It’s not mandatory that you apply any type of finish to the exterior of your hive. Cedar withstands the elements quite well in its natural state (it won’t rot), although it does turn gray, develops fine cracks and loses its "new" appearance over time. That being said, after years of using tung oil on our own hives and receiving lots of feedback from our customers who have also used it, we feel that there is strong anecdotal evidence which suggests that using one of our all-natural, non-toxic, food-safe oils to finish your hive’s exterior will not only keep your hive looking new much longer; it’ll also significantly increase the winter survival chances of the bee colony inside. This is likely because by protecting the hive’s exterior from rain and snow (keeping the wood dry), the R-value (insulation) of the wood is constantly maintained and humidity levels inside the hive are reduced. This keeps your bees warmer and drier, while also reducing the amount of stores they consume. One 16-Oz. bottle is enough to protect one hive (two hive bodies, the roof and the floor assembly) with 2 coats, although a total of 4 coats is preferred. Each additional hive body you have will require 1-2 ounces per coat. Using the pure tung oil waterproofs your hive. The dark tung oil does the same, but natural dark resins are added to give your hive a rich, dark, aged-antique appearance. The first coat of either of these tung oils can be made to penetrate the wood more deeply by thinning with equal parts of citrus solvent. The Tung Oil Plus has pine oil and zinc added, which offers additional protection against mold, mildew and UV light. Citrus solvent is not needed nor recommended when using the Tung Oil Plus. Click here to learn more about these products and for detailed instructions on how to finish your hives.

NOTE: It is very difficult to find any of these products in your local stores. Most "Tung oil" available in stores, like Minwax or Formby's brands, are actually petroleum-based varnishes that contain little tung oil or even none at all. Those products are not recommended for finishing your hives.