My 2 hives

[jdl]

My 2 hives at the end of the garden. just a bit concerned about the weight on the stand, hence the logs at the far end where the legs seem to have splayed out more. Do not think I will buy that type again (got 2 of those in my 1st year of bee keeping from Bee Tradex), aim is to replace with good solid home made ones.

The newer hive is a swarm (last year) from my first hive. Now doing better than the source hive.

Plan to expand next year to about 4-5 hives, as I have finally got an out apiary in an orchard, needs some work as it is neglected, but owner says I can use all the area if I wish. So that is the winter project.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Wow! great hives and plenty of honey
Welcome to the best beekeeping forum on the planet

 

[pargyle]

Welcome ... looking like a good year for your honey crop ...

I'd worry about that stand as well ! Some CLS from Wickes and a few screws .... easily rectified and the last thing you want is your bees all over the floor if the stand gives way ,... Plenty of good designs found on here.

 

[enrico]

When one of my stands collapsed it was the worst day if my beekeeping career. It knocked other hives over and I was stood there doing an inspection. There was a pause.... And then all hell broke loose. I wouldn't wish it on anyone. Get them changed today. I don't want to be the one that told you so!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

3x2" tanalised timber is your best bet, just extracted a load last night - a double stand with eight supers on each hive is nothing.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

My 2 hives at the end of the garden. just a bit concerned about the weight on the stand, hence the logs at the far end where the legs seem to have splayed out more. Do not think I will buy that type again (got 2 of those in my 1st year of bee keeping from Bee Tradex), aim is to replace with good solid home made ones.

The newer hive is a swarm (last year) from my first hive. Now doing better than the source hive.

Plan to expand next year to about 4-5 hives, as I have finally got an out apiary in an orchard, needs some work as it is neglected, but owner says I can use all the area if I wish. So that is the winter project.



View attachment 33234

Welcome to the madhouse.
I share your concerns about the stand. Not because of the splay particularly but the strength of the components and being timber is my worry. Given a while for the elements and decay to wreak their effects I could well imagine going to look one day and finding things collapsed in a heap. Breeze blocks make virtually indestructible supports. They're not as easy to move about but once sited that's irrelevant.

 

[robmort]

I've never seen the point of those spindly wooden legs for stands; over-complicated and such a small footprint for all that weight. Concrete blocks (lightweight or other) are far easier and sturdier.

 

[The Poot]

A lot of folks just use pallets - I tend to waterproof mine with silicon then place the hives onto good solid chunks of wood to add a little height. You also get a reasonable air flow under the hive too.

 

[philipm]

Plenty of pallets for free ,just use the pallet or if you are a bit more practical convert the pallets into stands.I find they last a few years.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I have a few stands made from fence posts driven into the ground supporting bolted on tantalised timber but blocks are really handy. You can knock up an extra stand in minutes anywhere you need to.

 

[blackcloud]

I have levelled 3x2 council slabs with eyebolts at each end.
I can ratchet strap the whole caboodle down tight.
I've put 460 x460 wood tops on old metal canteen chair frames for stands to great success before making more from scratch.
That stand in the OP does look like it's about to give way...

 

[jdl]

I have levelled 3x2 council slabs with eyebolts at each end.
I can ratchet strap the whole caboodle down tight.
I've put 460 x460 wood tops on old metal canteen chair frames for stands to great success before making more from scratch.
That stand in the OP does look like it's about to give way...

That is my concern about it giving way.
I intent to remove the supers this weekend subject to weather conditions, I have braced the far legs to ensure that cross member can not slide down the leg. Once the supers are off I should be able to put support in place ready for it to be replaced.

Like I mentioned I will never buy that type of stand again, even though they came from a reputable supplier.

