My Hive Stand

Hi All,

I have embarked on my first beeK journey, and started out by throwing this stand together with some leftover wood from a deck project.

Please give some feedback. I know it it prob overkill, but I have tractors to help move stuff around, and the best thing, it was leftover material!!

The stand is on elevated clay bed where drainage from the property runs away from this location. I have set the stand up where the hives will face east, and will get some late afternoon shade. This area is a bit lower than my highpoint on the land and has a natural wind break that typically comes from the North.

The stand is approx 6x18x72 and rests 16" off the ground. I anticipate coons and skunks as I am in the country. I plan on keeping 2 hives with some extra room.

http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/...C00828crop.jpg


http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/...C00832crop.jpg


http://i1233.photobucket.com/albums/...C00830crop.jpg

Looks solid. I'm not sure if ants are a problem in you area, or how you would deal with them. I like the way its not so tall that I would need a step ladder after a couple of supers were on top. I'm not clear why there appears to be an extra strip of lumber across the back rail. Also, I like the location. :thumbsup:

Very nice! The strip in the rear is to tilt the hives slightly for drainage.

Yeah, the stand is level, so I added a strip to allow better drainage if I get some moisture collected inside.

We do have ants out here but not sure how to address them yet. I have read up on some possible solutions like oil can motes, but not sure how to address that issue yet.

Appreciate your feedback!!:thumbsup:

You have alot of surface area to cover in the event of ANTS, I would replace the concrete with 4 treated 4x4 post in the corners and drop them into empty paint buckets with oil in them. I saw that on here..:)

You could place disposable turkey pans between the blocks as a mote. It might not be pretty, but it would work and be inexpensive.

I like it. I have used cups with oil in them to discourage ants. Looks great on paper. Somehow you must keep the rain out. Even driving rain that comes in (Forrest Gump style) from the sides and seemingly from underneath. The oil floats in water and the next week you have dead bees floating in four cups of water and a nearby oilslick heading down hill or downstream.:doh:

we have fireants from hell here in se ok. i found i loose less bees if i use a smaller diameter leg on my stands thus allowing a smaller mouth on the buckets the legs stand in. water works fine for a liquid just remember to keep them full.

Great advice all, I will probably end up using some sort of mote system as needed!! Ill post more progress as I go!!

Thanks again everyone:)

That's almost identical to the stands that I just built out of some left-over cedar decking. My 1st attempt was only 16" wide but I revised them to 18-1/2" so they would accommodate frames while working the hives. I am using cinder blocks but I really like the looks of those post foundations you are using. They look very stable. I am going to spread about 6" of fresh cedar mulch, recently shredded, over a good sized area around mine. I have heard that ants don't do well with cedar or cypress mulch. Anyway, I have access to it for free, and it will at least keep the vegetation at bay.

Nice, I think that is more solid than some of the house foundations around here..Also if you are using screened bottoms you don't need to tilt the hives forward

Wow. So are you planning for a 9.0 quake? I checked and you don't get many quakes in Gilmer. You had one centered near lubock and Spur how far are you.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquak...7.-105.-95.php

Magnitude 2.8
Date-Time

* Saturday, March 19, 2011 at 23:34:10 UTC
* Saturday, March 19, 2011 at 06:34:10 PM at epicenter
* Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location 33.589°N, 101.367°W
Depth 4.9 km (3.0 miles) set by location program
Region WESTERN TEXAS
Distances 45 km (27 miles) E of Lubbock, Texas
74 km (45 miles) SSE of Plainview, Texas
93 km (57 miles) E of Levelland, Texas
503 km (312 miles) NW of AUSTIN, Texas
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 25.2 km (15.7 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST= 6, Nph= 6, Dmin=136.9 km, Rmss=0.12 sec, Gp=184°,
M-type="Nuttli" surface wave magnitude (mbLg), Version=6

Very nice, I would not have thought about those type of concrete blocks but I can see if you have the measurements right they would fit very well. I have stands built from treated lumber and sometimes the hives slid really easy on them when you are pulling the boxes apart. Suppose it it because the treated lumber is so smooth.

I did something rather similar but with 4x4 posts at the corner.

LOL I moved from Earthquake country to Gilmer.. Was born and raised in Silicon Valley, CA. Now I get to worry about tornado ally>?

I made it with some left over materials from my deck project, only took about an hour to complete :p

Hi Rob.bees, the stand looks great and seems very solid. I would in your situation take the concrete cones and give them a good coating of something like latex paint or paint for concrete to seal as many holes as possible. I would then look at some stuff called "Tanglefoot" which is used on fruit trees and painted on some special paper strips that would have to be wrapped around the cones. The only problem I see is the area on the inside of the stand. By the way, Tanglefoot also comes now in a spray can. Just some food for thought. Take care and have fun.

Nice work!

Thx Max!!

@Alex, thanks for the tip I think I will look into it and probably try that route!! Been thinking of some can designs with oil and using 4x4 posts, even thought about making up something where I can hang a coffee can upside on posts, and load it with lithium grease to keep rain out, but still provide an upside down mote of sorts, but didnt know if that would actually work for ants.

Im going to check out that tanglefoot!!