A beekeeper can make a beehive with his own hands, using wood, plywood and even polystyrene for this. The development of the pupa and the productivity of adults will depend on the conditions created in the bee house, therefore, its design and manufacture must be approached with all responsibility.

Typical structure of hives and components

To make a house for bees on your own, you first need to understand its basic structure. Any model should have the following components:

• Frame... It is located at the bottom of the structure and implies the presence of special grooves on which the frames are installed. Depending on the size and type of the hive, their number varies from 9 to 16. As a rule, such joints are installed parallel to each other. The walls of the case are made with insulation, which is most often velit - a heat-insulating board made of paper impregnated with bitumen. Its main substitutes are linen mats, expanded polystyrene.
• Bottom... Simultaneously performs two functions - the base of the structure and the "runway" for the bees. The bottom can be nailed or removable. From the point of view of operation, the second option is optimal, since it simplifies the cleaning of the nest. A subframe space with a length of at least 20-25 mm must be formed between the bottom and the frames. It is necessary for cleaning the hive before the spring flight of bees. Some beekeepers leave a space of 40-60 mm, and place a container with insect feed under the frames.
  

  The underframe space forms a steam-air valve, without which the activity of the swarming state of the bee colony will decrease, since flight bees will not sit on the combs with brood.

• Letok... This is the opening that allows the bees to fly out and return to the hive. It is cut in the front of the case, often at the bottom, as the top hole absorbs about a third of the heat. It is closed by a hinged latch, which is attached to the front wall of the case with the help of rotating hinges. Some models have two tap holes - upper and lower. The first one opens in spring and summer and closes in winter. The lower entrance is opened slightly for the winter season to provide fresh air.
  

  In the case of a removable bottom of the taphole, it is often made just above the central part in the form of a semicircle with a diameter of 30 mm. If the bottom is nailed, then the diameter of the slotted tap hole should be at least 100 mm, and the length should be about 10 mm.

• Store (store extension)... The section of the hive, which is located above the body. Bees put honey in this compartment during the flow period, which greatly facilitates the task of collecting honey for the beekeeper. Usually, the store is made with the same linear parameters as the case, so the same number of frames for honeycombs is placed in it. Sometimes the extension is used to place the layering in the winter season, so it is insulated with the body or made with double walls. Some models do not have a store.
  

  Experts advise using the store for small bee colonies that do not produce a large amount of sweet product.

• Roof liner... The upper part of the house, covering the store or nest box, to protect the shoulders from precipitation and at the same time create an attic-like airspace that helps maintain the optimal temperature in the hive. For ventilation and free movement of bees, a hole is made in the ceiling. If the roof cover replaces the roof, then it is made of plywood or plank and sheathed with a thin sheet of steel to protect the wooden parts of the hive from moisture.

Such structures are often equipped with the following components:

• The framework... Depending on the shape of the hive, they can be square, low-wide or narrow-high, but in any case they have equally protruding edges - folds that rest on rails fixed to the walls of the store or case. The thickness of natural wood frames is usually 10-40 mm. To help the bees create their combs, stainless wire or thick fishing line is sometimes pulled over them. Between the frames and the walls of the case, you need to leave 6 mm so that an interframe fishing rod is formed, through which the bees will fly after the construction of the combs.
• Separators... Provide the required distance between frames. The slots in them are made so that the worker bees can fly up. Permanent delimiters can be dotted or linear. The first ones fasten adjacent frames at the required distance only at one point, and the second ones - along the entire lower bar. There are also profiled side dividers in the form of an extension of the side rails in the upper part, which prevents the honeycomb created by the bees inside the frame from touching. It is also called a shoulder and is usually about 100 mm long.
• Diaphragm (plug-in board)... This is a board or wood board, the width and height of which correspond to the internal dimensions of the body. She positions the hive inside and divides it into two parts. It is often used in the case of keeping two bee colonies in one house.
• Ruberoid stretcher... Roofing material sheet, the length and width of which corresponds to the dimensions of the bottom of the case. It is inserted into the hive through the notch when the hive is replenished with food for the winter. During the winter season, wax crumbs and dead soil accumulate on it, so in early spring it must be removed and stored until the end of the season.
• Dividing grid... It is installed between the body and the magazine so that the uterus does not move from one part of the hive to another. The grill is made of wire or plastic and has a mesh size of at least 4.2 mm. Thus, worker bees freely pass through them, but queen bees and drones with larger sizes remain in the main nesting section.
• Ventilation frame... A lightweight structure made of wooden slats with a metal mesh stretched over them, the cells of which are 3x3 mm. It fits in the upper part of the hive instead of a ceiling panel, but sometimes a ventilation window is made in the sub-roof itself.
• Folding panels... Used to connect the body and the magazine extension. The hinges are attached at the corners of the front wall of the hive, between the body and the magazine. With their help, the magazine can be tilted or completely removed to free up the inner space of the nest housing. On some models, pull-out brackets are used instead of hinges.
• Connecting tape... Ensures a secure connection between the body, magazine and liner. To do this, it is installed along the docking lines. Typically, a strip of steel strip with a width of 25 mm and a thickness of 2 mm is used.

The following diagram shows the basic structure of the hive, where 1 is the base, 2 is the bottom, 3 is the body, 4 is the separator, 5 is the store with frames, 6 is the ceiling, 7 is the cover:

The main types of hives with drawings

You can make a beehive of different shapes and sizes with your own hands. We will consider the options most popular among beekeepers separately.

Found in almost all apiaries. It is made of wood - cedar, spruce, pine, linden or aspen. As follows:

Its obvious advantages are simplicity, spaciousness and modularity. The classic model consists of 12 frames, but as the colony grows, it can be supplemented with new cases or shops. Here is a drawing of a classic 12-frame Dadan hive:

The cover can be made not flat, but 1- or 2-pitched, so that the raindrops better roll off the roof surface.

According to the principle of construction, the structure resembles a hollow, since during its development the beekeeper Roger Delon tried to recreate conditions for bees as close as possible to natural ones.

Outwardly, the alpine hive is a multi-hull vertical "pyramid", since the nesting hives in it are located one above the other. Because of this, the design is compact, but it has a large height, and also assumes the following features:

• there are no partitions, ventilation gaps and grilles in the cases;
• in the lower part of the house, a notch is set up, through which natural air circulation is carried out and moisture accumulation is prevented, as well as condensate precipitation;
• a feeder or ceiling is made in the upper part of the hive to create an air cushion;
• all cases, except for the bottom one, do not have a bottom, therefore, combs or rails are fixed on the walls to install the frames;
• each compartment of the common building contains from 3 to 8 frames, depending on the number of individuals in the bee colony.

There is no need to insulate the walls of the hive, since in winter it is simply covered with a plastic bag.

The structure of the vertical type is made in several floors with 10 frames and takes up a minimum of space. Experienced beekeepers create hives of this type up to 7-8 floors and with their help they collect more than 200 kg of honey in combs per season. Beginners, however, can use the option in the minimum version - with one body and a semi-magazine, since a large magazine attachment will significantly increase the total volume of the structure and make it difficult to insulate the nest.

Here is a diagram of a multi-body hive:

If individual blocks of the structure are equipped with pins, a more reliable structure can be obtained.

Cassette hive

Unlike other models, in such a hive, nesting cases are made in the form of drawers, which are installed in a common case with bars fixed on its sidewalls - runners along which the cassettes will walk. The distance between the frames in the body must be at least 10 mm, in order, if necessary, to fence off a part of the hive from the main space with horizontal gratings or plywood partitions.

On each retractable body of such a hive, tap holes are made, the central ones of which have a diameter of 25-30 mm, and the slotted ones have a length of 200 mm and a height of 10 mm. If you plan to make a common door, then the holes for the tap holes must be made in it, opposite the gaps between the cassettes. An arrival rail is attached under each entrance. The entire structure is protected by a pitched roof, under which ventilation holes are provided.

A cassette multi-body hive for 10 frames can be assembled according to the following scheme, where 1 - a single body, 2 - cassettes, 3 - frames, 4 - dividing panel, 5 - insulation layer, 6 - protective covers, 7 - cassette sections:

The cassette hive requires more effort and materials to manufacture, but it is more convenient to transport than others, so it is the best option for outbound apiaries.

Unlike the above models, such a hive is horizontal and is great for accommodating several bee colonies. A similar design is a box, divided by stationary partitions into several parts, in each of which a separate family of bees settles with its own queen.

The hive can be additionally equipped with a magazine by placing it on top of the nest compartments or between them. A notch is prepared for each of the sections in the lower part of the front wall. It is better to make a gable roof to protect the structure from precipitation and overheating in extreme heat.

The lounger can be made for one bee colony. Here is a drawing of such a primitive construction:

Choice of materials

Various materials can be used in the manufacture of a hive:

• Wood... The classic option for building a bee house. Helps create natural conditions for insects. It is best to choose a species tree - cedar, although you can use linden or aspen, but the structure will have to be additionally insulated. These hives are dry, breathe well and smell good. It is worth abandoning the use of pine, spruce and fir - in such houses it is warm, but moisture and resin accumulate in them, and there is also a coniferous aroma.
  

  To make a hive, you need to choose wooden boards, the humidity of which is kept within 15-16%.

