pallets

[Ian]

I would like to hear from beekeepers on how they best set up thier hives on pallets, or how they best find a pallet to be made up. How are your hives fastened, and what kind of tops an bottoms do you prefer using?

[greenbeekeeping]

My hives are on 4 way pallets with u shaped clips. Most of the tops and pallets are from Mann Lake. I do have some lids that are nothing but a solid piece of plywood. Only thing I don't like about the pallets with the U shaped clips is that ants get in between the boxes.

Matt

[albee]

It depends on what your trying to do. If your just trying to move a few hives once in a while just throw them on a pallet and go. If your looking to move them more often than that and looking to build a pallet here are a few things to look at.
Cross boards on the bottom should be spaced where they will not hit a pallet clip when you stack them on top of each other. If you use migratory covers the cross boards have to land on the flat of the cover. I use pressure treated 1X3". If you use pine they will rot fast.
If you want to load from the side and end it is best to buy made runners with the slot cut in them from a used pallet shop. There all the same and it will save you a bunch of time. If your just going to load from the end 2X3" are fine.
I like 5/8" plywood for the deck. 1/2" is kinda flimsy and 3/4" weighs allot. Your going to be handling them for years the lighter they are the easer your life will be.
Now the deck lay out. Your going to have 2 hives side by side a space and then 2 more hives. The space is for your hand when your pulling supers. There are two types of pallet clips U and W clips. The W clips leave a space air can get in between the hives and they don't rot as fast. With the U clip your going to get ants nest between your hive bodies and with them packed tight they hold moisture and will rot faster. I use U clips. In the winter I wrap the skid and like the hives tight together. To control the ants I spray WD 40 on the out side of one of the bodies. The entrance should be on the outside of the pallet. This helps to keep the bees from fighting. I built my pallets so in the winter I can pick the hive off of the front clip slide it back and there is a smaller entrance for winter. I think the summer entrance is 6" and the winter is 11/2". When there in the winter position they are side by side and back to back. I use just flat plywood for covers. If your using covers with a edge this wouldn't work. I wrap the whole skid and I'm done. The edges are made from the cut offs of the ply wood. I have a 2" landing in front of the hive.
The next batch I'm going to try to put some type of hole to drain the back corners. Pallets are never level when it rains 2 hives always have water in the back of the bottom.

Hope this helps.

`

[jean-marc]

Ian:

Migratory pallets and lids. Ask your neighbour Murray L. how they are made. He's made a bunch of equipment for me over the last few years. I like the u clips. My equipment is dipped in hot parrafin and rosin so boxes touching is a non issue. They won't rot the same as painted equipment.

The lids should have a cleat on top. This cleat acts as a brake for the pallet that is placed on top. If the top pallet slides then the cleat on the bottom lid will prevent the upper pallet from sliding off.

In the winter I keep an inner cover for top ventilation. As soon as we start moving bees the inner cover goes.

Jean-Marc

[RayMarler]

I run 8 frame deeps. The are 14" wide. I make pallets out of 2x4 green treated and 3/4 plywood. Pallets are 28" x 44" and hold 4 hives, side by side and back to back. I don't use any Uclips. The bottom boards are SBB built into the pallets.

2 - 2x4x44 on bottom, laid flat
3 - 2x4x28 on edge, on top of that
2 - 2x4x44 laid flat, on top of that
1 - 28x44 ply on top, with 4 12x18 holes cut in with circular saw
#8 mesh hardware cloth over the 12x18 holes in plywood creates SBB for each hive box
1x3/4 on top of ply around edges and in correct placement for setting the hives on, running 3/4 beespace on the bottom instead of 3/8
migratory covers, no inner covers.

can load 72 hives, 36 in each level which is 9 pallets on each level, on 1 ton flatbed truck.

I don't do pollenation, but my neighbor does and this is what he runs, I help him with loading and hauling each year. I've got 5 pallets I've made and used, but they are stored at the moment as I just can't run that many where I'm at right now.

[Ian]

Good stuff guys, thanks for the input!

What is a W clip?

[swarm_trapper]

it ia a clip shaped like a W lol. it is like a U clip but with a 1/2in space between the hive bodies. Nick

[BEES4U]

Here is a URL that has photos of the U & W pallet clips.

http://www.mannlakeltd.com/catalog/page32.html

Regards,
Ernie

[Tom G. Laury]

You have gotten all the important design input I think.

