Wooden beehive composter

[FatQuarter]

Does anybody have a wooden beehive composter? I'm having difficulty choosing one. None get particularly good reviews - many complaints about flimsiness or warped wood.

I like the design of this one, because the lid splits in two. It's also half the price of others - but the others say that the wood is treated with preservative and this one doesn't.

Something that worries me about all of them, is that the space at the bottom to remove compost is very low. Sometimes compost packs down quite firmly at the bottom of the bin, and a thin space will make it very difficult to dig it out.

I'm not bothered about being able to move the bin once it's in situ.

Does anybody have one that they can recommend? Or give me some idea what they're like to use?

I have 2 open top wooden ones that I can stand in and dig it out and one plastic dalek one, the big advantage of the dalek is you can lift it off and move it when it comes to using it, also being plastic it gets a good composting temperature in it so I tend to put the kitchen veg waste and anything like tomato plants in as it does kill off the seeds, also mix in grass cuttings to keep the heat up. The open ones I use less of a mix so grass cuttings, seedless kitchen veg waste and old plants.

The one you’ve linked to doesn’t look very easy to. Me as you can’t get in it or move it, but it does look pretty.

I'm not such a great gardener!

The compost bin is going to be near the house and very visible, so I definitely want it to look reasonably appealing. But , yes, it does need to be useable, too.

I have a small garden and I've always wanted a beehive-shaped compost bin. Now you've reminded me they exist, I want one even more now!

Honestly I know it’s no where near as pretty as the bee hive but this one will so the job and will be easier to manage.

evengreener.com/composting/best-selling-composters/blackwall-220-litre-black-compost-converter-cv220blh?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpdqDBhCSARIsAEUJ0hNs_M2-q_DnrqfCjgNMJhN-caNXp67ajGAqumu7ewG8K0zDR7ZLaygaApsQEALw_wcB

I got mine from freecycle

The beehive composters are pretty. We had one from Wiggly Wigglers but I'm not sure if they still do them. They look very cute in a cottage garden setting but in my experience of them, you dont get very good, if any compost. I dont think you get much heat in them, and the compost is hard to get out at the bottom. Ours was always dry inside. I ended up leaving the lid propped open and turned it into a planter with nasturtium trailing out of it...lovely ideas on pinterest I think it was.