I purchased 10 tops. Many were damaged, though I was able to repair them. The ones I purchased were held together with staples. In the photos I believe they've upgraded to screws. Would have gone a long way to preventing the damage.

I have some additional concerns about the design. They sizes, which are exposed to nature and not the bees are wood. Therefore prone to rot. But the composite top exposes the bees to plastic. The smooth composite surface is also prone to moisture condensing, and does not provide insulation nor moisture absorption. Finally because the roof is composite and not just plastic, I don't believe it's recyclable.

I gave 3 stars because the roof is well constructed, attractive and I got what I expected. I could not give more stars because I think there's significant room for improving, and the poor packaging damaged multiple tops.

fast shipping and quality products

First I should say I've been exceptionally happy with all of the other Bee built products I've bought. I bought 8 lids expecting the same quality. When they arrived they were poorly packaged and several were damaged. I had the tools to fix them but the staples were not sufficient to hold the wood in place. I was prepared to give only 2 stars, but I see in the product photos they now show lids with screws in place. As such I think the product, if shipped in sufficient packaging would be better, and I've bumped my rating to 3 stars.

The other 2 stars could not be given due to the overall design, and I did not think about this until after receiving the product. So I want to be clear, I more or less got what I expected. The problem is that bees don't like plastic, they like wood. The wood sides are never exposed to the bees so in reality they would be better suited as plastic, while the underside of the lid is exposed to the bees and should be wood. Further I'm not convinced of the insulation value of the roof and the smooth nonporous surface promotes condensation, which is not good for overwintering. And finally I don't believe the 'composite' is recyclable.

In summary, I believe a customer will get what they expect, it will be attractive and now that screws are used, it will be well crafted. But I believe it sacrifices sustainability and thoughtful design (for the bees) in favor of aesthetics.

This may be an economy model, but it has all of the quality details and thoughtful design of the rest of the Bee Built lineup! The stylishly curved roof piece made with their leak proof composite paneling will let the rain run off, and keep the bees dry and protected. This is the perfect hive to start or grow your apiary with!