Our BeetleBench products (benches, stools and raised dog feeders) are hand-crafted from Colorado’s beetle-kill lodgepole pine trees.
Mountain pine beetles have killed tens of thousands of stately lodgepole pine trees in Colorado’s high country, decimating great stands of these magnificent trees. The trees are now being harvested and are also falling down on their own. Our benches are just one way that this wood can find an opportunity to live again.
Our benches are available in three styles and each bench is unique due to the variability of the raw materials. These garden-size benches are capable of holding one or two people. They will look right at home in your rock garden, patio or entryway.
We have left the character of the wood intact for you to enjoy. You should be able to see the arcs left by the sawmill blade in each bench top. Additionally, you may find small bore holes in the bark and small beetle larvae tunnels just below the bark. You will also notice the distinct blue staining caused by a fungus from the larvae. The fungus restricts the ability of the tree to receive nutrients causing it to die but does not damage the wood. The beetle does not tunnel into the wood in a damaging way, unlike termites.
For more detailed information on the mountain pine beetle: http://www.ext.colostate.edu/pubs/insect/05528.html
Many of the benches and stools are made with some of the original tree bark still attached to the curved edge of the plank. This is called "wane". Depending on availability of the wood, some benches can be ordered with or without wane.
All of our products are made with traditional joinery using only wood and glue; simple but strong. All Beetlebench products are coated with a water-resistant and UV-protectant product. With a minimum of care, you can treasure yours for a lifetime. Each is unique and each is branded with the BeetleBench logo.
Updates:
Effective July 1, 2008 for a period of five (5) years the sale of beetlekill products is exempted from state sales tax as a result of the recent passage of HB 1269.
Beetlebench participates in the Colorado Forest Products program, assuring consumers that at least 50 percent of the wood in their listed products come from Colorado forests. Remember, buying wood products from your forests aids in maintaining your forests.
To contact Beetlebench by email or phone: