Ostins Triple Insulated Bee Hives = Zero Winter Losses due to freezing Temps Please read full description. They are built to last for ever. Stone Hives takes longer to make as the reformed stone needs to cure. They are also very heavy and not meant to be moved around once installed in their finasl position. These Hives are made by our selves and cannot be bought any where else. Every Hive whether wood or stone will have a unique reference number that matches our records on the register book that lists when it was made and who made it etc. The Stone Hives are unique and hand made and no two are exactly the same. Winter losses can often be heart breaking. Especially if you are new to bee keeping and it is your only bee hive. If Bee Hives are not. Properly insulated in winter. Absolutely no amount of food stores will save them. Some lids of commercially made hives can be a major problem because they are not properly insulated and the walls of the hives are way to thin. Bees need a warm humid environment inside the hive at all times. Contrary to popular belief. Bees do not hibernate and the queen never stops laying. She does slow right down though when it gets below freezing and bees form a cluster. If the inside of the hive walls gets to cold especially the roof. Warm moisture hits the cold surface. Condences back into water and drips cold water on your bees. If this happens the bees will most certainly die resulting in what is known as a dead out. These Bee Hives are made to order. It will take around 3-4 weeks to get your bee hive delivered straight to your door. They will look exactly like in the picture but they will be a dark green in color. The ones in the picture are untreated. These hives will keep your bees safe from all weather and they are built so that the bees can easily defend against predators like wasps and hornets. The entrance has a unique feature inside that makes it very difficult for hornets to get into the hive.