 

[blackcloud]

The buying office of any supplier isn't immune from being sold a pup.
You'll soon cut to the undercurrent on this forum- if you want decent kit you'll probably have to make it yourself

 

[Sutty]

I made a couple of platforms with two 8' x 6" tantalised timbers, linked with a cross-piece and topped with the decking squares sold by B&Q, leveled up with slabs/rocks. Nice and heavy and the slats of the squares mean that it's easy to put a hive strap under it & around the hive.

 

[BBC]

Welcome to the madhouse.
I share your concerns about the stand. Not because of the splay particularly but the strength of the components and being timber is my worry. Given a while for the elements and decay to wreak their effects I could well imagine going to look one day and finding things collapsed in a heap. Breeze blocks make virtually indestructible supports. They're not as easy to move about but once sited that's irrelevant.

Welcome to the madhouse.
I share your concerns about the stand. Not because of the splay particularly but the strength of the components and being timber is my worry. Given a while for the elements and decay to wreak their effects I could well imagine going to look one day and finding things collapsed in a heap. Breeze blocks make virtually indestructible supports. They're not as easy to move about but once sited that's irrelevant.

Sorry to sound like a know it all….
Don’t use breeze blocks they’re light weight internal blocks which rapidly break down when left outside. They’re extremely light too.
I think you meant concrete blocks, entirely different, solid and very heavy.
I use these for the base of my hives, along with 4x2 rails and 2x1 cross braces. Single hives can sit on top of two blocks on their own.
Great to see the different methods and given me a few ideas for tweaks.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

I've used the term breeze blocks somewhat loosely for dozens of years. In the beginning the term related to blocks made from crushed furnace bottom ash clinker then it expanded to include lightweight aggregates often synthesized from pulverised fuel ash. I was works engineer for a while at the Lytag production plant alongside Tilbury B where we took PFA via a pipeline from the station, created pellets and sintered them to become "pebbles" these could be used to create lightweight but strong concrete (Doncaster racecourse canopy and Newark silos were built using Lytag Concrete). We also had sister companies making lightweight concrete blocks from our sintered product and it was a popular material to create runaway stopping tracks for lorries at the bottom of steep hills.
Foamed, ash based lightweight blocks appeared on the market and became popular because they were light to handle, gave better insulation performance but are subject to deterioration due to weather or water ingress. As you rightly say the foamed ash blocks deteriorate in the weather whereas the clinker or concrete blocks are weather resistant.

Sorry to sound like a know it all….
Don’t use breeze blocks they’re light weight internal blocks which rapidly break down when left outside. They’re extremely light too.
I think you meant concrete blocks, entirely different, solid and very heavy.
I use these for the base of my hives, along with 4x2 rails and 2x1 cross braces. Single hives can sit on top of two blocks on their own.
Great to see the different methods and given me a few ideas for tweaks.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The bog standard concrete blocks have always been known as breeze blocks in this neck of the woods even Bobby Hunt, owner of the local firm crerating them referred to them as breeze blocks. Unfortunately it's a bit too late to be pedantic as to their construction now as Breezeblock has been the commonly used term for concrete blocks for some years.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

The bog standard concrete blocks have always been known as breeze blocks in this neck of the woods even Bobby Hunt, owner of the local firm crerating them referred to them as breeze blocks. Unfortunately it's a bit too late to be pedantic as to their construction now as Breezeblock has been the commonly used term for concrete blocks for some years.

a bit like the name Hoover

 

[BBC]

The bog standard concrete blocks have always been known as breeze blocks in this neck of the woods even Bobby Hunt, owner of the local firm crerating them referred to them as breeze blocks. Unfortunately it's a bit too late to be pedantic as to their construction now as Breezeblock has been the commonly used term for concrete blocks for some years.

Apologies everyone!
I’ve always referred to (and asked for) the lightweight blocks as Breeze Blocks and concrete blocks as their namesake. Clinker blocks were always Clinker blocks (don’t see them used much anymore down here).
Each to their own eh?

 

[jdl]

Resolved the stand issue for a short while, just done extraction today. New stand for next year is defo.