This is our most common hive and the one we recommend for most purposes.

The honey OATH is suitable for splitting or pollination. Honey OATHs have a compartment on top called a honey super which allows you to remove honey with minimal disruption to the nest. We recommend honey OATHs even if you do not intend to extract honey, as they have better insulation on the top, an optional storage area and so are generally better homes for the bees. The brood excluder is clear - when transferring, splitting or educting into this empty honey OATH hive you may wish to tape over the gap at the back of the excluder to allow wonderful observation opportunities. When the box is looking full, remove the tape to allow the bees access into the honey super. Replace the honey super firmly and leave in place permanently for the bees to deposit extra food stores into.

Empty honey OATH hives come with 2 x permanent plastic straps + buckles, and 1 x adjustable luggage strap.

We recommend this box to divide any OATH hive which has the same footprint dimensions (280 x 200 mm). Some boxes use thinner or thicker wall material so the internal dimensions may differ, but this should not be a problem. Approximate internal volume: 8.5 Litres. 4.5kg empty.

The colour of the hive is Dulux P13H3 Cooled Cream.

Please note: Heavy Shipping orders can only be sent to a street address (not PO Box) - sorry for any inconvenience. If you are looking to purchase more than 4 honey OATH boxes you will need to place multiple orders as it exceeds courier weight limits of 20kg.

Our Farm OATH hives are designed for a tough working life on farms, so are well insulated, durable, termite and weather proof, light weight and compact. They are made of 24 mm thick foamed PVC sheet walls. Internal condensation is managed by a 50 mm hole drilled in the bottom of the box and covered it with a sheet of timber which absorbs moisture and allows it to evaporate off. Two section, no honey super. Volume 7 L. Weight 3.5 kg. Suitable for T. carbonaria, T. hockingsi, A. symei and A. australis species.

This is an empty box only, we do not sell this hive stocked with bees.

Metal roof and picket mount are not included in price but available separately.

Professionally built rustic-style hive made of a mix of local hardwood timber, untreated and unpainted, 25 mm thick. Multipurpose OATH design (200x280mm) box made of three sections, for both propagation and honey extraction. Weigh 9 kg empty, double that of an equivalent pine box. Include split bars and clear plastic brood excluder. Metal roof not included but available separately.

The mini OATH suits species with naturally smaller nests such as australis, clypearis, mellipes, etc...

Like the normal size OATHs, the Mini OATHs come in both a two section standard with observation window and a three section honey version, but are 200x200mm instead.

The shorter and flatter size reduces the volume. The internal volume of a two-section mini OATH and a three-section mini Honey OATH is 3 litres or 4 litres respectively, which is slightly less than half the internal volume of a normal hive.

Please note: Heavy Shipping orders can only be sent to a street address (not PO Box) - sorry for any inconvenience. Heavy parcels sent to NT or WA may incurr an additional postage charge to be invoiced separately.

Our new observation hives are now tested and working well, providing both great observation opportunities, and a good home for stingless bees (of both carbonaria and hockingsi). We have two variants - vertical and flat.

*NEW* - Flat Observation hive: Get a birds eye view of your native stingless bee colony. The restricted height and reduced volume oblige the bees to build their structures right up against the walls. The FOH is made of two parts: outer box cover and inner box. The top of the inner box is made of 3 mm clear acrylic. These design features provide great opportunities for observation of nest structures and bee behaviour. All other components are made of plywood, 25 mm thick for excellent insulation. Hive measures 45 mm deep internally. Volume: 5.2 L.

Vertical Observation hive: The two parallel clear acrylic side walls give you a great view of all parts of the colony, including brood, food pots and the bee behaviour. The wooden cover provides darkness and protection while not observing. The space between the walls is only 40 mm wide. Volume: 5 L. External dimensions: c. 500 x 400 x 90 mm.

We are currently selling only empty hives, it’s your job to stock it with a colony of bees (or if you have a full hive yourself and are wanting help duplicating your colony into an observation hive, you can hire us to assist you. See our services page). These hives are not suitable to split from/with, or extract honey from. Only trialled in Brisbane, QLD - not suitable for NSW at this stage.

It is possible to stock solely via eduction from your full hive, but we have had best success transferring brood and food stores but then leaving connected temporarily via eduction to bolster the colony. More info on these processes in The Australian Native Bee Book, and see this YouTube video of our friend Dan stocking his.

A premium hive for Australian native stingless bees. Made of Western Red Cedar, 25 mm thick, this hive is a softwood so an excellent insulator though, unlike most softwoods, it is also very durable in exterior conditions. The end grain has been totally eliminated to reduce timber splitting. The joints are double-double-glued, and the box has a textured finish treated with boiled linseed oil.

This box has all the features of a classic honey OATH hive including split bars, a clear brood excluder, honey super and landing board.

ONLY AVAILABLE EMPTY - we do NOT have any Western Red Cedar honey OATH hives stocked with bees.

Just like a wooden house, a wooden hive exposed to the elements needs a protective roof. We sell an effective metal roof that extends over the front and back of the hive. It grips onto the hive by its own tension.

* NOT SOLD OUT BUT ONLY ONE IS AVAILABLE, PICK UP ONLY - PLEASE EMAIL US TO PURCHASE *

A one-of-a-kind hive stand! Add some character to your garden by placing your bees on this porable, adjustable hive stand. It currently stands 1.05m but can be raised or lowered slightly. Includes hive picket mount as shown. Fits OATH box dimensions only (200 x 280mm).