• Plywood... Refers to durable and ecological materials, but the structure of it must be covered with paint, and insulated from the inside with expanded polystyrene to maintain heat and dryness. Plywood is extremely sensitive to moisture, so it needs constant and proper care.
• Expanded polystyrene... A relatively new material in the manufacture of beehives. It attracts with low cost and no need for additional insulation in winter. Expanded polystyrene has its drawbacks - it is fragile and brittle. When using poor quality material, there is a possibility of deterioration of the properties of honey.
• Styrofoam... One of the most economical and affordable options, since you can even use packaging from household appliances. The foam construction is lightweight even with full frames and excellent thermal insulation, however it is very fragile and needs constant painting to protect it from the sun's rays.
• Polyurethane... It has good thermal insulation and does not allow moisture to pass through, so fungi and bacteria do not develop inside the hive. This material is practically not gnawed by bees, mice and birds, but it has its drawbacks - it is highly flammable and practically does not allow air to pass through.

A hive made of any material should be painted white, since it is better remembered by insects and repels the sun's rays.

How to make a wooden beehive?

This design is often of two types - vertical and horizontal. We will consider the assembly of each model separately.

Beehive lounger for 16, 20 and 24 frames

The principle of making a sunbed is the same, regardless of its spaciousness, but before starting construction work, you need to correctly calculate its dimensions:

• 16 frames... The thickness of the inner case is 2-2.5 cm. The height of its front and rear walls is 60.5 cm, and the length is 32 cm. The same parameters for the side walls are 53 and 32 cm, respectively. The thickness of the outer walls is 1.5 cm. The height of the front and rear walls is 67.5 cm, and the length is 50 cm. The same parameters for the side outer walls are 56 and 50 cm.
• For 20 frames... The thickness of the structure remains unchanged, but the dimensions of the walls are adjusted. The height and length of the front wall - 87 and 37 cm.The same parameters for the back wall - 87 and 44 cm, and for the sidewalls - 49 and 44 cm.The bottom parameters are as follows: height - 84 cm, width - 54.5 cm, thickness - 3.5 cm.
• 24 frames... The body is made 84 cm long, 56.6 cm wide and 63.5 cm high.Its bottom should be 3.5 cm thick.Outside, the roof length is 93.5 cm, and inside - 81 cm.

In order for the bee hive to turn out even and without large gaps, its dimensions must be strictly observed.

In the manufacture of a hive, you will need the following materials and tools:

• well dried wooden boards, plywood, polystyrene;
• machine for processing boards;
• hacksaw or other tool for cutting blanks;
• hammer;
• drill, drill, self-tapping screws;
• chisels;
• casein glue;
• square;
• pencil.

The instructions for assembling a lounger of any size are as follows:

1. Cut the board to the required size, and remove all burrs with a plane. Using sandpaper, sand the surface so that it is smooth and free from defects.
2. Join the blanks for the sidewalls with wood glue. To do this, grease the ends with it and press the parts on a flat surface. To fix it on one side of the table, install a vertical rib, and on the other - fix the building level in the right place with clamps. On top, you can put another blank for additional pressure and eliminate unevenness.
   
   
3. Glue the end walls and the bottom of the box in the same way. Remove any irregularities found on the surfaces with a grinder.
   
   
4. Check the correct size and eliminate minor defects, and then assemble the box, the parts of which are fixed with glue and self-tapping screws. Check the accuracy of the angles with a level.
5. From wooden planks (10x10 mm), make supports for the frames, fixing them with glue and nails. Then check the consistency of the dimensions of the parts.
   
   
6. Create a frame for each side of the box using 40x20 mm strips.
   
   
7. In the side wall with an electric jigsaw, cut out the entrances - two in the lower part and one in the center. During operation, open them as the bee colony grows. Make grooves for frames 1.8x1.1 cm on the front and back walls.
   
   
8. Attach the bottom. It can be assembled from two battens and flooring using soil and nails. In this case, it is worth making a protrusion behind the bars of 2 cm.
9. Install polystyrene - leaves with a thickness of 20 mm and a density of 25 kg per cubic meter. Mount the lining on top. The resulting structure will be multi-layer and with good insulating properties.
   
   
10. Make a roof. To do this, cut boards 100 mm long and make a box out of them. Install the rail in the lower part and check that the dimensions match. Create a roof surface with lining, cut ventilation openings in it and close them with galvanized sheet to protect it from atmospheric influences.
    
    



11. At the final stage, mount the arrival plate, paint the box and install a special latch to secure the cover during transportation.
    
    
12. Use flexible tape to secure the top in the raised position.
    
    

Carrying handles can be attached to the manufactured box.

How to assemble a budget beehive for 12 frames, you can learn from the following video:

The optimal dimensions of such a house are 130x60x60 cm, and the height is measured from the ridge of the roof. Here is a drawing of it:

A similar design is made up of such parts made of wood and metal:

• vertical body posts (1) 48.6x3.2x1.8 cm - 4 pcs.;
• vertical store racks (2) 15.4 x 3.2 x 1.8 cm - 4 pcs.;
• longitudinal bars of the bottom of the nesting compartment (3) 42.4x3.2x1.8 cm - 2 pcs.;
• transverse bars for the nest compartment, store, bottom and roof liner (4) 60x3.2x1.8 cm - 10 pcs.;
• longitudinal bars for the nest compartment, store, bottom and roof liner (5) 56.4x3.2x1.8 cm - 12 pcs.;
• transverse bars for the bottom of the nesting body (6) 56.4x3.2x1.8 cm - 2 pcs.;
• ridge bar of the roof (7) 56.4x3.2x1.8 cm - 1 piece;
• roof rafter legs (8) 39.2x3.2x1.8 cm - 2 pcs.;
• roof rafter legs (9) 42.4x3.2x1.8 cm - 2 pcs.;
• footrests (10) 8x8x0.3 cm - 4 pcs .;
• retaining legs in the form of a steel corner (11) 50x5x5x0.3 cm - 4 pcs.;
• ridge bar covering in the form of an aluminum corner (12) 68x5x5x0.3 cm - 1 pc .;
• facing board (13) 6-8 mm thick - 1 pc .;
• arrival board (14) 46x7x0.6 cm - 1 piece;
• plywood panel with ventilation holes (15) 46x46x1.2 cm - 1 pc.

To make the designated structural elements, as well as to insulate it, you need to prepare the following materials:

• plywood with a thickness of 10-12 mm;
• timber with a section of 32x18 mm - 20 running meters;
• unedged board or wooden lining 6-8 mm thick;
• nails 5 cm long;
• screws 2.5 cm long;
• steel corner 200 cm long;
• aluminum corner (5x5x0.3 cm) 70 cm long;
• steel plates (8x8x0.3 cm) - 4 pcs.;
• steel sheet 1-1.5 mm thick and 60x100 cm in size for roofing (instead of it, you can use the same board as for wall cladding);
• folding hinges - 4 pcs.;
• window hinges (5x3 cm) - 2 pcs.;
• linen insulation;
• linseed oil for wood impregnation;
• paint on wood.

Of the tools you will need:

• welding machine;
• electric drill with a set of drills;
• screwdriver;
• electric jigsaw or hacksaw for wood;
• grinder for metal cutting;
• tape measure, square, pencil;
• hammer;
• paint brush.

Having prepared everything you need, you can start making the hive, following these instructions:

1. Prepare frame details. To do this, shave off the timber, saturate it with linseed oil, mark and cut into blanks using an electric jigsaw or an ordinary hacksaw for wood. To prevent the timber from cracking when hammering in nails, hammer them at an angle. You can pre-drill a hole in it at an angle of 30 °, the diameter of which is 1-1.5 mm less than the thickness of the nail leg.
2. Make the lower frame of the frame, after laying out the timber along the building corner so that the corners do not skew. Fasten each side with two nails or self-tapping screws, driving them through the longer beam into the end of the short one. Assemble the upper housing frame in the same way. Next, connect the 2 frames together with vertical angular bars.
3. Measure 18.2 cm from the bottom frame and at this level between the uprights on the front and back sides of the frame, nail the horizontal bars so that their upper edge coincides with the top of the steel corner of the legs.
4. Measure 5.2 cm from the edges of the fixed bar and nail bars No. 6 perpendicular to it along the walls. Between them and the vertical uprights, there will be a space in which the corners-legs should fit freely. They will serve as a support for the ventilation grill and the inner corridor leading from the entrance. Measure 5.5 cm from the edges of these bars and fix short bars No. 3 perpendicular to them.
5. Assemble the store extension by first making the lower and upper frames, and then fastening them together with vertical stalls.
6. Fasten the roof elements. To do this, initially assemble the lower frame, and then fix the rafters installed at an angle on it, and connect them with a ridge bar. At this stage, the assembled structure looks like this:
   
   
7. Prepare the legs of the hive. To do this, mark the steel corner and cut it into pieces 50 cm long. Mark 2 holes 2 cm from the upper edge of the corner, and 2 more holes at 18 cm. Their diameter is 5 mm. Next, take the steel plates and weld them to the legs on the side opposite to the drilled holes.
   

   Some beekeepers use wood to make the legs of the hive, however, in this case, the material must be thoroughly treated with a protective solution beforehand, since in the future the stand will need to be deepened into the ground to ensure the stability of the house.

8. Press the finished legs to the bottom of the vertical racks of the frame, and then screw them with self-tapping screws through the prepared holes. The optimal distance from the footrest to the lower beam of the frame frame is 30 cm.
9. From the inside of the bar of the upper frame of the store and the nest housing, fix the protruding stops on which the frames will be attached. Fasten the slats with a width of 8-9 mm along the entire length of the side bars of the frame. On one of the lateral sides of the hive on the roof frame and the upper frame of the store, as well as on the lower frame of the store and the upper nest housing, fasten the folding hinges. In the future, this will help to easily remove frames with honeycombs from the hive.
   
