Hive stand height?

[jdagpatton]

I will be making a hive stand tomorrow for two hives. How tall should I make them off the ground? Can they be too high? Or do I just make them high enough to give ventilation and allow myself easier access? I have SBB for both.

[onlygoodSHBisdeadone]

>> Can they be too high
How talls your tallest ladder? :D I'd give them 16". That should keep mice and skunks at bay. Still low enough to work supers during honey flow. But thats just me.

[Michael Bush]

Lower is easier to reach for supers. Higher is better to keep mice ans skunks out. The way to get both is close the bottom up, make an upper entrance and put them low. smile.gif Mine are treated eight foot long four by fours. I level them and I can put five standard hives on them. Six eight frame hives.

[notaclue]

jdagpatton!

I have a feral hive set on a 2x4 (set sideways) stand set on stacked cinder blocks two high. I am currently making five more stands for three new Russian hives and two more ferals that I've been watching. This helps me with varroa monitoring (physical limitations) and they are all on SBB's. I guess since one of the feral hives I'm looking at has an entrance about twelve feet up and the other is nine feet up my response would be what is comfortable for you. As well as weather concerns, we get some strong winds at times here, it will need to be stable/sturdy enough.

[onlygoodSHBisdeadone]

>> The way to get both is close the bottom, make an upper entrance and put them low.

In other words put the hive togather upside down. tongue.gif :D :D
Sorry couldn't resist.

[ April 17, 2006, 10:36 PM: Message edited by: onlygoodSHBisdeadone ]

[Michael Bush]

>In other words put the hive togather upside down.

I've been known to put a bottom on for a top before. But the telescopic tops don't make good bottoms because they catch water.

[power napper]

If you place the telescoping cover right side up for a bottom board it does not collect water!

[peggjam]

I set mine on either cinderblocks, pallets, or 2x6's made into a frame right on the ground, and give them an upper entrance. I don't have any trouble with skunks yet, but it helps when I get lazy and don't get the grass mowed in a timely fashion.

[Sundance]

I use concrete blocks. Mainly cuz I have a bunch laying around.

[Dave W]

jdagpatton . . .

My homemade stand/screen bottom has 4 legs that set in cans of oil to keep ants out. Bottom of first brood chamber is about 16" off ground.

[onlygoodSHBisdeadone]

MB -- Thread reminds me of oddest configuation I ever saw was hive I recieved from elderly beek that had to get rid of bees due to stroke. On one hive with single brood and medium he some how managed to put the super on upside down frames and all. How he managed that I could never figure out. :confused: Like to never got it pried off.

[drobbins]

>some how managed to put the super on upside down frames and all

actually I believe I heard a reason for doing that
the cells aren't realy horizontal but rather sloped upward a little
if you put the box on upsidedown they slope the wrong way
this discourages the queen from laying in them
I have NO idea how you'd put it on without everything falling out smile.gif

Dave

[ April 18, 2006, 07:00 PM: Message edited by: drobbins ]

[odfrank]

Around here they are propolized enough after a few months to do that easily.