Pick up only from Norman Park. Please email us at info@sugarbag.net to reserve and organise collection.

Our welded and galvanized units makes a durable hive stand for OATH hive boxes. Available in two sizes: 300mm and 600mm tall. Drive the stand into the ground with a mallet (600mm) or place on a flat surface (300mm). Place the hive on top. It stays snug there, supported by metal sides. These stands are designed for OATH hives of 200x280mm. Price is for metal stand only.

Available for delivery or collection. Go to Check Out to make your shipping selection.

This unit allows you to easily mount your OATH hive on top of a steel picket (Y / star picket). The mount drops onto the picket, no tools needed. Made from Duragal steel with Coldgal zinc protection to welded areas for long life.

PLEASE NOTE - OUR CURRENT STOCK IS BLACK. Price is for the mount only, you will need to source your own star picket.

These are suitable for OATH hives only (200x280mm) but we do have a flat universal mount available for hives of any size.

Metal shelf to mount your OATH hive (200x280) on a wall or post. These metal units come in two variations, one for the hive to sit perpendicular to the wall and the other parallel (see photos). They are made from Duragal steel with Coldgal zinc protection to welded areas. Screws not included. For added stability, you can use a small screw to secure the hive to the shelf.

Wooden shelf to mount your OATH hive on a wall or post.

The painted plywood unit has a back plate and side braces. Thickness 25mm. The short side is attached to wall. For added stability, you can screw the hive to the shelf. Designed for OATH hives. Screws not included.

Available for delivery or collection. Go to Check Out to make your selection.

Many schools, gardens and other public spaces wish to host a stingless bee hive, but risk of theft is a concern. Use a sturdy metal cage in positions where extra security is needed. Install directly onto a sturdy and flat surface like a wall, fence post, or tree on either the long or short side using 4-6 post screws. Insert the hive into the cage to obscure the screws - it will sit snugly inside the cage. The cage includes a door able to be padlocked (screws and padlocks not included. Slide the rod in to match the metal loops and padlock through to secure). You can attach a roof over the top of the cage to protect your hive (roof not included but available for purchase on the products page).

The American hive tool is ideal for separating hive sections and scrapping propolis.

The tool, which resembles a miniature bed of nails is used to pierce the honey pots to extract honey.

This kit is all you need to start extraction honey from your Honey OATH. It includes a hive tool, bed of nails, container for collecting the draining honey and new straps and buckles for securing the hive closed after opening.

This communal shelter holds 12 hives on two shelves protected by a sheet metal roof. it is sold in a flat un-assembled form. it is easily transported and assembled on location. The legs are 4 Y-pickets driven into the ground and the shelves and roof sections secured by tightening the fasteners, everything included.

A strong and durable galvanized steel locking system, easy to open and close. Compatible with many hive setups, particularly metal stands where security or stability is an issue.

This hive entrance closure allows ventilation during periods of hive closure. Fits snugly into 13mm hole.

Accompanied by a piece of mesh to insert into the rear ventilation hole.

If you are buying a hive stocked with bees, your hive will come with a closure (to keep the bees inside!)

Want to shout the praises of native stingless bees to the world? We have a variety of simple signage available. Ideal for public spaces, schools and centres to provide basic education and awareness of native stingless bees. Multiple sizes and orientations available

We do not purposefully harvest propolis from hives but obtain it every now and again during transfers. Supply is irregular and opportunistic so we are sometimes out of stock. We do not know of anyone else selling this, but you could try Google or Facebook in a group like The Australian Native Bee Network. When we do have stock, the website will be updated to allow purchases.

Propolis from stingless bees is the authentic didgeridoo mouthpiece.

What is it?

Propolis is the nest-building material of Australian native stingless bees. Indigenous Australian's collected it from nests and used it for all kinds of traditional purposes, including didgeridoo mouthpieces.

How do you use it?

Don’t ask me; you’re the didgeridoo expert; I just collect the stuff! But here’s a tip: it softens with heat, so drop it in warm water, put it in the sun, or whatever, and then you should be able to work it easily into the shape you desire. Another tip: it hardens with age (but it never really sets and can melt on a very hot day so don’t leave it in your car in the sun on a hot day or your mouthpiece will transform itself to a horrible sticky mess on your carpet). But here’s the best tip of all, when handling it, wet your hands, it will make the job a lot easier.

If using in beekeeping (particularly to reduce the size of the entry hole of an empty box used to duplicate a hive), pinch off a small amount and roll into a sausage. Make a ring and attach to the front or the inside of the entry hole. Shape so that just one or two bees can get through at a time - this will help reduce pest access while the bees rebuild.

Where do we get it?

We harvest the propolis sustainably from native bees when transferring is necessary. The colony is not harmed. Only small amounts of propolis are produced, about 200g per hive per year.

To get technical

Propolis is a mixture of wax and resin. Wax is from glands on the bee’s body and is a yellow soft material. Resin is produced by plants and is dark sticky stuff that hardens with age. The bees collect resin from plants, take it back to the nest, mix it with wax and use it to make their nest.

Propolis Prices

Block of propolis (12 g, enough for one or two mouthpieces, or several propolis rings) AU$10.

Bulk purchase: $500 per kilogram.

For overseas customers, please contact us for a postage price.

LIMIT OF 5 PIECES PER CUSTOMER PER ORDER

3 pieces of less - untracked envelope. Please contact us prior to purchasing if you require tracking

Packaged in reused plastic to keep fresh. If not using immediately, store in a dry air-tight container.