   
10. Sheathe the front side of the nest building with facing material - wooden boards pre-treated with linseed oil. Mount them at an angle to the frame beam so that each top board rests on the bottom one.
11. In the fixed planking of the lower part of the hive, cut a notch in the form of a rectangular hole measuring 46x7 cm. Save the cut part of the board to use it for arranging the hinged door.
    
    
12. Fasten a small board under the cut-out window as a support for the tap-hole hinged door. When opened, it will turn into an arrival area.
    
    
13. Fasten the cut-out part of the casing on the hinges, which are placed under it so that it opens outward. To fix the door in a closed position above the cut-out hole, use self-tapping screws to fix a plate or a metal strip, which should freely turn over and become the simplest latch.
    
    
14. From the inside of the tap hole, fix the corridor board to the frame beam. Next, insulate the floors. To do this, turn the nest housing over, lay linen mats on the bottom of the boards and cover them with waterproofing material. Sheathe the bottom with plywood from the outside. Sheathe the remaining sections of the hive with plywood from the inside, and then install linen mats from the outside into the frame of the frame. Cover the top with a windproof waterproofing film.
15. Cover the roof with the same board as on the walls, or with galvanized steel sheet. In the second case, 2-3 rafters must be added to the slopes of the structure, and then sheathed the roof with plywood and only after that lay the metal covering.
    The second option is optimal because it eliminates the risk of blood leaks. If boards are used, then start their fixing from the eaves of the roof and lead consistently to the ridge. Mount each subsequent board with an overlap on the previous one. At the end, fasten the aluminum corner to the ridge of the roof.
16. Install a plywood panel with ventilation holes in the under-roof space. When operating the hive, install a dividing grid between the store and the body, and a feeder with syrup on the panel and bottom.

The outer cladding of the hive can be done both before installation in a permanent place, and after digging the supports into the ground.

How to make a Styrofoam hive?

A typical object made of expanded polystyrene is a 44x25 cm case with a lid, bottom and a feeder. Wooden frames weighing about 10-12 kg are mounted inside it.

For the manufacture of the structure, you will need the following materials and tools:

• expanded polystyrene sheet;
• wood screws 5-7 cm long;
• fine sandpaper;
• liquid Nails;
• aluminum mesh with mesh sizes up to 3.5 mm;
• water-based dye mixture;
• steel corner;
• circular saw or clerical knife with a reliable rigid blade to ensure that the cut out parts are even;
• screwdriver;
• metal ruler at least 100 cm long.

To make a bee hive, you must follow this plan:

The bee hive can be insulated with tiles, the thickness of which corresponds to the dimensions of the finished product, but varies within 2 cm, 3 cm or 5 cm.

Instructions for making a polyurethane hive

The creation of a hive from such material is a rather laborious process, therefore it is advisable to divide it into several stages, each of which will be considered below.

Assembling the case

To do this, you will need 8 metal plates - 4 each for the outer and inner contours. Spacers should be placed between opposite sides and the outer tiles should be bolted together. To form grip recesses in the body, screw metal strips to the inner sides of the outer tiles.

Make the base and the closing lid with grooves, into which the plates will be inserted. Apply metal strips along the edges and connect them with bolts. Drill holes along the inner and outer perimeter of the case in order to insert threaded metal rods into them during assembly. Screw the bolts onto them, holding the entire structure. Make a hole in the cover for pouring the mixture and mount a valve with a plug to close it.

Installation of the bottom and roof

The roof is made of two rectangular parts, one of which should have protruding sides at the edges, and the other - a protruding rectangular inner part.

The bottom is a rectangular frame with a metal mesh in the center. It is best to assemble it from individual polyurethane foam blocks, fastening them with bolts.

Separately, you need to make molds for the bars - side, back and front. Place a strip of metal along the inner perimeter of all the bars to form folds. Lay a metal mesh on them and nail them with a stapler. It is better to place the front block lower in height to obtain a tap hole.

After casting in the inner sidewalls, select the groove for the bottom valve with a cutter. Cut it out of polycarbonate. Place the rear block lower in height in order to insert the latch into the resulting slot and direct it into the grooves of the side walls.

Preparation of a mixture of polyurethane foam

This material is obtained by the reaction of a polyol and a polyisocyanate. When pouring the mixture, it is necessary to correctly calculate the total mass, adhering to the following order:

1. Calculate the volume of the hive part and multiply it by the width, thickness, and length.
2. The resulting value is multiplied by the factor of technological losses (1.15) and the assumed density of polyurethane foam (60 kg / sq. M).

As a rule, for one hive body 5 cm thick, about 1.5 kg of polyol and 1.7 kg of polyisocyanate are consumed. The mixture must be poured very quickly - in 10 seconds, since it hardens quickly. For mixing and pouring, use special devices or a regular construction mixer. In the second case, you need to pour polyisocyanate into a flexible container and immediately mix it with a mixer, and then pour in the polyol and mix for 3 seconds. After that, pour the finished composition into the mold.

Extracting and coloring the hive

The mixture hardens within 30 minutes. After that, the bolts holding the rods must be unscrewed. Knock down the top of the mold with a block of wood and a hammer. Next, loosen the bolts on the edges of the form, but proceed carefully so as not to deform the structure. So walk two circles over all the bolts and remove the spacers. Remove excess polyurethane foam around the edges of the case with a sharp knife.

At the end, sheathe the structure with fine-grained sandpaper, and paint the facade with acrylic paint to protect the hive from ultraviolet rays. To paint the house within a week after production, but not earlier than after 8 hours.

A bee hive can be made by hand using various drawings and materials. In addition, you first need to choose one of the options for a similar design, taking into account the region of residence and the size of the apiary. In any case, the finished hive must be completely sealed and have good thermal insulation properties.

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Making beehives for your bees is very exciting! But in order for the bees to appreciate your work, it must be done according to certain rules and from materials suitable for this. Let's figure out together how to make a warm, dry, and bee-friendly hive.

Every self-respecting beekeeper should know how to make a bee hive with his own hands. After all, there will come a time when you want to build a house for your "wards" yourself.

There are quite a few types of hives: a lounger, double-hull, with a semi-frame magazine, Dadanovsky, multi-hull, Altai and others. Each of them will have their own disadvantages and advantages. The beekeeper independently decides which one to give preference to and which one to make on his own.

The classic version of the hive, known to every beekeeper, is a 20-frame housing with two compartments, a magazine and a lid. In appearance, such a structure looks like an oblong box, with a large and thick bottom, and a thickened roof.

Before starting work on making a future bee hive with your own hands, you should familiarize yourself with the constituent parts of the structure and know: what is meant for what.

Almost every version of the hives (many for sure) contains the following elements:

1. Frame. It is a kind of box, consisting of the walls of the hive. The dimensions of the case may vary and depend on the specific model. There are also configurations with a large number of cases that are stacked on top of each other. An obligatory attribute of any building is a tap hole or several tap holes.
2. Shop extension. Not required, but present in many hives. It looks like a shortened model of the case. The main goal is to preserve honey during the harvest period, as well as to provide honey to a weak family that is not able to harvest a lot.
3. Roof cover. Placed between the roof and the upper frame with frames. Has the same purpose as the store. Serves to create better living conditions for bees, as well as to install a feeder and warm the house for winter.
4. Bottom. It can be removable or not. Each configuration has its positive aspects. So, if a removable one allows you to take care of bees more quickly and efficiently, then the second option creates an additional area for insects, a kind of landing area.
5. Ceiling. It is a plank that overlaps the nest at the top of the hive. In some models of hives, a canvas is used instead of a ceiling.
6. The roof of the hive. The main purpose is protection from precipitation and natural phenomena that negatively affect the life of the nest. It can be absolutely anything: flat, flat, two- and one-slope. The flat roof is convenient for transportation.
7. Framework. They can be nested and sectional. Thus, the former are used to create honeycombs by bees, and the latter are used to harvest honey in honeycombs.
8. Feeder. It is used to organize feeding or, if necessary, to treat bees.
9. Plug-in board. Serves to narrow the free space. It is regulated taking into account what powers a certain family has.

All hives can be divided into several types:

• square (the size of the frames is the same in width and height);
• low-wide (slightly longer than wide);
• narrow-high (the height is much greater than the width).

The most common materials for creating beehives

Classic hives are wooden structures that were made by beekeepers with their own hands at the time of the birth of beekeeping and the domestication of bees. This option brings insects as close as possible to their real and natural habitat conditions.

But progress does not stand still and today the question: "How and from what to make a beehive with your own hands?" - there are many answers. Fortunately, craftsmen have invented a lot of various schemes and drawings, and modern building supermarkets offer a lot of ideas for using materials.

Wood. This material is rightfully recognized as the most ancient. Not so long ago, almost everything that could be built and made was made of wood. The best option would be a hardwood tree - linden, aspen. The smell of this wood is very pleasant and the honey will not get any specific features. In addition, moisture will not collect in the hive in the summer. The disadvantage is that you need to insulate well in winter.

To create beehives, coniferous wood has recently been used - pine, spruce, fir. This is a budget option if you turn to wood as a building material for a beehive. In addition, it is distinguished by good indicators of heat conservation, which guarantees a good wintering with little insulation. Among the disadvantages is the accumulation of moisture inside the hive and the acquisition of a specific coniferous smell by honey, especially in new structures.