Personally 3/4 ply & W clips. Also if you use resawn ( 11/16 ) for cross pcs under pallet they won't grip the lid underneath. Full 3/4" will bottom out on lids with 3/4" cleats. Copper Napthenate ? wood preserve has worked well specially on ends & edges. Also most make beeways that are 1 1/2" or so wide just for durability . For loading on trucks length of pallet is best just under 48" like 47 or 46. If you use W clips like me the pallets need to be 33" wide.

[Trevor Mansell]

I use a 35" pallet with a 3.75" clip, there is a 2" space between the hives. It makes it nice to put your hand in between the hives. You dont have to worry about ants building nests in there and falling in a open brood nest . I think I get more air flow when on a semi, I dont know ,it works for me. If you want some pics let me know.

[BEES4U]

Trevor,
Please provide us with some pics.
Ernie

[odfrank]

[quote=Trevor Mansell;370609]I use a 35" pallet with a 3.75" clip,./quote]

Source for these clips????

[Ian]

I see what your reffering to, cool

[Trevor Mansell]

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/benelli90p7/pallet002.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/benelli90p7/pallet003.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/benelli90p7/pallet004.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v514/benelli90p7/pallet005.jpg
Here are some pics.

[Trevor Mansell]

[quote=Trevor Mansell;370609]I use a 35" pallet with a 3.75" clip,./quote]

Source for these clips????

I get the clips made at a sheet metal shop in town. They cost about the same as Mann Lake or Dadant.

[Ian]

Thanks Trevor for the pics

[swarm_trapper]

hey trevor cool design never saw one like that. for your clip could you take a regular U shaped clip and just cut it in half and nail it on at th correct spaceing?

[Trevor Mansell]

hey trevor cool design never saw one like that. for your clip could you take a regular U shaped clip and just cut it in half and nail it on at th correct spaceing?

Probably, you would just have to redrill the holes. The clips cost .50 each ,I just need to have the corners cut off one side so the boxes slide on easier.

[BEES4U]

Trevor,
:thumbsup:Thank you for the pics!
Ernie

[BEES4U]

Here is a Mann Lake style pallet.

http://www.mannlakeltd.com/catalog/page25.html

Here is a photo of Mann Lake pallets that were for sale on this forum. The photo shows both sides of the pallet.

http://www.windmillhillfarm.com/pallets%20for%20sale.htm

Regards,
Ernie

[Ian]

Thanks Guys, this is the stuff I wanted to see. Keep sending pictures , I want to see all those pallet set up types!

You know, this fourm is a reall asset to my business. A simple question easily made can yeild a mountain full of answers!!

[Keith Jarrett]

You know, this fourm is a reall asset to my business. A simple question easily made can yeild a mountain full of answers!!

Well Ian, The problem I see with some pallets here is there is no stick out on them, you need stick out ,so you can tilt the hive foward without it sliding off. I also like the "W" clip or space, so you don't have the over lap issue when tilting.Most pallet DO NOT have room for your hand in the back to back ( that's for those of us who work the hives :) ".

[jim lyon]

I definately agree with keith on extending the rails so they can be tipped ahead without the hive sliding off. I also like to have the plywood set back 1/4" or so behind the end of the 2x4's (it appears the Mann Lake pallet is built that way) so there is better ventilation and a bit of separation between the entrances when they are loaded together.

[Tom G. Laury]

My own are " front to back" probably because the first time I saw some trick pallets this is how they were done. But it is good on semis to have doorways infacing less bees come out against nets plus they stack straighter. Clip pallets reduce labor re: splitting; nucs, etc. EZ moving helps good beekeeping.;)

[Tom G. Laury]

Lack of space in the back to back with a short pallet say 44" makes it very difficult to split boxes & work the bees. No good. You can't get to it.

[RayMarler]

Lack of space in the back to back with a short pallet say 44" makes it very difficult to split boxes & work the bees. No good. You can't get to it.

True, but you can fit 9 pallets on a 11foot flatbed (8 frame boxes).
And I do work the bees, the fit is tight, but I did fine with them. My hive boxes don't have hand holds in them, I run 1x2 cleats on fronts and backs, just under the edge of the 1x2 cleats on ends of lids (homemade migratory).

