Tie down Hive on Roof

[testka]

Hi all,
I'm thinking of having a national hive on a flat roof 5 floor high. Went up to have a look today and seems like a good spot except its a bit windy up there. I was thinking of stapling the brood box to the stand and having a couple of bricks on the roof.

Any suggestions on how I can try to to ensure the hive does not blow over?

Thanks.

 

[beeboybee]

try building a wooden hive stand that has low bars that you can stack paving slabs on to weight the whole thing down. then ratchet strap the hive to the stand..

 

[testka]

Thanks beeboybee for your quick reply. Sounds like a good idea. I've got a standard open middle type stand, the type you buy from Th*****. Suppose would be quite easy to add a few extra pieces to make the bars like you suggest. Thanks. Any other ideas guys?

 

[biglongdarren]

two buckets filled with concrete,one on each side of the hive, racket straps out over the top of the hive and hooked onto the handles of the bucket.
jobs a good'n...;o)
Darren.

 

[beeboybee]

any photos of the roof?

 

[testka]

Yep sure, same as the one here.

 

[beeboybee]

er sorry the roof your thinking of putting the hive on.... it there are any metal bits or a walls you might be able to drill holes for supports, you might want to think about a windbrake aswell.....

 

[testka]

Ah that roof . Sorry haven't got any photo's. The hive will be on thick paving slabs which I could drill into, and will be approximately 1 metre away from a wall.

 

[beeboybee]

if you have a drill up to the job then drill through the slab and bolt the stand legs with metal brackets from B&Q to the slab. be warned though the slab will be very though to drill through.

 

[peteinwilts]

if you have a drill up to the job then drill through the slab and bolt the stand legs with metal brackets from B&Q to the slab. be warned though the slab will be very though to drill through.

I drill a single hole through the center of a slab and put a hook through it. I use a ratchet strap through the hook and over the top of the hive to lock it all together.

 

[beeboybee]

I drill a single hole through the center of a slab and put a hook through it. I use a ratchet strap through the hook and over the top of the hive to lock it all together.

Nice and simple......Love It

 

[Nellie]

I've got a hive on a pallet rather than a stand (the ones on stands have never given me any trouble at all, a populated hive weights a fair bit). I put some cheap garden stakes about a foot into the ground at diagonal corners and put screws through the stakes into the sides of the pallet, the hive is strapped using a cargo strap onto the pallet.

I only did it on this hive because there are lots of badgers around, had some spare pallets and was too cheap to buy and too lazy to build a hive stand for it.

 

[fatshark]

if you have a drill up to the job then drill through the slab and bolt the stand legs with metal brackets from B&Q to the slab. be warned though the slab will be very though to drill through.

An SDS drill will do this with no problems. I've recently bolted a wooden greenhouse onto paving slabs ... a standard hammer drill was hopeless, but with an SDS drill it was like the proverbial "hot knife through butter".

 

[oliver90owner]

I would agree an SDS type is better, but not that a standard hammer drill is 'hopeless', Just need to start with a smaller pilot drill and then enlarge the hole. Just need a little more time and patience.

Working height for the hive seems to be a considerable factor in this. I have never had a hive on a single stand blow over. They are about 300mm high. Nor has a roof ever blown off either (although I do take some precautions to avoid that).

Agreed, 6 storeys up may be different but I would think the main problem is retaining the roof, not the hive, to prevent some poor soul being hit by said roof at ground level!

A simple solution for the original question is to stand the hive directly on the roof and strap the hive together. Increasing the effective base size and mass will help to improve stability, as the center of mass will be lowered, the hive will remain in stable equilibrium until the centre of mass falls outside the base and any tipping moments would have to be be very considerably increased for the whole hive to actually tip over.

Sliding, before tipping, comes to mind for a free-standing object subjected to a side-ways force.

RAB

 

[Poly Hive]

The main point to consider here is the wind power.

At five stories there is not going to be that much shelter, ie hedges and trees that would normally offer protection.

If you think about the square footage of a hive in full flow... say double brood and four supers there is quite an area there for the wind to get a grip of. And it will.

Myself I would go for a very low but wide stand so it can be weighted with slabs. There is no advantage in a high stand as that is working against you and the height anyway is to avoid back strain rather than any other issue.

Just be aware that making it secure is your responsibility and a hive flying off a five story height is a lethal object.

Also never underestimate the power of the wind. I was on this machine when it actually sailed and the tow tug got out the way and just "steered" us.
http://www.deepwater.com/fw/main/Sedco-704-94C16.html?LayoutID=17

PH

 

[Hombre]

Testka, you don't mention it, but are there any sizeable parapet wall, railings or wind break panels around the roof at all.

It would be very wise to ensure that nothing can be whipped off the roof by the wind, whether that means a net to catch that empty frame of comb or a tether on the roof to prevent it escaping.

When it comes to drilling slabs that may be part of the roof structure, will this be a problem of any sort (damage or noise nuisance)? Would a suitable epoxy resin be a viable alternative if the buckets/blocks of concrete are not good to go?

Will you need a bass broom in your tool kit a couple of times a year to clean up the hive debris?

I have no real idea of the issues, but the above should all be considered, even in passing, but may not be anything to get too excited about. I'm just interested in your awareness and not seeking to make life difficult for anyone. I actually envy you your location.

Watch those bits of Knauf Spaceboard used for top insulation. They could really end up a distance away from that height.

 

[shrekfeet]

all you need is a strap under the paving slab that the hive sits on. YOu then strap the two together and it will never move

 

[testka]

Testka, you don't mention it, but are there any sizeable parapet wall, railings or wind break panels around the roof at all.

It would be very wise to ensure that nothing can be whipped off the roof by the wind, whether that means a net to catch that empty frame of comb or a tether on the roof to prevent it escaping.

When it comes to drilling slabs that may be part of the roof structure, will this be a problem of any sort (damage or noise nuisance)? Would a suitable epoxy resin be a viable alternative if the buckets/blocks of concrete are not good to go?

Will you need a bass broom in your tool kit a couple of times a year to clean up the hive debris?

I have no real idea of the issues, but the above should all be considered, even in passing, but may not be anything to get too excited about. I'm just interested in your awareness and not seeking to make life difficult for anyone. I actually envy you your location.

Watch those bits of Knauf Spaceboard used for top insulation. They could really end up a distance away from that height.

Hi Hombre, yes the walls all around are very high, Over 6 foot at least. Planning on keeping the hive about 1 meter away from the wall. I like the idea about the buckets, could fill with concrete and put in a few hooks to dry with the concrete. Your right about the toolkit, will be a slightly different to the apiary in the garden.

 

[Hombre]

Sounds good Testka.