Plywood. A material characterized by durability and environmental friendliness. If the outer part of the structure is covered with an acrylic paint composition and the house is insulated with expanded polystyrene, then the properties of the material will exceed wood at times.

In such a hive, the bees will be dry and comfortable, if they choose high-quality material and proper operation. Plywood is afraid of moisture and requires constant maintenance.

Expanded polystyrene. One of the modern materials used in the manufacture of beehives. It compares favorably with the rest with its low cost and the absence of the need for additional insulation of the structure for the cold season.

Disadvantages are recognized: fragility and fragility of the structure (in comparison with plywood and wood). If the material is of questionable quality, the quality of honey may deteriorate.

Styrofoam. It would seem, for what you can use the remnants of packaging from large household appliances. Not every even a seasoned beekeeper comes to mind such a non-standard solution as using it when building a hive with your own hands. This is the most budget-friendly option you can think of. The advantages include very light weight (even with filled frames, it will not exceed 14 kg), good thermal insulation properties.

The disadvantages are unambiguously fragility, as well as the need for mandatory painting in order to protect it from the effects of ultraviolet radiation, which is harmful to the foam.

Polyurethane- material used for facade insulation. It has good thermal conductivity properties, does not transmit or accumulate moisture, does not rot and decompose, and is also not a medium for the development of fungi and bacteria. The good news may be that bees, mice and birds dislike gnawing holes in such structures. Among the disadvantages, flammability is noted, which also applies to wooden structures. If you want to make a hive from polyurethane, be sure to consider ventilation, since the material itself does not allow air to pass through.

Before you start making your own beehive, carefully study the characteristics of each material. We bring to your attention two options. Budget foam and classic wood.

What should be a hive?

Warm, dry and insect-friendly, of course! And that's no matter what material you use.

Proper ventilation is essential in making do-it-yourself hives. If this is not done, then the bees may die due to inadequate living conditions or leave their place of residence in search of a new, more convenient and comfortable one.

It is very good if, during construction, you think over a design that will allow you to modify the hives and increase or decrease them as needed.

When creating a preliminary drawing on paper, the following factors should be considered:

1. The dimensions of the hive will depend on the required number of frames inside and their size.
2. Width is defined as the product of the number of frames by the number of 37.5 cm.
3. When calculating the length, the same parameter is taken into account (the distance between the two side slats). So, most often the length will be equal to the sum of the length of the frame and another 14 mm.
4. The height of your hive should be equal to the number, which will include the sum of the height of the folds and the frames to be installed.

Self-production of a foam beehive

Using foam in making a bee dwelling is the cheapest option.

The advantages include the following facts:

1. Complete lack of heat conduction. In frost it will be warm here, and in the heat it will be cool and cozy.
2. Impervious to rotting and warping.
3. Ease of operation and maintenance. Repairs are made by replacing the part with a new one. If necessary, the structure can be quickly modified, added or removed.
4. Low weight. The average weight of a foam house is about a kilogram. A suitable option for nomadic beekeepers.
5. Moisture and condensation is not absorbed and does not remain on the walls, it flows down.
6. Bees work more productively during honey harvest and consume less food in winter.

The significant disadvantages of this version of the hive include the fear of direct sunlight and the need to make the structure heavier in order to avoid overturning. Particular attention must be paid to proper ventilation, otherwise bees may die in winter or escape in summer.

For manufacturing you will need:

• foam sheets;
• fine sandpaper;
• self-tapping screws (5 cm);
• water-based paint;
• glue or nails (liquid) for gluing parts;
• ruler;
• paint roller;
• screwdriver or screwdriver;
• circular saw and clerical knife.

Step-by-step instruction

How to make a beehive with your own hands step by step:

1. It is better to purchase polystyrene in hardware stores. There are several configurations: 20, 30 mm and 50 mm.
2. Draw the required design on sheets of paper and only then transfer it to the foam using a felt-tip pen and a ruler.
3. Use a circular saw, a metal hacksaw, or a utility knife to cut out the component parts.
4. Sand the edges with sandpaper.
5. The sides of the future walls must be fastened by overlap (cut out at the joints of the quarters and drive tightly into each other), fixing the elements with liquid nails.
6. To consolidate the result, it is better to walk around the perimeter with self-tapping screws (no more than one per 10-15 cm).
7. If the case is multi-level, then the levels should be tightly piled on top of each other.

When making the bottom, it is better to use galvanized sheet metal, in which the necessary ventilation holes are made in advance. It is better if the pallet is removable. The bottom is attached to the body with self-tapping screws.

For the manufacture of the roof, you can use the same foam, but since the structure is light, do not forget about weighting.

Classic version

To make a do-it-yourself bee hive from a traditional tree, you should acquire a set of carpentry tools, as well as boards with a moisture content that fluctuates between 15-16%.

The number of boards will be different for everyone, since the bodies can be made different. It is best to borrow the blueprint of the hive from those who have previously created such structures and are actively using them.

Be sure to adhere to the basic parameters of the main elements - this will simplify operation.

In such a hive, the following elements must be present: plug-in boards (2 pcs.), Canvas or ceiling boards, burlap insulation.

The approximate design and basic measurements are indicated in the following drawing of the bee hives:

Multi-hull folded hive

This hive has fully justified itself during its existence (about one and a half hundred years). Its design has not undergone significant changes over the years, but its manufacture has been greatly simplified.
A multi-body hive is a structure of several bodies of the same design, a removable (sometimes not) bottom, lid, ceiling, store extensions and, of course, a dividing grid. If desired, the general design can be slightly modified and supplemented.


The picture above shows a case that looks like a box with the following internal dimensions: W = 37.5 cm, L = 45 cm, H = 24 cm. About 10 standard frames (43.5 by 23 cm) can easily fit in such a structure.

The following structure is created from such bodies:

In our climatic latitudes, the width of the hull is 37.5, and not 37 cm, as is customary in warmer countries with a dry climate. Under the influence of high humidity, the frames swell and change somewhat. In this case, it simply becomes difficult to get them out of the case. Also, during operation, propolis is layering, which also leads to problems when removing the frames. Some beekeepers even increase the body up to 38 cm for the purpose of further ease of use.

To create one such body with your own hands in the general structure, you need to take boards, which should be at least 3-5 mm larger than the required dimensions of the future parts of the hive. You need to take into account the stock that will be needed during processing. There should be a 1 cm overlap of material on each side of the trimming. All boards are well dried before use, must be non-resinous, and must also be aged for at least a year.

On two walls (front and back) at the upper edge, folds must be made to insert frames with dimensions 11 by 17 mm. The depth of 17 mm allows the frames to fit into the case so that another case can be placed on top.

At a distance of 7 cm from the upper edge in the central part of the outer side, holes should be made for ease of holding and carrying the structure.

Next, you need to make an additional tap hole, which will serve as a source of additional ventilation for the hive. It is drilled into the front wall under the sink. It is usually round in shape with a diameter of about 2.5 cm.

Each such body is connected tightly to each other, without the use of folds. This design is considered more convenient to use and easier to manufacture.

During the operation of a multi-tiered hive with a folded structure, when moving and removing the hulls, disturbed bees run to the lower part and are often hammered into the folded grooves.
When the housing is put back in place, the bees remaining in the folds will be crushed. Very often the uterus is there. This is an absolute disadvantage of this design. That is why almost all over the world beekeepers have abandoned them in favor of a foldless hive.

Manufacturing of extensions of a multi-body hive

A honey extension or in another way a store is a design that allows you to acquire full-weight honeycombs at the end of the season, and also prevents the uterus from working in this design.

The standard frame dimensions for this extension are 43.5 x 14.5 cm.
This part of the general hive is made in the same way as the body. It differs only in a lower height due to the fact that half-frames are used. It is not difficult to make a frame in this extension. More often than not, a standard sample is split in half.

For convenience, some beekeepers make a viewing window in the extension.
There should be several shops in the beekeeper's arsenal.

Roof fabrication

The thickness of the planks for the roof is standard - 2 cm. Planks of this size are used to assemble the required design of the shield, after which, to prevent decay, the outer part is covered with a sheet of tin.
Some beekeepers prefer to install such a mesh structure in the roof:


This is done so that when transporting bees, additional ventilation is created for them. Also, such a design will be convenient, if necessary, to isolate your families for some time from the outside world and flights for nectar.

Bottom of the hive

The bottom is best done removable and bilateral. To do this, you need to take three bars with dimensions: 57x6.5x3.5 cm - those that will be on the sides, and 44.5x6.5x3.5 - the one that will be installed in the back. In each bar, at a distance of 2 cm from the upper edge, it is necessary to make a groove 3.5 cm wide and 1 cm deep. The bars are assembled into a single structure in the form of the letter "P". The grooves are made for the installation of the floor.

The general structure of the bottom provides for a more protruding front part (5 cm), which forms the landing board.
There is also a separating bottom design, which is used in the case of double keeping of bees in a single hive.

Ceiling

It is a solid wooden structure measuring 52 by 44 cm. It consists of a shield and a rim. The rim is made of wooden slats 3.5 cm wide and 1.5 cm thick.The guard is made of boards 1 cm thick and the total dimensions are 47 by 39.5 cm.A hole should be made in the middle part to create better ventilation of the nest or installation feeders during feeding.


