HIVE365 INSULATED Bee Hive DOUBLE DEEP

The first bees I put into the hive did not like it; absconded and took over an already occupied wooden hive. It was an odd site. The next colony of bees seem to be enjoying it. I won’t state what’s already been said about feeders etc but I wish the pollen doors were labeled somehow. I cannot remember left or right door for all of the tea in China Lots of laughter. I’ve had to watch videoes to double check. I’m going to label mine somehow. Lastly My standard inner covers won’t allow the lid to fit properly. I find the feeders cumbersome but I need something there to keep the bees from putting propolis on the top so for now they will stay because I do enjoy looking down into the clear view; for now anyway because bees are covering it from the bottom. Overall it’s a great product. I’ll definitely purchase more. I currently only have 2 of them and they were placed into my too small vehicle with exceptional precision. Customer service is always above and beyond which is why I’ve added the extra star.

Good product. Few design issues but no doubt hillco with listen to feedback and the next redesign will correct them.

Issues- bees still lose pollen even without pollen collector on (not all of it but more than they should be)
- pollen collector should pull from back not front for easier collection
- feeder lids warping and difficult to fit properly
-divider boards break easy and don't keep bees fully separated

All minor issues and hillco is already working on some of them, plus lifetime support and guarantee on the product can't be beat

I have some of the competing brand insulated plastic hives. I have used them now for a few years. The Hive 365 is constructed in a way that is more user friendly. A robust design that appears to be very well put together.

Very nicely built

I purchased 4 of these this year. I run 40 hives and I've had some issues with over wintering. I decided to try 4 of these since I had bee cozies to replace, I wanted to add more pollen traps, I liked the idea of the feeders and I'm tired of wooden ware that breaks down over the years. I also do small pollination and like the locks, so I don't need to strap everything down. All these are reasons I bought the hives and I think most of these will pan out.

So why 3 Stars?

1. I've already had to replace two of the bottoms and most likely will have to replace the other two. The mold that holds the feet in place seem brittle and have already cracked out. I'm extremely concerned about Winter in MN and will they completely break apart. I'm making some wood components to fit in the open slots on the bottom to give extra support. When I have 6 supers on, I just don't think they will handle the weight in it's current design.
2. The feeders are a challenge and need some tweaking. I had a hard time getting the covers on after I filled them. They also make it a challenge with a pollen patty on top. I had to roll the pollen patties out just a bit thinner so they fit on the hive correctly. Love the concept, just needs tweaking.
3. Pollen trap basket should come out the back not the front. I've been using Sundance traps for years, probably one of the best on the market. What I love about these is it's always on and should be easy to start and stop at anytime. But when I'm out collecting pollen, I don't want to suit up. I just want to zip out and grab the pollen. Pulling out the front seems like it's going to be an issue.

Don't get me wrong, I think these are going to be fantastic, I just think there are some kinks to workout.