[Ian]

>>Well Ian, The problem I see with some pallets here is there is no stick out on them, you need stick out ,so you can tilt the hive foward without it sliding off. I also like the "W" clip or space, so you don't have the over lap issue when tilting.Most pallet DO NOT have room for your hand in the back to back

Good point guys, that problem will have to be adressed. One thing I like about these kind of pallet arrangements is the ability to stack the hives tight and neatly, but also I have to realize I am working through them at least once a year, and manipulating them several. there must be room to work the boxes appart. Also I have to consider the hives are going to be stacked up to 7 or 8 boxes high, space is needed to allow for these boxes to be removed

[Trevor Mansell]

Trevor,
:thumbsup:Thank you for the pics!
Ernie

No problem , everyone does there own thing there own way. I copied the pallet from a guy I bought some bees from in Ga. I just improved a few things to make it work for me.
We tried screen bottoms but the bad outweighed the good , so Im going back to solid bottoms.
If you are going to go into pollination ,take a good look at 6way . The bees ship better and they are easier to move, plus you dont have a face full of bees when you load them.

[Broke-T]

If you are going to go into pollination ,take a good look at 6way . The bees ship better and they are easier to move, plus you dont have a face full of bees when you load them.

Do you load the 6-way from the side?

Isn't the middle hive on each side hard to work?

johnny

[Tom G. Laury]

You mentioned they ship better...when 4 way pallets first became popular a lot of the old guys said "oh you can't haul bees like that" ( frames perp to chassis ) " you'll lose too many queens". They were such an improvement nobody listened. Easy short moves with bobtails I dont notice much, but 1000 miles 4 high on a straight trailer ( semi ) I think that there is A LOT of frame slapping. I'm thinking of trying to find those clips you could put in the box that hold the bot bars. And 10 4 on faster to load, you do lift more at one time.

[Jon L]

So what your saying is the frames dont slap on a 6-way because they get loaded with entrances facing front and back rather than side to side??

[Trevor Mansell]

I think if you do alot of pollination 6 ways would be the way to go. You load from the side ,I think the load on the semi is more stable . It is quicker to load and tie down. I think the net beats on the front of the 4 ways ,at least the ones on the outside. The bees crawl out and either fall down or the net beats them to death.
If I was doing alot of road running I would use 6 ways ,but I only go from Fl to Wi. and back to Fl. And 4 ways are easier to work.

[Tom G. Laury]

Yes. Or so it would seem

[Jim Stevens]

I made my own 4-way 10F Pallets
Size: 47"X33.5" with 5/8" decking and W-Clips.
Pallet weight,38.5 lbs.

There are NO bees in these hive bodys
I set this up for the picks only.
My Hives are on single SBB untill January.

Here is a pallet and a Jig that I made.
Install three 2x4 runners in the jig (jig keeps things Square)
lay down the decking (33.5" X 21 1/4" x 5/8").
The rim design is 3/8" high, for the opening.

I have a 4" space between the two decks, this prevents leaf trash and ants from building
up between Hives, and I can work them easily.
Painted with Oil base.

http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...Pallets001.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...Pallets003.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...Pallets013.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...Pallets016.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...Pallets008.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...Pallets020.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...Pallets021.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...Pallets024.jpg
http://i168.photobucket.com/albums/u...Pallets026.jpg

I sent them to the Almonds last year with no complaints.

I hope this will help someone.

Jim.

[Durandal]

Here are pictures of Nick's 6-Way pallets.

I hope he does not mind. My old man took these. I was buying some medium HSC frames from him and my folks picked them up on their way back down from a vacation up North.

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r381/Carriage_House_Farm/Bee%20Related/Commercial%20Photos/P1020242.jpg

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r381/Carriage_House_Farm/Bee%20Related/Commercial%20Photos/P1020243.jpg

I knew I had these floating around somewhere filed under research for 2009, but this is the first chance I had to post them.

I hope that helps.

[swarm_trapper]

hey nice durandal no i dont mind, but i would like a copy of those pictures i never took the time to figure out how to post a picture and people have asked me for a picture of my pallets.

excuse the mess in the pictures lol it is clean now :)

[Durandal]

I have other photos too. Fired off a message to you.

SO, my question is, how many hives do you fit across a trailer when you move hives South and West? Can you fit them 2 wide (6 boxes across)?

[swarm_trapper]

i think if i understand the question, the answer is yea there are 6 hives across the trailer.