The ceiling has two different sides: smooth and the one with a rim protruding by 0.5 cm. Installation on the body is made partly without a rim, while on the protruding side some space is formed, which allows insects to move freely.
If such a structure will be used as a delimiter between families, then the hole is upholstered with a fine mesh or a wooden insert is installed in it.

Stand

It looks like a box and is the same size as the outer parameters of the bottom. The side edges are made at an inclination of 45 degrees and together with the bottom form a good landing board. The same sides should have depressions measuring 2.5 by 9 cm in the middle. Their main purpose is to raise the hive above the stand or conveniently insert a crepe for further transportation. Additional ventilation also occurs through these openings. To increase the service life of the structure, cover it with bitumen dissolved in gasoline. Poisonous vapors will quickly evaporate, and the bitumen itself will densely saturate the boards, which will increase the resistance to moisture.

Dividing grid

A structure such as a dividing grid can also be made independently. Its main purpose is to isolate the uterus from the main nest for a while, and also to separate the bodies with brood and honey. Its dimensions must match the internal dimensions of the case. It is installed on bars. To create it, it is better to use a wire structure.

Framework

You can also not buy frames, but do it yourself. So, the standard dimensions of the frames in the above-described design of the hive are as follows:


The side bar of the upper part, increased to 3.7 cm, allows the frames to be rigidly fixed inside the hive and does not allow them to move. The lower planks completely coincide in size with the side planks.

I hope this instruction will save you from the question of how to make a beehive with your own hands step by step, thank you for your attention! Share this information.

Sooner or later, every beekeeper is faced with the need to expand his economy, because bee colonies grow, swarms occur, etc. A good way out of the situation is to make a beehive with your own hands.

Of course, to quickly solve the problem, the missing hive can be bought. But prices for new "housing" are high. Buying a used one is cheaper, but, firstly, you still need to find the right type of hive, and secondly, it is not known how long the old house will last and, thirdly, there is a potential threat to bees - you never know what their insects could hurt the former owner.

Primary requirements

The hive should serve not only as a good house for insects, but also to arrange the beekeeper, give him the opportunity to work calmly and effectively help the bee family.

Practice shows that when building it is important to take into account the following rules:

1. Maximum simplicity of the device. This makes the cost of hives cheaper and allows the beekeeper to independently make, repair, etc.
2. Roominess sufficient for the normal life of bees.
3. The ability to decrease or increase the size of the nest in accordance with the strength of the family (a weak family cannot cope with heating a large nest).
4. Providing warmth inside the hive.
5. Creation of the necessary conditions for work, allowing you to quickly inspect, disassemble the nest, without crushing a single bee, without damaging a single honeycomb. To do this, the hive should open from above, and the frames should be easily removed through the top, without touching each other and with the walls of the house. Otherwise, the bees will glue them together with propolis, and then it will not be possible to remove them without jolts and shocks. And this, as a rule, is very irritating to insects.
6. Convenient location of the entrance. So that nothing complicates the work of bees during the flight, it must be at the very bottom. So it will be easier for insects to take out litter and keep the dwelling clean, workers will be able to immediately get on an empty foundation and leave the prey they brought on it.
7. The possibility of adjusting the size of the entrance, so that when attacked by bees of another colony, it could be narrowed or closed.
8. Lightness, compactness and lightness. There should be no protruding parts.
9. Convenience for cleaning bottoms. Detachable trays make this job quick and easy.
10. Good ventilation. For insects, access to fresh air is important, therefore, the frames inside the hive should be located to the tap hole with an edge (so-called "cold drift").
11. Adequate brood conditions - honeycomb frames should not be narrow or small.
12. The store should be located closer to the baby so that the bees do not have to throw the worm.

In a small apiary, it is advisable to keep hives of the same type and size with standard frames. This will facilitate their maintenance, make it possible not to get confused with different frames, shops, etc.

Where to begin

Let's consider how to make a single-wall vertical type hive, the so-called "riser", for 12 standard frames (300x435 mm) and 12 half frames (145x435 mm) with a square body (450x450 mm) and a store extension, which is the most suitable for novice beekeepers to master. After that, you can safely take on sun loungers, multi-hull and other more complex designs.

Choice of materials

Recently, when arranging apiaries, non-traditional building materials for beekeeping have been increasingly used - polystyrene, various types of plastic (expanded polystyrene, technopor, etc.), bitumen paper slabs, chipboard and others. The best material continues to be wood. For the manufacture of a bee house, soft, porous and light tree species ( Pine, poplar, Linden, spruce, alder, willow, aspen) - they retain heat better, are easy to process.

Hardwoods (oak, maple, hornbeam, etc.) do not store heat, they quickly pass cold.

The material must be sound: straight-layered, without cracks, rot and knots. Moisture content - no more than 15% (achieved after 2-3 years of aging in a shed, under a canopy). Freshly sawn boards have a humidity of 40% and higher, so they must be dried initially by keeping them for 20-30 days in a warm, dry room.

Required tool

An important component of success is the availability of a job and a tool. The ideal option is a joiner's workbench for processing wooden parts and assembling them. It can be replaced by a platform or goats with a board and additional equipment - clamps.

For work, you will need, first of all, an ordinary carpentry tool:

• saws for cutting boards and workpieces;
• planing tools (planer, jointer, etc.);
• tools for chiselling and stripping (chisels and chisels);
• drill, screwdriver and drills.

You will also need a hammer, ax, mallet, pliers, level, measuring tape, ruler, pliers, etc.

The owners of apiaries, who have acquired their own professional equipment - a circular saw, a planer or thicknessing machine, a grinder, will be the big winners. On the forums of beekeepers, you can see numerous photos and stories about devices that facilitate and simplify the process of making hives.

Making a beehive

The whole structure consists of separate parts (stand, bottom, body with frames, shop with half-frames, sub-roof, roof), and the parts, in turn, are made of parts. To make the right hive, it is extremely important to be accurate. Usually, manufacturing begins with the preparation of parts for the walls of the case. For beekeepers who consider it expedient to first "get their hands on" and master the basic techniques of working with wood, it is better to get down to business, approaching from the less critical part - processing the parts of the store.

Store extension

The design principle of the store is the same as that of the body, although its walls are half as much.

In the diagram: 1, 3 - front and back walls with frame seams; 2, 4 - side walls; 5 - recess for carrying; 6 - Demonstration of corner mates.

Part dimensions for 12-frame magazine extension:

The step-by-step order of work is as follows:

• cut boards to size. The planed surface can be checked using a metal ruler - attach it to the processed plane with an edge diagonally, across and along, look at the clearance. When skewed, cracks will be visible;
• trim off parts to the specified parameters (530 and 492 mm);
• select from the entire length of the inner side of the walls frame folds (11x20 mm), lower folds (19x21 mm), and outside - upper folds (10x20 mm);
• make the upper folds of 10x20 mm (outside) at the side walls, and the lower folds of 10x21 mm - from the inside;
• cut a recess on the side walls for removal / carrying.

After folding is completed, the next step will be to prepare for the "knitting" of the walls of the store. To do this, it is necessary to select the end quarters in its front and rear walls across the wood fibers along the end edges.

All parts are ready and now you can start assembling. The boards are joined at the corners in a quarter and fastened with 2-3 nails or self-tapping screws (0.8-0.9 cm) at each corner. Many beekeepers coat the surfaces to be joined with glue (PVA, liquid nails, etc.) before assembling. Collect carefully, without distortions. The internal dimensions of the store should be 450x450 mm in length and width.

All stages of the manufacturing and assembly process of the store top can be found in detail in the video presented:

Frame

The building is built of 4 walls: front (with an upper entrance, 0.8–10 cm long, 1 cm high), back and two side walls. Inside the case, along the upper edge of the front and rear walls, you should select a frame fold (20x11 mm), as well as the upper and lower folds in the same way as in the store extension. The folds will eliminate through gaps and create a better connection with the body of other parts of the hive. The details of the socket are tied at the corners into end folds, which are selected in the front and rear walls. To prevent falling rainwater from entering the nest, a chamfer (5x5 mm) is made along the entire length of the edge of the outer upper fold.

In the diagram: 1 - front wall: a - upper part; b - lower part; 2 - side walls: a - upper part; b - lower part; 3 - back wall: a - upper part; b - lower part.

Details for the case:

Name	Amount)
		length	width	thickness
Front and back walls:
Top part	2	550/530	225/220	45/40
Bottom part	2	550/530	115/110	45/40
Side walls:
Top part	2	512/492	115/110	45/40
Bottom part	2	512/492	225/220	45/40

Manufacturing of the case includes three stages:

Construction of shields... The finished walls should be 32 cm high. Such wide boards are not often found, therefore, the base is usually assembled in the form of shields, consisting of two boards - a wide one and a narrower one, connected in length into a ridge and tongue. The joints in adjacent walls should be staggered so that wide boards overlap the ridges and grooves of adjacent walls. This will further enhance the strength of the nest.

The order of work is as follows:

• trim and trim parts to fit;
• in the upper parts, select the dowels (14 by 10 mm);
• in the lower ones, select the ridges (14 by 10 mm);
• glue the shields. Lubricate surfaces with ridges and grooves with glue (PVA, liquid nails, etc.), connect the workpieces in pairs, press the surfaces to be glued with a clamp and place in a warm place for drying.

Preparing shields... After drying, the boards are cut and trimmed according to the specified dimensions, the folds are selected (by analogy with the store).

