Goodland Bee Supply GL2STACK Brood Box Beehive Kit Review

Your beekeeping journey is best started with high quality equipment. It prevents frustrations that arise and discourage you from continuing beekeeping. The Goodland Bee Supply GL2STACK brood box beehive kit is a high quality equipment set you can use when starting your apiary or expanding the beekeeping operation. It consists of two beehive boxes and some additional parts that are needed for a proper Langstroth beehive setup. Let’s check it out.

About the Goodland Bee Supply GL2STACK Brood Box Beehive Kit

In making the GL2STACK beehive kit, Goodland Bee Supply has thought of all the essentials that a beekeeper needs to set up a new beehive. Looking at the major parts of a Langstroth beehive, this beehive kit is made up of 2 brood boxes with handles grooved into the sides of the boxes, a solid bottom board, an inner top cover and a telescoping cover.

The bottom board included is thick enough and provides an excellent base on which the rest of the beehive stack will sit. Frames to use in the two beehive boxes are also included. Each beehive box in this kit is of the deep 10-frame size. 20 frames are therefore included in the kit. In addition to the frames, some 20 black pre-waxed Pierco plastic foundation sheets are also in the kit.

A frame spacer comes with the kit. It greatly increases your accuracy when placing frames in the two beehive boxes. Of course, the frame spacer is also useful in the rest of your beekeeping journey. For beekeepers that might want to use one of the boxes as a super box for honey storage, a metallic queen excluder in this kit makes sure you get clean honey that is free of bee eggs and brood. Goodland Bee Supply also throws in an entrance reducer to make this kit a complete solution that many beginner beekeepers have benefited from.

Assembly

It is important to note early on that Goodland Bee Supply ships most of its beekeeping equipment unassembled. This helps minimize damage and breakage of parts or the whole equipment during transit. Damage by couriers and rough handling during transportation is difficult to ascertain and get compensated for. You will therefore receive the Goodland Bee Supply GL2STACK unassembled in its many constituent pieces. It is upon you to put the two beehive boxes and other parts together. This is not a challenge if you have previously assembled Langstroth beehives. For beginner beekeepers, it is great to get the assistance of an experienced beekeeper that has skills assembling beehives and their parts.

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Pros and Cons

Pros

• The Goodland Bee Supply GL2STACK brood box beehive kit is made in the popular Langstroth beehive design. It allows you to make best use of space and is great for honeybees. The beehive kit is made using pine wood that is great for bees and lasts long.
• There is minimal risk of parts arriving damaged or broken because the kit is sold and shipped unassembled. Putting together this kit gives you much needed experience and deep understanding of Langstroth beehives. After putting this kit together, you will be able to build your own Langstroth beehives and repair parts that are damaged later on in your beekeeping operation.
• This beekeeping starter kit is complete with all the boxes and parts needed for a Langstroth beehive setup. Two beehive boxes are enough space for your starter colony. Addition of more beehive boxes later on is not a problem, since the kit has an inner cover and outer telescoping beehive cover. All you would need are the additional boxes and their beehive frames.

Cons

• This beekeeping kit can be a bother for beginner beekeepers that do not have the tools or expertise to put together a Langstroth beehive.
• The telescoping cover provided in this kit is made using wood at the top. Exposure of the wood to water and the elements degrades it very fast. You may soon have to replace the top cover, or replace the wood with water and weather resistant material. Metal sheeting is best for the outer telescoping cover.
• The bottom board included in this beekeeping kit is a solid bottom board. You have to figure out how to convert it into a screened bottom board if you would like to use such. It would be easier for everyone if the bottom board was screened with an option to slide in a wooden, metallic or plastic sheet to make it closed.
• The use of foundation in frames, and the use of plastics in beekeeping are a major point of debate. Beekeepers that do not want to use foundation, or plastics in their beehives end up buying the items in this kit, yet they will not use them.
• Goodland Bee Supply should include an assembly manual and a list of the tools, that you are likely going to need when assembling this beekeeping starter beehive kit.

Further Thoughts

This beekeeping starter kit is well thought out and is quite a complete solution for beekeepers. It is suitable for beginner beekeepers and also for experienced beekeepers that are adding the number of beehives in their beekeeping operation. In assembling the kit, Goodland Bee Supply advises that you use some strong wood glue, and reinforce the joints with brad nails or screws. The pieces of wood in this kit are all carefully selected so you do not end up with too many knots at the ends of the wooden pieces. It makes drilling and nailing easy for you. When using screws, it is best that you pre-drill all the holes that are needed. With wood glue, make sure that it does not seep out of the joints.

Conclusion

The Goodland Bee Supply GL2STACK brood box beehive kit is a well crafted piece of equipment. The metallic queen excluder is put together nicely and does not hurt bees. The various parts that make the kit are also accurately cut so they come together perfectly. The beehive box sides in this kit are made to come together in finger joints that are very strong. Using the best materials and proper assembly makes certain that the brood box kit is durable. After assembly, you can add to the longevity and beauty of the beehive kit by painting it with some oil-based paint.

Do you own the Goodland Bee Supply Gl2STACK Brood Box beehive kit? Leave a comment below and let us know what you think of it.

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