Beehive stand: varieties and sizes, how to do it yourself
The beehives most beekeepers use are made of wood. This material is short-lived and prone to decay. To protect the bottom of the bee dwelling from destruction, beekeepers use hive stands. Consider the types of stands, advantages and disadvantages. How to make them yourself, what materials and tools you will need.
What are hive stands for?
Wooden boards from which bee dwellings are made, being on the street, sooner or later begin to rot, even if they have been treated with paint or impregnation.Particularly quickly begin to rot those places that are close to the ground. To prevent this from happening, you need to raise the hives above the ground.
Precipitation, snow, mud will no longer fall on the bottom and lower part, they will remain dry. And the location of the dwelling higher will benefit the bees themselves - they also like to live in dryness, in such conditions diseases spread less.
Stands prevent rotting, drying out and warping of wood, lagging of the paint layer. There are fewer pests - ants, beetles, earwigs. Stands make the hive stable, they are protected from the wind and during heavy rains.
Stands should be light, simple in design, strong, stable. It is desirable that they can be folded, then they can be transported along with the hives. Must be made of material that is minimally affected by adverse weather conditions. One of the main requirements is that the stands must withstand a weight of at least 100 kg, which includes the mass of a beehive with bees and snow that can accumulate on the roof.
Varieties
A variety of fixtures can be used as a stand, mostly simple shapes.
Stakes
This is the traditional way of setting up beehives. These are bars with a thickness of 5-7 cm in the upper part, and 4-5 cm in the lower part. Stakes are driven into the ground at 4 corners so that they do not sag, do not warp under the weight of the bee house. The height of the pegs is 20-40 cm. This method is convenient if the plot of land where the hives will be located is uneven and you need to install them horizontally (with a forward slope of 1-2 cm to drain rainwater). To give rigidity to the structure, before installing the hive on it, you can connect the stakes in pairs with planks.
The disadvantage of this method is that the stakes are not portable and can only be used for 1-2 seasons. Pegs can only be used where the ground is dense, not washed away by rain. Of the undoubted advantages - cheapness, easy to make and install.
Crates
They must be made of strips at least 3 cm thick. Fill the boxes with shavings, sawdust, foliage, dry grass. Close the insulation from precipitation. Wintering on such a stand is easier, there is less death, the development of bees in the spring begins earlier. Box sizes are calculated according to the size of the hives.
The disadvantages of boxes as coasters are that they are also made of wood, which will rot. They are non-separable, do not fold, it is difficult to transport them.
Truncated pyramids
Designs are light, compact, stable. They are made from metal rods welded in the form of a truncated pyramid.
Will withstand the weight of the hive well, do not interfere with ventilation. The size of the upper square is 50x50 mm, the lower square is 60x60 mm, the height of the pyramids is 20 cm.
Other options
In addition to the above options, you can use the following:
- car tires, for stability, the middle must be covered with sand;
- plastic beer or milk crates;
- bottles instead of stakes filled with cement;
- rims of automobile and tractor wheels;
- bricks;
- cinder blocks;
- thick logs.
When installing hives on them, make sure that they stand evenly and steadily. All of these options are not mobile, it is problematic to take them with you during transportation. This should be taken into account if it is planned to transport bees from place to place often.
Pros and cons
The advantages of using coasters are obvious:
- protecting wood from moisture and dirt;
- gives stability;
- stakes and truncated pyramids can be folded for transport, they do not take up much space when stored.
Flaws:
- for wooden boxes - fragility;
- the pyramids - the inability to insulate them;
- stakes - single use;
- Tires can smell bad in hot weather and can form wasp nests inside.
Required tools and materials
Making coasters is easy, you don't need to have special knowledge or rare materials. To knock together boxes you will need nails and a hammer, to make pegs - bars and a saw. For the construction of pyramids - a metal rod and a welding machine or corners and bolts.
As well as tools for processing metal or wood to last longer.
Making coasters with your own hands
Because the designs are simple, it doesn't take much time to make. It is enough to buy the material in the right quantity and spend several hours working.
Wooden
Easiest way to make stakes. To do this, you just need to cut a thick beam into pieces 40 cm long. The pegs need to be treated with varnish or paint if you plan to install the hives in a permanent place. Then they will be able to serve 4-5 seasons.
Homemade boxes are also knocked down from wooden blocks. The thickness of the material must be 3 cm so that the products can withstand the load in all weather conditions.The size of the boxes should not be less than the size of the hives, maybe more, but not much. The bars cut into pieces are connected with nails in the form of a square or rectangle.
Metal
Metal coasters are welded from rods or connected with corners. The dimensions of the supports should also match the dimensions of the bottom of the hives to ensure stability. The simplest design is a square with legs welded at the corners. The height of the stands should be at least 30-35 cm from the ground when installed.
Metal coasters from corners can be made with folding legs. The legs are not welded, but connected with special bolts. This option is convenient if you intend to frequently transport bees along with stands.
Stands for bee hives are a must have for amateur beekeepers. Stands perform useful functions. Raise bee dwellings from the ground, improving ventilation, microclimate, reduce the likelihood of penetration of harmful insects.Keep the family he althy, ensure the stability of the hives in bad weather, protect the wood from damage, prolong the service life.
Stands of some models can be transported along with the hives, so you need to choose those in the first place. You can buy industrially made ones or assemble them yourself. Both of them, if properly made and installed, help the beekeeper to obtain good quality honey products.
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