---- a company from Finland had some lightweight, styrofoam like hives for sale...._
Actually that foam hive is from Danmark.
I have used polystyre hives since 1988.
They are light to handle and frendly to back. When moist wooden box weights 9 kg, polystyrene box is under 1 kg. It is guite expencive, but it return money because colony raises very quickly at spring and it brings money back during first summer. When I move hives from my home yard to better pastures, it is easy to lift those light boxes.
I started beekeeping 42 years ago with wooden boxes. Now I have those wooden boxes for honey. Most of honey boxes are farrar measures.
In my opinion the bottom board must bee wood because it must be celaned quite often with gas fire. I have made myself also roof and top cover, because polystyrene is expencive.
You can clean those boxes with machine wash dishes agent, or what it is.
http://www.swienty.com/engelsk/hives-nakka.htmlI have just those nakka-hives since 1988.
In Finland langstroth box price is from 13 € to 11,5 € . Farrar is almost same price.
In that site price is awfull 41 $ !!!!! = 31 euros!!!!, almost three times that of Finland.
http://www.mcmurrayhatchery.com/product/insulated_bee_hive_body.htmlFinnish delevering company
http://www.hunajayhtyma.fi/hinnasto/index.htmYou can read " Langstroth, styrox" name and price in euros.
Here is another . Price for Langstroth is 14 €.
http://www.lahtisenvahavalimo.fi/P8230026.jpgteksti.jpg2.jpg.jpg