Products

Sugarbag bees produces and sells a range of stingless bee keeping products including a hive stocked with bees, empty hive boxes, roofs and mounts for hives, tools, propolis, and honey. See below for a description of these products.
Hive Stocked With Bees
$600.00
Current wait time for QLD orders: Approx 3-4 months. Place your order as normal and we will be in touch when a hive is ready for you. NSW customers: Wait list currently sitting around January fulfilment. Place your order as normal and we will be in touch when a hive is ready...
The Australian Native Bee Book
$35.00
The Australian Native Bee Book describes native bees generally and provides a complete guide to keeping stingless bees. It is richly illustrated with over 500 photos, drawings and charts to increase accessibility and aid learning. It is written by an expert who has spent his lifetime intimately engaged with these...

Empty Bee Hives

We sell empty hive boxes in four designs: Standard OATH (Original Australian Trigona hive) with observation roof, Honey OATH, Mini OATH, and Mini Honey OATH. 

All hive boxes are professionally made, built of 25 mm thick hoop pine, nailed and glued, and painted (three coats). They are guaranteed to fit together precisely (important for sealing out natural enemies and climatic extremes), and to last for many years. The bottom of the mid section (where you split a hive) has built-in bars to prevent slumping after a split and to allow a clean split. The sections are held together with plastic strapping. The hives have short metal feet and a second hole for ventilation. Strapping is included in the price.

These products are available for collection from 473 Montague Rd, West End. For delivery, add about $25 for P&H.

$175.00
Honey OATH Hive
** EMPTY BOX ORDERS SENT/AVAILABLE FROM THE 1ST OF OCTOBER ** Apologies for the delay, we are waiting on strapping. 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...
$165.00
Mini OATH design
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).  The shorter and flatter size reduces the volume....
$150.00
Farm OATH hive
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...
$195.00
Hardwood honey OATH hive
Professionally built of a mix of local hardwood timber, untreated and unpainted, 25 mm thick. Multipurpose OATH design (200x280mm) hive 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....
$350.00
Flat and Vertical Observation Hives
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....
$250.00
Trap hive
​We try to keep a small stock of trap hives for customers wishing to trap an invading swarm. Read about fighting swarms HERE. Read how to trap a fighting swarm HERE. Trap hives work best if they have plenty of hive smell and propolis structures. We create them by budding an empty recycled standard...
$220.00
Western Red Cedar honey OATH hive
Sold out. 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...

Hive Accessories

$20.00
Metal Roof
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.  For OATH boxes (200x280 mm) but will stretch slightly...
$120.00
Metal Hive Shelf
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 (both $120) each. They are made from Duragal steel with Cold gal zinc protection to welded...
$60.00
Metal Stand
Our welded and galvanized units makes a durable hive stand for OATH hive boxes. Available in two sizes: 300mm ($60) and 600mm ($70) 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...
$100.00
Hive security cage
Use a sturdy metal cage in positions where security is a concern. Install on a sturdy and flat surface like a wall, fence post, or tree. Insert the hive into the cage to obscure the screws. The cage includes a door able to be padlocked (screws and padlocks not included. Slide...
$50.00
Bed of Nails
This tool, which resembles a miniature bed of nails, is used to pierce the honey pots to extract honey. Made by us using galvanised nails embedded in a wooden bed. Clean with soapy water, and use again and again!
$10.00
Hive Tool
The American hive tool is ideal for separating hive sections and scrapping propolis.  A must have for all beekeepers.
$10.00
Propolis
We do not purposefully harvest propolis from hives but obtain it every now and again during transfers. Supply is irregular and opportunistic so we do not have set restock dates. We do not know of anyone else selling this, but you could try Google or Facebook in a group like...
$75.00
Honey extraction kit
This kit is all you need to start extraction honey from your Honey OATH. It includes a hive tool, bed of nails, box for collecting the draining honey and new straps and buckles for securing the hive closed after opening. Note - native stingless bees do produce honey but in...
$80.00
Picket hive mount
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. The hive sits snug on the platform, supported by the metal rods at either end. Made from Duragal steel with Coldgal zinc...
$475.00
Hive communal shelter
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...
$15.00
Native Stingless Bee signage
​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 our native stingless bees. Multiple sizes and orientations available. Corflute. $15 for small or $25 for...
$3.00
Closure
This hive entrance closure allows ventilation during periods of hive closure. Fits snugly into 13mm hole. If you are buying a hive stocked with bees, your hive will come with a closure (to keep the bees inside!)
$20.00
Mini Em-lock
A strong and durable galvanized steel locking system, easy to open and close. Compatible with many hive setups, particularly metal stands. Use to secure your hive to a stand where stability could be an issue.
$50.00
Wooden Hive 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.
Native bee honey
$35.00
Sugarbag is honey made by Australian native stingless bees. Normal honey is made by honey bees introduced from Europe. Both types of honey are a natural sweet substance originating from the nectar of flowers, which bees collect and transform. But sugarbag has its own special flavour. Try it drizzled over...