Why
Choose a Plastic Bee Hive?
A plastic bee hive will not rot, crack, swell, flake, mildew or attract termites.
Ok so plastic has a bad reputation. But there are times when it’s good.
So when is a plastic bee hive good?
Well it’s good when it offers bees a long life span, when it is used to insulate the hive and has good air flow. Good plastic is compostable, recycled or recyclable.
Our hives are made from three main components which are a combination of compostable, recycled, recyclable and virgin plastics. We are a plastic bee hive supplier. We source our raw material responsibly where possible and locally to support Australian manufacturing.
The three main components are the Coloured Fittings, The Shade Sail and the Hexagonal Base.
Coloured Fittings
Using a compostable bioplastic, derived from renewable resources like plant sugars, called PLA (Polylactide), the coloured fittings and internal food grade honey collection container are 3D printed right here at Hive Haven by Jeff.
The Shade Sail
The shade sail is made from recycled plastic like milk bottles called HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) plastic. It can withstand fresh and salt water and be recycled, making it the perfect material for a plastic bee hive.
Hexagonal Base
The main assembly the hexagon box base is UV stabilised. The outer is made from a recycled blend and the inner is made from 100% recycled plastic. The entire Hive is 95% recycled plastic based on the weight.
Find out more in the Additional Information tab.
A Sustainable Future
At Hive Haven we value building a commercial and sustainable future for the Australian native bee.
Our vision is to look after bees in the best possible way whilst supporting our local economy. We support sustainable commercial bee farming methods that enhance the potential survival of bee species.
Our goal is to raise the awareness of this threatened species. We are working with our community to provide long term pollination for food crops that face climate change. We are the most sustainable native bee plastic bee hive suppliers Australia.
Made In Australia
We are really proud of working with local manufacturers to produce The Native Hive and its unique Security Stand.
Sweet
dreams
In 2011 Ann and Jeff Ross discovered a colony of European honeybees had made a home in the wall of their mechanical workshop in Beerburrum. Coming from a family of apiarists; Jeff coaxed the bees into a box and before long he was was nurturing a small backyard apiary. Not long after, Ann officially registered Hive Haven I and decided to invest in eight Australian native bee colonies to sit along side Jeffs growing honeybee apiary.
The heat waves of 2014 in south-east Queensland devastated both the European honeybee and stingless native bee colonies. Beerburrum was no exception. Ann lost her eight native bee hives which was very upsetting.
In June 2015, a concept hexagonal stingless bee box was put on display at various locations around the Sunshine Coast. This enabled people including native bee keepers, scientists, and engineers to contribute valuable knowledge. Every idea helped to create our prized solution The Native Bee Hive . Ann and Jeff thank everyone for their generous support.
Our Community
We give 10% of gross sales from Hive Haven Native Bee Honey and our Seeds For Bees to the supply of stingless native bee hives for schools, retirement villages and public spaces.
In our formative years, we were fortunate to collaborate with scientists and engineers. We welcomed abundant moral support from the Innovation Centre Sunshine Coast and the Sunshine Coast University. In those years we were generously given a range of trial sites to refine and perfect our unique bee hive. It is heart-warming to have received so much encouragement and we will be forever grateful to the Sunshine Coast Community and everyone involved in our journey.
As a social enterprise we apply commercial strategies to improve our community and the environment’s well-being. We measure our value on the benefits we make socially and environmentally, as well as our financial sustainability.
Need A Speaker?
As experienced European honeybee and Australian native bee keepers, both Ann and Jeff Ross are available for speaking engagements and private lessons.
Popular Topics include:
– How to attract both Native bee’s and European honey bees to your garden
– Becoming a beekeeper… discover what species of bee best suits you
– Pollination and the future of the Australian bee industry
Jeff has a Cert III in Beekeeping which is the highest accreditation in Australia. He also has a Cert IV in Training and Assessment and is keen to share his knowledge to help save the threatened Australian native bees. Jeff is also on the Executive of the Queensland Beekeepers Association and President of the Stanely Rivers Branch.
Ann is a Food & Agricultural Network (FAN) Director and on the Agrifutures Emerging Industry panel. Ann has a Bachelor Business (Accounting) and is a Graduate of the Australian Company Directors (GAICD). She is available for project management of agribusiness/educational related programs and trials.
Help us save the Australian native bee.
FAQ’s
How is plastic bee hive better for bees?
Bee hives overheat in summer just like our homes. The clever design regulates the temperature inside the hive improving health and productivity of the bee’s.
How does The Native Bee Hive stand?
The Native Bee Hive can sit on any surface (table, box, bench etc) but we have designed a Security Stand to ensure the precious bee colony is protected from theft. For more information check out our Hive Sites page.
Is your plastic bee hive heavy?
No not when it arrives. However after it is assembled, yes it becomes heavy as you fill it with a liquid or soft solid to insulate the cavity. We supply everything you need. Including the insulation. The weight is enough to stabilise the unit.
Why did you choose plastic material?
Honestly we never dreamt we would become plastic bee hive manufacturers however through our research, results from independent trials, site trials and advice from environmental experts we settled on the three part solution we have today.
Glasshouse Plantation
“We bought one of Ann and Jeff’s fabulous V9 native bee hives 18 months ago and our visitors, both local and from around the world, have really loved learning about these tiny insects and marvelled at the taste of their unique and precious honey.”
Lisa Palu