Farmabilia

(Photo [above] copyrighted by Mike on Flickr).

Something a lot of country folk tend to do is repurpose old equipment. If you've ever done beekeeping, then like me, you may have some old hive boxes lying around. Most people buy traditional pine Langstroth hive boxes and eventually they start to wear out. It may be from the weather, from damage made by other animals, rot from water, hive pests like hive moth larvae, or the bees themselves. There comes a point where you decide to retire your hive boxes, but that doesn't mean they're no longer useful. If you like the rustic, reclaimed wood look, then hive boxes can be used for a number of applications. For example, you can turn them into a planter, a raised garden bed, or even creative furniture and home decor. Of course, you could break them totally apart and reuse the wood, but why not make something creative with them as a hive box?

If you want to reuse them for a agricultural purpose, old hive boxes make great solar beeswax melters. Just place a piece of glass or plexiglass on top, and place on a wood or foam mat. When placed in the sun, the hive box melts beeswax at just the right temperature so you can filter it through a colander and muslin cloth. If you cut the box in half, you may be able to turn the hive box into a nuc box, or cut it horizontally and you can create a moisture trap to put on the top of your hives in the field. Or you could mount the box on the side of a hive or pole to create a frame holder when you're working on your hives.

But old hive boxes can also be used for a number of home decor ideas and projects. Here are a few ideas.