After researching the best methods for raising honey bees, Martin Van Popta, manager at Harvest Haven, found that log hives are more beneficial to the honey bees. They don’t like living in apartment box cubicles (Langstroth-style hives). It’s hard for the bees to cool themselves or heat themselves in the standard bee box. In a cylindrical hive there are no corners where the air is cold or hot, so the bees spend less time regulating temperature in the hive. This gives them more time to groom themselves instead of overworking in an artificial environment. Also, in the log hive there’s a composting floor where pseudoscorpions live. These tiny arachnids crawl up on the bees and pinch off the Varroa mites that weaken the bees. In the log home, there’s a whole ecosystem that bees thrive in. Being nicer to the bees means they are happier and less stressed, naturally producing higher quality honey.