pallets

[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,
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/r...s/P1020242.jpg

http://i353.photobucket.com/albums/r...s/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.