Fastening shields to the body... Everything is done in the same order as when assembling the store. The walls of the case are fastened at the corners with nails (self-tapping screws) 80-90 mm long (6 pieces per corner).

In the video presented, you can get acquainted with how a glued shield is made without the need to remove the comb:

Roof and roof

On top of the body or store, a roof cover (insulation extension) is installed. Ceiling boards are laid inside it, an insulating cushion, top dressing, etc. are placed. The roof completes the structure.

Liner and roof details:

Name	Amount)	Dimensions of raw / machined parts (mm)
		length	width	thickness
Roof liner
Front, back and side walls (top)	4	552/532	105/100	25/20
Ceiling planks	6	508/488	85/80	20/15
Nagel corner	8	50/40	6 / diameter	6/5
Roof
Front wall	1	595/575	165/160	25/20
Back wall	1	595/575	85/80	25/20
Side walls	2	600/580	165/160	25/20
Front rotating support bar	2	147/142	75/70	25/20
Rear longitudinal support bar	1	555/535	23/20	25/20
Rear vertical support bar	2	55/50	23/20	25/20
Ventilation flaps	6	70/65	55/50	15/10
Nagel corner	8	50/40	6 / diameter	6/5
Roof board	11	685/665	105/100	20/15
Edge board	2	685/665	55/50	20/15

The roof liner is constructed from 4 pieces of the same size. To make them, you need to perform the following work:

• process and trim parts to the required size;
• cut straight thorns (20x20x20 mm) at the ends of the blanks;
• grease the thorns and eyes of the thorns with glue, then assemble the structure and dry it;
• Drill holes (45 mm long, less than 5 mm in diameter) with a drill in the corners in the middle of the spike at each corner, grease the pins with glue and drive into the sockets. This operation will increase the strength of the structure;
• cut the planks for the ceiling in accordance with the dimensions. They are placed over the frames of the nest or store extension (if used).

The roof is pitched. Its design includes piping and roofing. The slope is done from the front to the back. The roof is covered with boards, roofing iron or any other waterproof covering is placed on top. The roof construction process includes three stages:

1. Making strapping. The front wall should be twice the height of the rear wall to create a slope along the top edge (about 7 degrees). To obtain such a slope in the workpieces for the side walls, you need to saw off one corner obliquely, along a line from the middle of their rear end edge to the top of the front. To ventilate the under-roof space in the front and rear walls, cut 4 ventilation slots (200 mm long, 3 mm high) with an outward slope or drill holes with a diameter of 30-40 mm in the sidewalls. The assembly of the harness is carried out in the same way as the assembly of the liner - using straight studs (20x20x20 mm) and dowels.
2. Processing and fixing support bars and ventilation flaps. It is necessary to nail the longitudinal support bar to the rear wall of the harness from the inside at a distance of 10 mm from its lower edge. In the corners, close to the longitudinal bar, attach additional vertical support bars. Movable rotating support strips are attached to the sidewalls inside the strapping in the corners near the front wall. They can be installed both vertically and horizontally, depending on which the roof of the roof can have not only an inclined, but also a horizontal position. Round ventilation openings should be barred from the inside with small nails or paper clips with an iron mesh with fine meshes (no more than 3 mm). Outside, the holes are covered with rotating oval flaps.
3. Roof construction, roofing. To prevent rainwater from flowing into the hive, it should be done so that the two-layer roof protrudes slightly beyond the strapping - up to 4 cm. The base (first layer) is knocked down from six boards. Each of them is attached with 4 nails to the front and back walls of the harness, the outer boards are also nailed to the side walls. A second layer is laid on top of the lower layer, the outer one is roofing material or another layer of boards.

In the diagram: A - general view with the front wall and part of the roof taken away; B - internal view of the roof from below, where 1, 2 - front and rear walls of the strapping with ventilation slots; 3 - side walls of the strapping with round ventilation holes; 4 - front rotating support bars; 5 - rear longitudinal horizontal support bar; 6 - rear vertical support bars; 7 - ventilation flaps; 8 - roof.

From the following video, you can get an idea of ​​the use of sheet aluminum as a roofing material:

Detachable bottom and landing board

Donje is constructed from strapping bars tied into spikes and flooring.

Sizes of parts for detachable floor and landing board:

Name of parts	Number of parts (pieces)	Dimensions of raw / machined parts (mm)
		length	width	thickness
Rear harness bar	1	550/530	95/90	45/40
Side rail	2	550/530	95/90	45/40
Front rail	1	550/530	33/30	45/40
Floor planking: back, middle and front part	3	490/470	180/174	35/30
Nagel corner	6	50/40	6 / diameter	6/5
Arrival board	1	550/530	85/80	25/20-10

Making a do-it-yourself hive bottom includes three stages:

1. Construction of the piping. It is necessary to cut out four bars according to the specified parameters and make straight spikes at the ends: 40x40x10 mm. The sizes of the upper and lower thorns on the rear bar and the outer thorns on the front bar differ - 20 mm. Connect the bars into spikes with glue and dowels, dry. The internal dimensions of the resulting box should be 450x450 mm. For better fastening of the flooring, it is advisable to choose tongue-and-groove piles (10x10 mm) in the side and rear bars from the inside.
2. Floor decking construction. Three flooring boards are connected with glue to form a shield in a ridge and tongue (10x10 mm). After docking, clamp it with a clamp. After drying in the panel, you need to select the end folds (20 by 10 mm) and get ridges (10 by 10 mm). On the front board of the backboard, you need to chamfer half of its width (in front, its thickness should decrease to 20 mm).
3. Assembling the bottom. The glued shield must be pushed into the grooves of the strapping made.

In the strapping from the outer (lower and upper) surfaces, it is recommended to choose folds - 20 by 10 mm for a more reliable installation of the bottom under the nest. Along the edges of the seam base, chamfer (5x5 mm) for water drainage.

In the drawing: 1 - back bar; 2 - side bars; 3 - front bar; 4 - dowel; 5, 6 - board boards; 7 - arrival board.

Arrival board (530 x 80 mm) - detachable. Its surface has a slope; for this, a chamfer is removed. As a result, the leading edge is 10 mm and the trailing edge 20 mm. The board is attached to the floor with wire dowels: it is necessary to drill parallel holes in the board and the shield so that the dowels freely enter the slots.

After assembly, the new hive must be painted. The wooden body is painted on the outside, the bottom and roof on all sides.

Video

Tips for choosing materials and tools that will come in handy when building your first hive are shared by an experienced beekeeper in the following video:

We also offer you to learn more about the features of painting, which will help not only protect bee houses from negative atmospheric influences, but will also delight with its color for several years:

An avid gardener, beekeeper and gardener, partial to dogs and cats and other pets. Spends spring, summer and autumn in the country and experiments in the beds. Likes to communicate with "advanced" summer residents and find something new and useful for himself. Collects the best ways to prepare meals and recipes from home-grown products. I am pleased to share my discoveries and secrets with readers.

Oklahoma farmer Carl Burns has developed an unusual variety of colorful corn called Rainbow Corn. The grains on each ear are of different colors and shades: brown, pink, purple, blue, green, etc. This result was achieved through many years of selection of the most colored common varieties and their crossing.

One of the most convenient methods to prepare a grown crop of vegetables, fruits and berries is freezing. Some people believe that freezing leads to a loss of the nutritional and beneficial properties of plant foods. As a result of the research, scientists have found that there is practically no decrease in nutritional value when frozen.

It is necessary to collect medicinal flowers and inflorescences at the very beginning of the flowering period, when the content of nutrients in them is as high as possible. Flowers are supposed to be picked with hands, breaking off rough pedicels. The collected flowers and herbs are dried, scattered in a thin layer, in a cool room at a natural temperature without access to direct sunlight.

Tomatoes have no natural protection against late blight. If late blight attacks, any tomatoes (and potatoes too) die, no matter what is said in the description of varieties ("varieties resistant to late blight" is just a marketing ploy).

It is believed that some vegetables and fruits (cucumbers, stalk celery, all varieties of cabbage, peppers, apples) have a "negative calorie content", that is, digesting more calories than they contain. In fact, the digestive process uses only 10-20% of the calories from food.

Humus - rotted manure or bird droppings. It is prepared like this: manure is piled in a heap or pile, sandwiched with sawdust, peat and garden soil. The collar is covered with a film to stabilize the temperature and humidity (this is necessary to increase the activity of microorganisms). The fertilizer "ripens" within 2-5 years - depending on external conditions and the composition of the feedstock. The output is a loose homogeneous mass with a pleasant smell of fresh earth.

From varietal tomatoes you can get "your" seeds for sowing next year (if you really like the variety). And it is useless to do it with hybrid ones: the seeds will turn out, but they will carry the hereditary material not of the plant from which they were taken, but of its numerous “ancestors”.

The homeland of pepper is America, but the main breeding work on the development of sweet varieties was carried out, in particular, by Ferenc Horvat (Hungary) in the 20s. XX century in Europe, mainly in the Balkans. Pepper came to Russia from Bulgaria, therefore it got its usual name - "Bulgarian".

They got used to hiding their homes in hollows or in the dense crown of trees. Therefore, in order for insects to quickly acclimatize in a new environment, experienced ones try to create optimal conditions for bees for reproduction and create delicious food. In this article, you will learn how to create a beehive with your own hands, which materials are better for bee housing and arrangement options.

