FREE GROUND SHIPPING ON APIMAYE PRODUCTS ABOVE $50!

Insulated Plastic vs. Wooden Beehive: Full Cost Comparison

The Apimaye set costs $66 to $151 less than a matching Mann Lake wooden hive with accessories.

  • Apimaye Ergo set with 10 wood frames: $310
  • Mann Lake traditional wood kit + accessories: $375.87 ($430.82 with a pollen trap)
  • Mann Lake insulated wood kit + accessories: $405.92 ($460.87 with a pollen trap)

Each set has one deep brood box with room for 10 frames. Bees and additional boxes are sold separately.

Besides costing less, the Apimaye set has year-round, lab-tested foam insulation in the side walls and top cover, stainless steel latches and handles, and a built-in pollen trap. It never needs painting.

Updated . Mann Lake prices checked .

What comes with the $310 Apimaye Ergo, and what costs extra on a Mann Lake wooden hive?

Mann Lake sells two 10-frame wooden kits: a traditional painted kit, and a wax-dipped pine kit with insulated covers and a screened bottom board. Both are priced below with the accessories needed to match the Apimaye set.

Swipe the table sideways to see all three hives →

Item-by-item cost: Apimaye Ergo set vs. Mann Lake wooden hive kits with accessories (prices checked November 4, 2026)
What you need Apimaye Ergo set Mann Lake wood kit (painted) Mann Lake insulated wood kit
Hive: deep box, top cover, inner cover, bottom board, 10 deep frames with foundation Included (insulated box and top cover) $169.99 $249.99
Entrance reducer Built in (adjustable entrance) Included in kit Included in kit
Mouse guard Built in (entrance closes to a mouse guard) $10.99 $10.99
Top feeder Included (pair of half feeders) $39.99 $39.99
Queen excluder Included $5.99 $5.99
Division board / follower board Included (3-setting division and uniting board) $9.99 (follower board: fills space only, partial substitute) $9.99 (follower board: fills space only, partial substitute)
Small hive beetle trap / mite tray Included (pull-out IPM tray for checking mites and beetles; IPM stands for integrated pest management) $33.99 $33.99
Side wall insulation Year-round: R-6.93 foam insulation built into the side walls and top cover (independently lab-tested) $38.99 (winter wrap, comes off in spring) $38.99 (winter wrap for the wood side walls, comes off in spring)
Holding the boxes together Stainless steel latches and handles $15.99 (tie-down strap, no handles) $15.99 (tie-down strap, no handles)
Screened bottom board Included $49.95 (bought separately; the kit only comes with a solid board) Included in kit
Total (without pollen trap) $310.00 $375.87 $405.92
Pollen trap (optional) Built into the bottom board $54.95 $54.95
Total with pollen trap $310.00 $430.82 $460.87

Apimaye Ergo set = Ergo Insulated Single Brood Box Beehive Set with deep wood frames and foundations and the standard pair of half feeders. Mann Lake wood kit = Traditional Complete Hive Kit, painted, 10 frame. Mann Lake insulated wood kit = 10 Frame Insulated Wax-Dipped Complete Hive Kit. Shipping is free on Apimaye products over $50; Mann Lake offers free shipping on most orders over $150. Product names and links are listed under Sources.

Everything in the $310 Apimaye Ergo Single Brood Box Set

  • 1 insulated deep brood box (fits 10 standard Langstroth deep frames)
  • 10 deep wood frames with foundation
  • Insulated top cover
  • Pair of top half feeders (about 0.8 gallon in total)
  • Screened bottom board with built-in pollen trap, pull-out IPM tray for checking mites and beetles, and an adjustable entrance that doubles as an entrance reducer and mouse guard
  • Queen excluder
  • Division and uniting board with 3 settings
  • 2 frame spacers
  • Stainless steel latches and handles

What the price table doesn't show

Year-round insulation

Apimaye side walls and top covers are filled with polyurethane foam insulation, independently lab-tested at R-6.93. The insulation is part of the hive, so it works all year: it keeps the colony warmer in winter and slows heat coming in from hot air and direct sun in summer. Your bees spend less energy heating and cooling the hive in every season.

