Nice! I like the idea.

 

Looks good. How many hives can it hold?

 

I usually have 5 (8 frames) but you could do 6. I think 4 or 5 10 frames would fit nicely.

 

nice!

 

Hi Charlie, We are going to build this but I can't seem to find the actual directions. I thought I had seen a step by step article, but "someone" lost it! Can you tell me how wide the stand is? Thanx so much! Pam

I pounded the pipe legs into the ground 2 feet deep. I secured the 2x6 PT frame to the T joints with plumbing strap. The cross members are resting on the T joints to better handle hive weight. NO MORE ANT PROBLEMS! (Sorry about the finger in the first pic)
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Pam,

The total width of the stand is 15". I cut the cross members that rest on the T-joints 12" long. When you account for the front and rear joist, (each being 1 1/2" thick) screwed to the cross members, you get a total width of 15".

You can make the stand wider but then you'll have to use longer cross member pipe.

Here's a parts list:

1" threaded galvanized pipe

(2) pieces 36" long (legs)
(4) pieces 8" to 10" long (cross members)
(2) T-joints
(4) end caps for cross members

(2) white 2" PVC end caps

Lumber (Can be pressure treated or any type of wood painted)

(2) 2x6x8
(4) 2x6x1 (cross members)

Hardware

3" deck screws
1" galvanized screws (to screw plumbing strap to crossmembers)
Metal plumbing strap

High temperature brake grease.

Drill a 1 1/4" hole dead center of the 2" PVC end caps. Thread those on upside down on one end of the legs. Pound the other end into the ground and assemble the parts as shown in the photographs. Use a putty knife to fill in the grease into the upside down PVC cups.

 

Darn you CharlieB! I like it and now have to build one for 5 10 frame hives. My dimensions will be slightly different due to my Country Rubes SBBs. But realistically very clever and it will take care of my red ant problem here in Houston.

 

Mmmooretx,

I got so frustrated with these little black Argentine ants that are relentless with nucs and starter hives.
Everytime I do splits into nucs here they come. I've tried everything and nothing worked except this.

I just built my third stand for my yard in Saratoga. It's better to use 1 1/2" pipe for more than 5 hives on one stand. A little more stable.

Good luck!

 

Thanks for the additional insight on the pipe size. Technically I am limited to 5 hives and now have 3, 2 more to be added in April. I would like to build one 10' long so I could do some NUCs due to swarms etc. I may build two shorter ones, all in my back yard, but am wrestling with the weather and temporary move of 3 double deep hives while doing the install of the pipe base/frame base. Time to measure and plan. Who knows we may get another warm day to execute/implement!
Thanks again for a great idea. :applause:

 

I thought I had beat my ants into submission (bait stations) but now that is cooler I see I have sugar ants all over and going into my nucs in force. I wonder if I could have just put that grease on my hive stand blocks?

 

I wonder if I could have just put that grease on my hive stand blocks?

You could but debrie will collect eventually and the ants will walk right over it. The upside down cups keep rain and debrie out only requiring a little touch up several times a year.

 

Very cool Charlie! I'm with you, those AA's suck! Strong hives, no problem, small hives just get taken over by them. I'm going to steal your idea for nuc stands in the spring. Now if only the winter weather would get here to put the yellow jackets into hibernation, seen the girls fending off a few yesterday and I killed probably a dozen or so with the hive tool while inspecting!

 

NIce! I think I'll just try using the grease by coating the legs of my stand.

 

Thanks BG, yeah I stand and wait until there are about 20 yellow jackets balling a dead bee in front of the hives and then I torch them. It's very theraputic!

 

Charlie B,
Just one question, sorry it is the Engineer in me. If you put the cross brace on top of the pipe T and the longitudinal runners sit on the pipe doesn't the rack rock on a high center?

Thanks for your time.

 

Wow, you ARE an engineer aren't you. I forgot to mention in my post that I dado a 1/4" slot in the bottom of the cross member to accomidate the top of the T-joint so it has direct contact, no rocking. It's hard to see but the dado pic is the third pic from the left.

 

Great, now that makes a lot more sense to me. I would much rather be stable. ;-)

 

Just an update on my hive original stand. I checked it today. Grease is still soft and doing it's job since May with no touch ups. Many ants have tried but as you can see, the bodies are stuck forever in their grease tomb.

 

Here's a modified version that you can attach to an existing hive stand using 1x4 pine and wood dowels. I use this for lightweight nucs and starter hives. For regular hives you can replace the 1x4 pine with 2x6's on top.

 

Here's a modified version that you can attach to an existing hive stand using 1x4 pine and wood dowels. I use this for lightweight nucs and starter hives. For regular hives you can replace the 1x4 pine with 2x6's on top.

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View attachment 3415

I should have paid attention to, "lightweight nucs and starter hives". I feel like an idiot, made up one of these hive stands and it worked GREAT, for quite awhile, till we had 80 MPH winds one weekend. Thank goodness I had my hives strapped, they tipped back when the ant stand collapsed, but did not fall completely over. Now that my colonies are nice and robust, I am able to dispense with the ant stand. The formic ants dont mess with them now.

 

Charlie B,
Just a quick question as I am going out to buy materials today. Do you put end caps on the pipe ends you pound into the ground?

 

Tex,

No end cap on the ground end of the legs. You can either cut the threads off at angles with a grinder to sharpen the end that goes into the ground, (easier to pound in) or just pound in as it is. Quick tip, screw on an end cap at the other end and pound on it so you don't damage the threads you'll need to screw on the cross T's.

You can also dig a hole and concrete the legs in much like a fence post. This adds much more stability if you plan on having more than a couple of hives on your stand.

If you already have a basic hive stand you can also do a modified addition (post#20) that's less expensive but works just as well.

Good luck!

 

Charlie B,

Nice description, I like your setup.
I have tried something similar and I have one thing to add that could be useful, especially with the galvanized pipe that you have. As you said, the grease needs touch up once in a while. If you are like me and don't do that until the ants have made a good path, they may even cross over fresh grease (possibly because the Vaseline I use might not be as good as bearing grease). If that happens, you can use a blowtorch to heat the pipe and destroy the chemical trail that marks the path. Once that is done, they won't know to climb the pipe and won't be testing the grease anymore.

Here is a link to a thread that shows a picture of my setup.
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?248517-Do-it-yourself-hive-scale
I haven't filled the caps with grease though, I have just coated the inside.

 

I built two on Sunday. One is installed/completed and the second only needs to put on the "T" posts, grease cups, and top wood assembly on top. I just ran out of light so my hives, 3, are sitting on the ground and I will put them on the stand as soon as it warms up enough to break them down and move. I think our temperatures will be back up on Thursday.
Thanks again Charlie B!

 

You're very welcome Tex. You will enjoy not having to buy cinnamon, DE, Amdro or all the other stuff that's recommended which doesn't work. You can feed and grow your nucs in peace!

 

Here's my stand I built at my Saratoga yard. The Argentine ants were impossible to keep out of my hives until now.

 

Very nice Charlie B! By the way while this variety of nematode does not work on ants it seems to have knocked down my SHB population. I still see a few but much less.
http://www.bugsforgrowers.com/products/heterorhabditis-indica

 

while this variety of nematode does not work on ants it seems to have knocked down my SHB population. I still see a few but much less.
http://www.bugsforgrowers.com/products/heterorhabditis-indica

How do you apply them?

 

Basically you put their package in a watering can, stir it up, and water the area around your hive just before dark. This allows them to get in to moist dirt without drying out. I think you need to do this once a year as winter tends to kill off the nematodes.