Heres a mundane subject for discussion: hive stands

18 years ago

After many years of having hives co-located at my home site, I will now relocate some of them to a tract of land at some distance from me. This is an undeveloped [read: wild] piece of land, about 20 wooded acres, more-or-less surrounded by cultivated cropland. Other than the normal skunks, raccoons, armadillos, opossums, etc., I shouldnÂt have problems with anything bigger than coyotes or the occasional bobcat. Thus hives being knocked over by large animals like cattle or bears, isnÂt in the equation.

So hereÂs my topic: IÂm looking to see what people are using for hive stands. I keep coming back to the old "tried & true" concrete blocks to support my hives. They are cheap (a requirement); theyÂre ready made Â no construction required (also a strong ÂplusÂ); they last a good long while (a requirement) and they are maintenance free (another big plus). IÂve seen a lot of stands built out of pressure-treated wood, which IÂm sure would last a long time, but IÂm really not inclined to build so many individual stands as I would need. IÂve also seen wood pallets used, but I donÂt feel these would hold up over the long haul (IÂm trying to get a useful life of 15-20 maintenance-free years). So, in short, IÂm kinda looking for suggestions "outside the box" Â perhaps someone has come up with an idea for an alternative use of an existing item. Any ideas?

On kind of a related topic, if your hives are located in a grassy area, what techniques do you use to keep the grass from blocking the hive entrance (besides mowing)? In the past, IÂve spread tar paper/roof shingles on the ground to block the grass from growing in front of the hive. Now, in this new location, IÂve decided to work with mother nature (instead of against her), so the new hive location will be under a canopy of trees where grass doesnÂt grow anyway. Even though generally IÂm a believer in locating hives in the sunlight, I will be breaking this rule but IÂm figuring this wonÂt be unlike the natural choice of bees in the shady forests of medieval Europe.

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Comments (4)

pennsylvania_pete
18 years ago
I don't have bees anymore, but I still help out a friend with about 15-20 hives. My hive stands were concrete/cinder blocks too. But, on top of the blocks I had some 3X3 foot (approx) fiberglass tops. These had been used to cover pallet box-sized lugs for curing hams. The tops were white with a small moat-like depression to keep it rigid. They also had the advantage of blocking any weeds from growing too close to the hive.

On one site, because of the incline on the side of the hives (I almost always had mine facing east), I had an old step ladder dug into the hill with 2 short 2X6 treated. From left to right, with the incline on the right, one would see the alum. step ladder, the 2X6 and the hill. One hive was waist high, the other about knee high from the ground. Although it sounds workable, working on a slope was quite unhandy.

I too tried several configurations before settling on the cinder blocks and the fiberglass tops. Inelegant, perhaps. Ease of set up on flat ground, wonderful.
ccrb1
18 years ago
I use recycled carpet under the hives to keep the weeds down. Here, at least on my property, snakes aren't a problem. Of course, a spray of round up around the hive actually shouldn't hurt the bees either.

For stands, stability is important. I've put rails across a pair of concrete blocks and set the hives on the rails. Rails that are 6 feet long can hold three or maybe four hives. And I found this is much more stable than just balancing an single hive on a couple of blocks.

Texas certainly isn't Indiana, but I'd sorely miss the proximity of my hives. I've seen my hives swarm, seen them molested by possums and coons, both of which met with a swift end courtesy of my rifle. I have one hive at a farm a mile away and only there and that one, have I had a problem with mice in the hive. (Even though at the house, we're catching mice right now as they try to come in for the winter.
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hotzcatz
18 years ago
Aloha TexasBeeGuy,

If you want to think "outside the box" how about welded pipe hive stands? Once they were made, they would stay made for a long time. I'm thinking I might be able to get a couple made by some of the local high school kids in their welding class if I provide some metal and a donation of materials or money for their projects. Otherwise, I suppose I could weld up a few myself, it shouldn't be that long of a project.

We use welded pipe for our chicken coops to keep mongoose from climbing up wooden posts. Works great for that, should keep mice and anything else that climbs out of the hives.

A hui hou,
Cathy
bandit_tx
18 years ago
Here's mine. They require a little work, but in return they are virtually maintenace free, knock down flat for transport, and they are cheap.

http://www.myoldtools.com/feeder/stand2.jpg
http://www.myoldtools.com/feeder/stand3.jpg
http://www.myoldtools.com/feeder/stand4.jpg
http://www.myoldtools.com/feeder/stand5.jpg
http://www.myoldtools.com/feeder/stand1.jpg