers. 

The NuBee Painted 10 Frame Starter Kit Includes:

• Telescoping Top Cover Capped with White Aluminum (18-1/2″ x 22″ x 2-7/8″)
• Inner Cover (16-1/4″ x 19-7/8″ x 3/4″)
• Plastic Queen Excluder (16-1/4″ x 19-7/8″ x 1/8″)
• 1 Painted Deep Brood Box (16-1/4″ x 19-7/8″ x 9-5/8″)
• 5 Deep Brood Langstroth Wood Frames (1-3/8″ x 19″ x 9-1/8″)
• 5 or 10 Plastic Black Textured CellTech Foundations (100% Wax Coated)(3/16″ x 16-3/4″ x 8-1/2″)
• Screen Bottom Board (16-1/4″ x 22″ x 2-9/16″)
• Plastic Insert (15″ x 21-3/4″ x 1/8″)
• Entrance Reducer (14-5/8″ x 3/4″ x 3/4″)
• Elbow Length Leather Gloves
• Extra Protective Jacket
• Reinforced Up Right Veil
• The Original Smoker
• Curled Hive Tool
• Product Comes Assembled and Painted

NuBee Standard Beehive

If you don’t need a starter kit, I recommend the NuBee Standard Beehive. You can get it with either 8 or 10 frames. The wood used to build this hive is fir and pine, chosen to create a lightweight and durable hive.  The color is a pale, light brown with a straight grain and even texture.  

This hive includes 2 deep brood boxes and 1 medium honey super.  This is the standard and also most versatile set up used for beekeeping.  When your colony grows, more deeps and honey supers can be added.  

Each hive part uses standard measurements, so you can easily add more boxes, regardless of the brand.  Every hive part is precisely cut, including the tightly fitting dovetail joints to ensure a perfectly square hive.

Unlike the Starter Kit, this hive comes unassembled. However, the precision cuts make assembly quick and easy. The wood is also unfinished, so it is ideal for beekeepers who like to paint their hives.

This hive kit includes 30 frames and 30 plastic textured CellTech foundations.  (Or 24 frames and foundations if you go for the 8 frame version.) I really like that the brood boxes have black foundation because that makes spotting eggs easier.  The super has natural honey colored foundations, which helps in spotting debris. 

The NuBee Standard 10 Frame Beehive includes:

• Telescoping Top Cover Capped with White Aluminum (18-1/2″ x 22″ x 2-7/8″)
• Inner Cover (16-1/4″ x 19-7/8″ x 3/4″)
• Plastic Queen Excluder (16-1/4″ x 19-7/8″ x 1/8″)
• 1 Medium Super Box (16-1/4″ x 19-7/8″ x 6-5/8″)
• 10 Medium Super Langstroth Wood Frames (1-3/8″ x 19″ x 6-1/4″)
• 10 Plastic Natural Honey Colored Textured CellTech Foundations (100% Wax Coated)(3/16″ x 16-3/4″ x 5-5/8″)
• 2 Deep Brood Boxes (16-1/4″ x 19-7/8″ x 9-5/8″)
• 20 Deep Brood Langstroth Wood Frames (1-3/8″ x 19″ x 9-1/8″)
• 20 Plastic Black Textured CellTech Foundations (100% Wax Coated)(3/16″ x 16-3/4″ x 8-1/2″)
• Screen Bottom Board (16-1/4″ x 22″ x 2-9/16″)
• Plastic Insert (15″ x 21-3/4″ x 1/8″)
• Entrance Reducer (14-5/8″ x 3/4″ x 3/4″)

Pros of NuBee

• Made in the USA.
• Lightweight and durable.
• Quality craftsmanship.
• Standard dimensions  – can be used with other brands of beehives.
• Starter Kit comes assembled.
• Affordable and good value for the money.

Cons of NuBee

• Hives do not come painted, stained, or waxed. 
• Free shipping is only for the lower 48 states.
• Larger hives will come unassembled.

Where to Buy NuBee Beehives

NuBee beehives can be bought online at GalenaFarms.com. The prices are extremely reasonable and Galena Farms offers fast, free shipping on orders $50 and up.  

Another advantage to ordering from Galena Farms is that they are offering a 5% discount when you order.  Simply use the code COMPLETEBEEHIVES at checkout to get your discount.  

Summary

NuBee offers affordable and quality beehives that are both lightweight and durable. The advantage of NuBee Hives are skilled craftsmanship and quality woodwork.  The best place to buy NuBee hives are at galenafarms.com.