Main structural elements

Before sketching a design, you need to know what a bee hive consists of. This is because the beekeeper is trying to create shelter for insects that supports their biological needs. However, this design will not always be convenient for bees.
Mostly, all structures of the hive consist of a body, two compartments, a cover and a store. Outwardly, it looks like an elongated box with a solid roof and bottom.

The enclosures are made up of walls. The dimensions depend on the type of construction. There may be several of them. There are bee entrances on the walls.

The store may be optional, however, it is suitable for preservation when honey collection occurs. There is also a roof liner (another version of the store, but without recesses). It is located between the roof and top. It serves as a heater. A feeder for bees can also be installed in the liner.

The bottom is located under the body and can be removable or non-removable. The first option allows you to properly care for the bees if they need medical attention. Non-removable forms a ledge that serves as an air landing.
Some beekeepers make a ceiling that will keep the hive warm. You can position it at the top of the slot above the frames.

The roof is the protection and the main element of the hive. She is able to shelter insects from atmospheric phenomena. The roof is flat and gable. The first allows you to transport the hive.

The frame is used for arranging honeycombs for bees. It consists of an upper and a lower bar, as well as two side strips. The frames are equipped with dividers and are located in the top of the block.

How to choose materials and tools to create

Only natural and high quality materials are used to create the hive. In the following sections, you will be able to understand what are needed to build a nest, as well as find out the advantages and disadvantages of each of the materials.

Most popular materials

The first and quite popular material for creating a hive is wood. It "breathes" well and releases steam outside. Basically, they choose wood, such as, and. You can also take poplar or aspen. Wood has a low level of thermal conductivity, protecting bees in hot and cold weather.

Important! To make hives, choose a material that is free of rotten areas, knots and cracks.

The only drawback of this material is the ability to retain moisture that enters the hive.

Plywood hives are characterized as environmentally friendly and durable. They are quite heavy and can be transported well. Plywood is superior to wood in terms of thermal insulation and dryness.
To do this, plywood must be covered with special acrylic paint and the walls of the hive must be insulated with expanded polystyrene.

In such hives, bees spend less energy on heating, because inside, all the comfortable conditions for living and producing honey are already created.

Many beekeepers choose expanded polystyrene, as it is cheap and has a high level of thermal insulation. It is easy to work with and carry out repairs.
The only drawbacks of this material are low strength indicators and an unpleasant taste of honey, since bees can taste expanded polystyrene.

If you want to produce honey, but you have a small amount of cash available, then you can make a hive from foam... The design turns out to be quite lightweight, retains warmth in winter and keeps cool in summer.

The only drawback is painting the finished hive to protect the foam from atmospheric agents.
Polyurethane foam used to insulate buildings. It has a low level of thermal conductivity, but this property will be useful for creating a hive. Polyurethane foam does not allow moisture to pass through, does not rot, does not react to solvents and protects the nest from germs and fungi. The material is strong enough, and mice cannot damage it.

The only drawback is flammability. But this can be corrected by an additional ventilation system.

Polycarbonate characterized by strength, lightness and durability. The material is suitable for keeping insects, as it can withstand low and high temperatures, it is not afraid of direct sun exposure.
Inside the nest, this material will maintain an optimal microclimate for the bees.

List of tools for making a house for bees

To create a hive, you will need the following tools:

• Axe
• Hacksaws of different sizes
• Hammer
• Drills
• Jointer
• Bit
• Plane
• Marking tool
• Electric tools
• Corner spikes
• PVA glue"
• Nest frame (can be borrowed from an experienced beekeeper).

How to make a beehive with your own hands

Now that you have chosen the optimal material for yourself and collected all the necessary tools, we proceed to the most important thing. In the following sections, you will learn how to assemble a bee hive from different materials.

Wood

For making a beehive, choose wooden boards with a moisture content that fluctuates around 15-16%. The amount of material is selected depending on the number and dimensions of the body. Drawings are best taken from experienced beekeepers.

Important! Adhere to the basic parameters of the main elements to simplify operation.

Hive body

You will also need 4cm boards for the bottom and body. We make grooves in the boards to connect the walls of the case.

We make strips 18X4 mm in size.

We connect the boards into shields, lubricating the grooves with PVA glue. It is very important to press them tightly together so that no gaps form.
And so we make 4 walls. You need to assemble the body in the form of shields, which can be connected using a tongue and groove and casein glue. The dimensions of the back and front walls are 605x320 mm. Side walls - 530x320 mm. In the side walls we make grooves 5 mm deep and 20 mm wide.

Important! Distance between grooves-450 mm.

Let's start creating the back and front walls. They should be collected in temporary boards made of boards (thickness - 15mm). The dimensions of the walls are 675x500 mm. The dimensions of the outer side walls are 560x500 mm.

On a permanent place, the boards of the outer walls must be nailed separately in order to properly fit into place. We fix the inner walls with glue, the corners must be fixed strictly straight. The bottom edge of the case is best positioned horizontally.

Lower and upper trays

The lower tray must be made according to the following dimensions - 1x25 cm, placing it from 5 cm from the right wall of the hive. The upper tray has dimensions of 1x10 cm, it should be located at a distance of 12 cm from the right wall of the hive. Its height is 3 cm below the edge of the upper bars of the frames.
Underframe space

In the back wall at the level of the bottom, it is necessary to make a wedge-shaped hole to make it easier to fight varroatosis. It can be closed with an insert (dimensions 45x4 cm).

With the holes for trays, you enclose the space between the walls of the hive with small corridors made of planks. Dimensions - 1.5x2 cm.

Parallel to the front inner wall on the body, we will nail the first layer of the floor. Floor length - 65 cm. The first board should be positioned so that it protrudes 1 cm beyond the body. On this ledge we make arrival boards. Then we nail down the rest of the floorboards. After that, turn the case upside down and lay a layer of cardboard and roofing material. The next layer of the floor is boards.

Outer walls

After you've made the floor and nailed down the inner walls, install the outer walls. We nail the front and rear from the bottom of the case each. The ends should protrude 2 cm beyond the side walls. At this time, we lay insulation between the walls. Cut holes in the front board for the tray. There should be a hole in the back wall for the sub-frame space.

Also, for stability, it is necessary to nail the pads to the corner outer walls.

At the ends of the rear and front walls, which protrude 2 cm beyond the side inner walls, it is necessary to fill the side outer boards with a thickness of 15 cm.Around the entire perimeter of the inner walls, strips of 4x2 cm should be nailed.

On the strips of the front and back sides of the hive, folds should be selected (dimensions 1x1 cm) in order to install the frames. The planks must be placed tightly on the insulating material.
Insulating material

Moss should be used to fill the space between walls. It should be more dried, since such moss will fill the voids well.

Also used are styrofoam, insulation board, cotton wool, wool and tow.

Since beekeepers have to very often raise the roof and put it back on, the product should be lightweight. This requires a strapping. It should be done with a height of 12 cm from boards 15 cm thick.
Above the nest under the roof, it is necessary to leave a free space with a height of 24 cm. In this place we place a store on a half-frame and a heating pillow.

Pillow

The pillow is placed between the sides on the canvas so that it fits snugly against the side walls.

The pillow is 1 cm above the nest. Dimensions - 75x53. The thickness of the padding is 10 cm. You can also use moss, but it is best used for insulating the side walls.

Bee entrance

Leave 1 cm between the bottom and the bottom edge of the housing for the passage of bees and ventilation in winter.

Did you know? It is better to paint the hive white, as this color is better remembered by insects.

Styrofoam

To make a styrofoam hive, you will need styrofoam leaves, self-tapping screws (5 cm), fine sandpaper, water-based paint, liquid nails, a paint roller, a ruler, a screwdriver (screwdriver), a utility knife, and a circular saw.

Important! All the objects in the hive are connected in the same way as the wooden bases of the bee nest.

The foam sheets should be of the following dimensions - 3x5 cm. On paper we prepare a sketch of the structure and transfer it to the foam using a marker and a ruler.

We cut out the structure with a clerical knife, saw or hacksaw for metal. We clean the edges with sandpaper.
We fasten the side walls with overlaps (cut out quarters at the joints and drive the walls tightly into each other). We fix the elements with liquid nails.

To secure the result, use self-tapping screws around the perimeter.

Polyurethane

You will need 8 metal plates for the case. Four slabs will form the outer contour, and the other four will form the inner contour. Spacers must be installed between the opposing inner plates. The outer tiles should be bolted together.

Metal strips must be screwed to the inner sides of the outer tiles, which form recesses in the body for gripping.

The base and cover are made with grooves. Slabs will be inserted into them. Strips of metal are applied along the edges and the parts are bolted together.

Drill holes along the inner and outer perimeter of the housing and cover. During assembly, threaded metal rods will be inserted into them.

Bolts should be screwed onto the rods, holding the entire structure firmly. Holes for pouring the mixture and a valve with a plug should be made in the lid. They will close this hole. Bottom and roof

The roof needs 2 rectangular pieces. One should have protruding sides at the edges, the other should have a protruding rectangular inner part.

The bottom is a rectangular frame with a metal mesh in the middle. It is made from individual polyurethane foam blocks. You can fasten them with bolts.

You should have 4 bar molds. In all the bars, you need to put a strip of metal along the inner perimeter, which will form folds. We put a metal mesh on them and nail them with a stapler.

