I bought these commercial migratory bottoms from a retiring bee keeper for $ 5.00 each, picked up 10. Spent the weekend modifying them to allow for a bottom entrance and the last picture shows how 2 hive boxes fit on pallet. I used reclaimed 1 x 8's to make all furring strips. Total invest per pallet less than $10.00 each.
Thanks goes out to DC Honeybees for providing the plans in another thread.
When you build pallets with clips do you plane the inner rim down so that the clip is flush? When I don't I have a 1/16 - 3/32 gap under the box and they dont sit level, when I do I end up with a crack or space between the box and rim, either way I end up with a gap?
Based on the buildup I cleaned off the pallets before modification it appears to not be a problem for the bees to fill. I could still run router under clips and bring them down to furring level, thanks for giving me more to do. :lpf:
So Jack, are you planning to run these as a long hive and/or as individual hives. Or as a two queen hive?
May be worth having entrances on opposite sides. I had a virgin queen return to the wrong side in mine. Luckily both queens were happy to coexist together.
I plan on using these as a single deep with mediums supers to build up hive numbers, the migratory bottoms will rest on top of 4 pallets each to get them to a height I can work with considering my spine situation. I prefer a single deep over a nuc for increasing numbers. I also increased the bee yard to a 1000 sq. ft. and have allowed room for 5 horizontal Langs as well. Going this route gives me some breathing space to build the horizontal Langs I want to use for honey production. I had a chance to buy $3000 worth of equipment for $500 and I couldn't resist. This allows me to approach raising bees from both sides offered when I posed the question "What to do with a bad back"? I've already designed my horizontal Langs using Acad and I want to use cedar for construction. I've discovered after the last surgery that I need about twice as long and sometimes three times as long to get a project finished now. :digging:
The drainage hole isn't really needed because you dont have a landing board or front porch. The only rain that can make it in has to hit right in the entrance. Your entrances are just like mine on my 4 ways with about a 2inch hole on the outside corner. Some beekeepers puth them both in the center instead of the outside. There reasoning is when moveing them at night the bee's will climb out and if they are coating the outside corners alot will get crushed by the next pallet loaded.
You entrances are just fine, I run two way pallets all the time and they work well. I have a boom mounted on a trailer that is used to lift my hives, the whole system allows me to be a one man operation.
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