Cardboard hives?

I don't have bees, don't plan to start keeping any (any time soon, at least)...

But I was just wondering, do you think it might be possible to make beehives out of cardboard?  As in layers, alternating the grain, glued together with wood or white glue to make boards, that can then be connected and finished (painted?)

Because people do this to make furniture, and it's lightweight, sturdy, and biodegradable or burnable.  And cardboard is everywhere, discarded, unused...and likely to increase over time, given people's penchant for home-delivery.

So I was just wondering (because beekeeping stuff is expensive, and if a person couldn't afford a flowhive, or to buy hives, or didn't know how to make some out of wood...if this might be a more budget-friendly option?)

I wondered if it might be too light, so it would need to be attached to a post or something, so as to not blow away?

Or if it might not stand up to rain or snow?

Or something else...?

Has anyone tried this?

Speaking as someone who uses cardboard many ways it is certainly possible and having grown up with a mother who did many things with it.  Will want something better than plain white glue though.  One of the waterproof wood glues would work fine.  Now would it be cost effective.  That one I would question as the amount of glue needed would probably mean it cost about the same as scavenging pallets and using that wood to do it.  Have never tried it.  You can somewhat waterproof cardboard with glue and/or wax.   As for weight take a courser cardboard and fill it with sand trapping the sand with glue.  Some of it should be done with paper mache but still possible

The problem is that the bees breathe and create humidity and hives need to be breathable. So either the cardboard would go soggy or you'd have to glue/varnish it enough that it became impermeable to moisture, but then it would trap the humidity inside and lead to mould, which would kill the bees.

I agree with Rudyard, there is just too much humidity inside a hive.

I bet the honey would add to the moisture problem and might even cause mold inside the hive.

If folks cant afford to buy hives, hives can be DIY using wood.

This is an interesting concept though so thanks for asking.

Hi Alina, thank you for posting your question.
Cardboard is not a good option for beehives for several reasons. The humidity is an issue as has been pointed out, but also the glues and the cardboard will emit gasses that the bees dislike. AND a cardboard hive would be very vulnerable; all kinds of honey and honeybee loving predators would have a relatively easy access to their snack. Wasps and hornets could chew their way right in.

Wood is the original material choice of bees themselves. In the wild they live in old, hollow trees, the tree trunk being their hive, perfectly insulated agains heat and cold, safe and cozy.

You could take a look at CraigList or an equivalent for second-hand beehives. They should be quite inexpensive. In fact, bees prefer 'pre-habited' hives, they have all the right smells of propolis and honey. If you choose to go the second hand route, make sure to clean the hive and possible equipment thoroughly. Scrape clean then use a blow torch to desinfect the hive (without burning it up ). Any beekeepers equipment should also be desinfected; for stainless steel and other metal parts cleaning alcohol, for stuff that doesn't take the cleaning alcohol or blowtorch too well, strong, prolonged sunlight.

Good luck with your new hobby!

Thank you Nina,  you got that soooo right.  Bees are magical creatures in many ways, and are super sensitive to unnatural items like glue.  Even the tiniest amount of pesticides or herbicides  from miles away can disrupt the equilibrium of the hives, and potentially kill them.  

Ah, I hadn't thought about the glue offgassing!

So unpainted/varnished wood doesn't get overlogged with humidity?

Does it absorb enough moisture that the bees can live all right, without rotting the wood too quickly?

Alina Green wrote:Ah, I hadn't thought about the glue offgassing!

So unpainted/varnished wood ...

Hello Alina,

You can paint the outside surface of the hive with natural paint, I use linseed based paint. It takes longer to dry, but it gets the job done (protects your hive against the elements) and doesn't contain toxic elements. You can also do some decorative painting on your hive if you're into it, but try to stick to natural, waterproof paints - as I said linseedoil-based are quite common for beehives.

The bees themselves control the humidity of their hive by fanning with their wings if needed (many bees!), regulating the airflow and getting excess moisture out of the (honey and) hive.

Top bar hives are pretty easy to build.  The dimensions aren't nearly as critical as some people would make it seem.  Think about all the places bees live without humans intervening.  I would think the benefits of wood far outweigh any ease of building offered by cardboard.

So do you only paint the outside, to protect from the elements, but leave the inside raw wood, so that it will absorb moisture?

Does that mean you could just use treatment with some kind of oil, instead of painting?

Is linseed-based paint the same as oil-based paint?  Do they still sell that in the US?  I thought they went all to acrylic (water-based)?

Alina Green wrote:So do you only paint the outside, to protect from the elements, but leave the inside raw wood, so that it will absorb moisture?

Does that mean you could just use treatment with some kind of oil, instead of painting?

Is linseed-based paint the same as oil-based paint?  Do they still sell that in the US?  I thought they went all to acrylic (water-based)?

Yes, you only treat the outside, leaving the inside natural, raw wood. It's more breathing and healthy for the bees.
You could also just use pure linseed oil on the outside of the hive. Linseed oil based paint is a bit better than just oil, making a better protective layer.

It's not the same as oil-based paint. Look for ecological outdoor paint.
I don't know of the situation in the US since I'm in France, EU.
Here we can buy linseed oil at the builders' market, and linseed oil based paint online.

Good luck!

Another alternative to painting is to build with woods like cedar or black walnut. They are naturally rot resistant. No problem for the bees.