Also known as a "hot box", this is a really solid overwintering accessory for your hives to help mitigate moisture, a major overwintering problem. As the bees cluster for warmth, they create humidity, which rises to the top of the hive and becomes condensation. If the condensation isn't absorbed by something, it can rain back down as cold water on the bees, causing severe stress or death. Our winter chip box has a large capacity for up to 5 pounds of wood chips, burlap, or other absorbing material (not included) to help absorb and dissipate the moisture out the top. The sides of the box are 1/4" shorter than the ends, which allows for moisture to dissipate out.
It also has a 1.5" cavity below, which is a great space for feeding winter sugar or early spring pollen patties. To top it all off, we add an entrance notch so the bees have that crucial upper entrance in the wintertime.
Comes assembled and wax dipped.
About wax dipping: our wax dipped beehive components will stand the test of time and are completely ready to use! The hive parts are boiled in hot wax. During that process, moisture is forced out of the wood and wax is forced in.
Wax dipped hive components are known to last for 20 years or more with zero maintenance, and NO NEED to reapply wax later. Wax dipped hives CANNOT be painted, but instead preserves the beautiful, natural wood appearance. The wood color will steadily darken over time from exposure to the sun, but it won't rot or deteriorate!
Our wax dipped hive components are NOT THE SAME as some of our competitors, particularly the cheap imported hives from Amazon, Temu, and other online sellers. Their so-called "wax dipping" process involves just a quick dip into a vat of warm liquid wax, which simply coats the wood, rather than impregnating the wood like our process does. Their process will require re-coating every couple of years, while ours will last for decades without maintenance.
