New equipment for an expanding apiary!
Tis the season for beekeeping equipment. In the next couple of weeks, I plan to pick up a couple more complete hives to add to my backyard apiary. And to hold my new colonies, I just received my custom-built, all steel, three hive stand. It was built by a local welding shop, Amos Welding, and built to my specifications. Its 6 feet wide, 2 1/2 feet deep, and sits 24 inches off the ground. Click on the picture and you can see the heavy duty screen that covers the top (which combined with screened bottom board will aid in ventilation), and the legs have "feet" on the bottoms to keep them from sinking into the ground. The steel is heavy grade so it will safely hold the hives..even at their heaviest when full of honey honey in the fall.
Once it receives two coats of metal paint, I'll locate it at the back of my property and in close proximity to my current hives. I'll use post-hole diggers to plant the legs in the ground, then once its leveled, I'll use some Quikrete to secure the stand. Once it sets, I'll be able to locate my new colonies at their new home.
I have to have everything ready by April 11th when my new 3-pound package of bees arrives at Dadant and Sons. That will take one space. Then I'll use another space when I split the orange hive. Then the third will be ready to go for any swarms I may catch this spring. And if I get more swarms, I'm already thinking about alternate locations. After all, I have to keep the neighbors happy too!
Nice stand. When you set it up, i would suggest having it tilt very slightly to the front, a degree or two, so that any moisture will always drain out.
ReplyDeleteIt does look better than the concrete blocks I use.
Thank you, sir! That's an excellent point that I didn't mention in the post. I actually front-tilted the hive stand that holds my green and orange hive -- and did so using a level to make sure it was right from all angles. I'll do it with this new stand too. The only issue I have is getting the darn thing painted! It was raining here all weekend, and SNOWING this morning! And one week ago, the high was 84 degrees! Thanks for reminding us about the importance of that slight front tilt to keep the moisture off the girls!
ReplyDeleteThat stand looks a lot petter than the wood pallet that mine sits on. I will put one on my wish list.
ReplyDeleteThat's quite a stand. You could park a Buick on that thing. I'm building some stands out of 2x6 lumber, now I feel somewhat inferior.
ReplyDeleteTim: Find a welding or machine shop near you and see what they would charge to make a single, double or triple stand. The nice thing about your hives sitting on a stand is that you don't have to bend down to get inside the hive or hurt your back by lifting. Good luck to you!
ReplyDeleteSteve: A friend of mine wanted to know if I could put a twin mattress on it and use it as a spare bed, lol. I suppose if I wanted to, I could. No need for you to feel inferior, my friend. I know anything you build is a top shelf product! I'd love to build wooden stands but I'm afraid of rot since its so close to the creek.
Greetings from Greece, Mark!
ReplyDeleteVery nice construction!
I wish you all the best!