A winter wrap on a wooden hive only goes on in cold weather and comes off in spring, so the side walls have no added insulation in summer heat. Mann Lake describes its insulated kit as having multi-layer reflective insulation with a closed-cell polyethylene foam core, and doesn't publish an R-value. In our experience with this kit, the insulation is in the covers and the hive body side walls are plain wood, so the table adds a winter wrap for the side walls.

Latches and handles vs. a strap

Mann Lake doesn't sell latches for wooden boxes, so both Mann Lake columns use a tie-down strap. A strap holds the boxes together, but it doesn't give you handles to lift them.

A division board that does more

A wooden follower board only fills space. The Apimaye division board has 3 settings: closed (two colonies side by side), merge (lets the colonies get used to each other before you unite them) and queen-excluding.

No painting

Apimaye hives are made of UV-stabilized, food-grade plastic with the color mixed into the material itself, so there's nothing to paint, scrape or repaint. Apimaye is sometimes grouped with polystyrene "poly hives," but the shell is hard plastic with the foam insulation inside the walls, not exposed foam.

Upkeep for wooden hives

The University of Florida IFAS Extension says: "If it is economically feasible, hive equipment should be painted every three to five years." Each repaint means scraping, sanding, priming, two coats and drying time. We haven't put a price on that labor. Mann Lake's insulated kit has a wax-dipped finish instead of paint, which Mann Lake says helps protect the woodenware.

UF/IFAS also notes that water is the biggest threat to wooden equipment because it rots wood, and that in Florida both drywood and subterranean termites attack hive woodenware. Both Mann Lake kits are pine.

Apimaye hives are made of UV-stabilized, food-grade plastic with foam-filled side walls, not wood. They don't rot or warp, and there's no wood for termites to eat.

Frequently asked questions

Is a plastic beehive cheaper than a wooden one?

For a single brood box hive with matching accessories, the Apimaye set is $310. A matching wooden hive with accessories from Mann Lake costs $375.87 with their traditional wooden kit and $405.92 with their insulated wooden kit, or $430.82 and $460.87 with a pollen trap.

Does an insulated hive help in summer too?

Yes. Apimaye insulation is built into the side walls and top cover, so it stays in place all year. In summer it slows heat coming in from hot air and direct sun, and the screened bottom board adds ventilation. A winter wrap only helps while it's on in cold weather.

Is an insulated wooden hive the same as an Apimaye hive?

No. Mann Lake's insulated kit is a wax-dipped pine hive. In our experience its insulation is in the covers, not the side walls, and Mann Lake doesn't publish an R-value. Apimaye hives have polyurethane foam insulation in the side walls and top cover, independently lab-tested at R-6.93, and come with latches, handles, a feeder, a queen excluder, a division board and a pollen trap.

Do I need a bottom board if I buy a wooden hive kit?

Both Mann Lake kits come with a bottom board. The traditional kit's board is solid and Mann Lake doesn't offer the kit with a screened one, so the table adds a screened bottom board at full price. The insulated kit already has a screened board.

How often do wooden beehives need repainting?

The University of Florida IFAS Extension recommends repainting wooden hive equipment every three to five years, if the cost is worth it to you.

Do plastic beehives rot?

No. Apimaye hives are plastic with foam-filled side walls, so there's no wood to rot or warp, and nothing to repaint.

Can I use my wooden frames and boxes with an Apimaye hive?

Yes. Ergo hives fit standard 10-frame Langstroth frames, and 10-frame wooden boxes can stack on top.

How we compared

For each item in the Apimaye set, we chose the lowest-priced 10-frame product at Mann Lake that comes closest to doing the same job. Where nothing matches fully, the table says so. For Mann Lake's traditional kit we used the painted version, to match a ready-to-use hive. When a kit part doesn't match (like the traditional kit's solid bottom board), we counted the full price of the part you would buy. Prices were checked on mannlakeltd.com on November 4, 2026, and may have changed since. Sales tax and shipping are not included.

Shop the Single Brood Box Set

Sources