The front block is best positioned lower in height to create a slot for the tray. After casting with a cutter, select the grooves in the inner side walls for the bottom valve. We cut it out of polycarbonate. We also place the rear block lower in height in order to insert the latch into this slot. Preparation of a mixture of polyurethane foam

This material is obtained from the reactions of a polyol and a polyisozonate.

When pouring the mixture, you need to correctly calculate the total mass for the process. This can be done by calculating the volume of the hive part: multiply it by the width, thickness and length. The resulting amount must be multiplied by the technological loss factor (1.15) and the estimated density of polyurethane foam (60 kg / m2).

After processing, we collect the form. The inner slabs are installed in the grooves of the base, and plastic corners should be placed inside the slabs, which will serve as folds for the frames. The corners can be secured with thick thread.

We install and fix them with screws and braces of the inner strut. Then we install the outer plates and fasten them with bolts, placing the top of the form with grooves on the walls. We twist all this with metal rods.

Pour the polyurethane foam mixture into this form, but not completely, as it expands. As soon as foam begins to show from the hole, the mold must be closed with a latch.

In the same way, we fill the molds for the lid and the bottom. After pouring the mold for the lid, pour a small amount of gravel into it so that the lid will hold steadily against gusts of wind.

The mixture hardens within 30 minutes. After that, we unscrew the bolts that hold the rods. Using a wooden block and a hammer, knock down the upper part of the mold.

After that, we unscrew the bolts on the edges of the form, doing this little by little, so as not to deform the structure. So we go through two circles over all the bolts, and then remove the spacers.
Parts of the mold are cleaned of polyurethane foam particles, and the excess along the edges of the body can be removed with a sharp knife. After that, the structure is cleaned with fine-grained sandpaper.

Then we cover the product with facade acrylic paint to protect the hive from ultraviolet radiation. Such a coating will not be damaged by temperature extremes.

Coloring occurs within a week after production, but not earlier than after 8 hours.

Arrangement of the hive

Now we should start building a hive for bees.

In the American method of brooding bees in an apiary, 5 types of insect families are created: maternal, paternal, starter, incubator and family educator. For this method, you need to have a hive-lounger for 24 frames, an entrance, two diaphragms that will move freely in the hive, one blind diaphragm with a rubber band, one diaphragm with a dividing grid. A feeder and pillows are also needed.
In autumn or spring, we populate a family with a good breeding uterus. In the fall, they are fed with honey and treated for varroatosis and prophylaxis with anti-dermatological agents. In the spring

Beekeeping is not an easy job, but it is profitable not only for its high profitability. Entomologists and agrarians are unanimous: in general, the benefits of the honey bee Apis melifera are not only honey and wax, which is highly demanded in the technique, but even more - the pollination of fruit plants. An apiary in a dacha, a personal plot, in a garden and next to a vegetable garden is definitely worth all the hassle and expenses, if not directly, by the release of marketable beekeeping products, then by an increase in the productivity of the economy as a whole.

A ready-made hive in the Russian Federation can be bought for 2000-4000 rubles, but without frames. One beehive in an apiary is not enough. The most expensive equipment for private beekeeping - a honey extractor and a wax melter - can be rented or given honeycombs for processing at first. Other accessories for bee care are more readily available. That is, at the beginning of beekeeping, it makes perfect sense to make beehives yourself: they are not material-intensive, not structurally and technologically complex. This publication is devoted to how to make a beehive with your own hands. The material is designed primarily for beginners.

To do or create?

The hive does not have technological equipment in the usual way. It is primarily the home of the bee family (families). Honey collection is determined by many factors: the experience of the beekeeper, the method of beekeeping, the quantity, species composition and density of honey plants in a given place, the location of the apiary on it, and finally, just the weather. But honey yield from a hive depends on the correct choice of its type and quality of manufacture much more than milk yield from a cow from the design of its stall.

The bee colony is not a family in the usual sense, nor is it a colony of individuals or a nest. Since the middle of the last century, some zoologists have used the term "superorganism" to briefly describe communities of social insects (termites, ants, social wasps and bees), implying that a "superorganism" is a subject of a population of a given species, a separate individual in it is its structural unit, as in our body, a cell has strictly defined functions, it cannot exist on its own, but a complex exchange of information is constantly taking place within the “superorganism” community.

"Superorganism" in the full sense of the word, another life is at our side, and, according to the apt remark in "The Lives of Animals" in 1969, this word has no more to do with displaying the true essence of the differences between them and us than a puff of smoke to the Club of Famous captains. The internal combustion engine piston is closer to an old soft boot, and its cooling shirt is closer to a piece of clothing, than a bee colony is closer to our family, and its fertile female is closer to a mother or queen.

Therefore, at the beginning of beekeeping, you need to make a hive for bees, firstly, exactly following the chosen pattern. Beekeeping has existed for millennia, but the first frame hive that allowed the full domestication of the honey bee was developed only 200 years ago, it is so difficult for us to understand their life. Secondly, at the start, choose a sample for repetition that is proven, convenient not only for the life of bees, but also for the development of your understanding of it. Chasing only the maximum honey yield at once means dooming yourself to failure in advance. You cannot become a beekeeper, relying only on book knowledge, and you need to make beehives for your apiary so that you can back them up as best as possible and quickly with observations and practical experience.

Dadant's hive

Dadan's hive gives in an area more or less provided with flowering melliferous plants, honey harvest comparable to that of the Langstroth-Ruth hive, and caring for it and beekeeping in the Dadan hive is not much more difficult than in a bed-hive. The Dadan-Blatt hive for 12 frames 300 mm high (Dadan frame, see below for frames) provides wintering of 2 bee colonies in a temperate continental climate, and at the same time can be made under the standard Ruth frame. Fully filled with honey, the Dadan-Blatt hive weighs up to 35 kg, which makes it possible to handle it alone.

In the Dadant hive, the housing and the store of different heights constitute the hive module. Multihull hives are obtained by stacking modules one on top of the other. This hive is currently known in several varieties adapted to local conditions. In Russia, their own modifications of the Dadan hive have been developed, but in view of the climate changes taking place, the Dadan hive in the version common in the northwestern states of the United States and in Canada, designed for 9 Root frames, may be of interest; see its drawings in fig. below. The climate there is much more humid and unstable than in the Central Zone of the Russian Federation. But for us, perhaps, it is still too early to supply the hive with a roof-comb with inserts; then Section Comb Super turns into a simple box, and Inner Cover and OuterTelescoping Cover become familiar cover and roof, respectively. The construction material of this hive is a 16 mm thick hemlock board, which can be replaced with moisture resistant plywood.

Frames for beehives

Removable frames in the bee hive are a kind of foundation on which they build a house - a honeycomb. From the point of view of bees, combs are divided into nesting ones, for brood, and blank ones for stocks. In the honey-filled cells of the first, the uterus lays eggs, the worker bees seal them, and the larvae develop, swimming in food. The blank combs store food for the whole family for the winter and bad weather.

Note: honey bees, although they form a "superorganism", are not endowed with reason and act instinctively. Therefore, in the hive with an excess of space, it is possible to build dummy honeycombs. Their appearance is highly undesirable, since the family's efforts are wasted for both her and the beekeeper.

From the point of view of the beekeeper, the nest and idle combs must be separated, having allocated separate frames for both. In this case, you can take honey and wax without destroying or even disturbing the bee colonies. Therefore, structurally, frames for hives are divided into nesting, placed in the housing, and store.

Most hives are designed for low-wide frames, which are wider than high. Bee colonies tend to develop vertically, so a low-wide frame reduces the likelihood of swarming when there is a large excess of food. Enthusiasts of narrow-high frames inevitably face a decrease in the honey yield as a whole, because when the rudiment of a new swarm - the nucleus - is released from the bee colony, the accumulated stocks are spent on it.

The standard dimensions of the nesting frame of the hive since the time of Ruth are 435x230 mm, and the store, or half-frame, 435x145 mm. The Dadan nest frame differs only in its increased height up to 300 mm, for dimensions and drawings of frames for hives, see Fig. In the opening of the frame, a 2-mm galvanized wire is stretched (inset at the top right in the figure) and a foundation is laid in it, this is a kind of trench for the foundation. The honeycombs will be built by the bees even without foundation, but the honey collection from the hive will then begin later. The frame in the case / magazine hangs on hangers resting on the inner fold of the box, see below.

The width of the upper shelf of the frame is 36 or 37 mm, but the body / magazine of the hive is calculated for a step of installing the frames in 37.5-38 mm. The fact is that a too dense package of frames from thermal expansion can jam in the box, and beekeepers already have a lot of trouble with frames glued to it with propolis. Therefore, based on the local climate, the width of the frame shelf and their calculated step are chosen as follows:

• The climate is even: sea, steppe or others with small temperature fluctuations - shelf 37 mm, pitch 37.5 mm.
• The climate is temperate continental, for example. Central Russia - shelf 37 mm, pitch 38 mm or shelf 36 mm, pitch 37 mm.
• The climate is continental, or if the apiary is in the mountains - a shelf of 36 mm, a step of 38 mm.

The gap between the sidewalls of the frame and the walls of the hive has been precisely verified by beekeepers over the centuries: 8 mm. More - the bees will build it up with honeycombs; less - it will be tightened with a polis and the frame will stick. Methods for extracting stuck frames are known, but why deal with problems if they can not be created?

The gap between the bottom bar of the frame and the bottom of the hive is made larger, 20 mm. Less is impossible, if you deprive the bees of the ability to walk on the bottom or limit it, the family will wither. But then regular care of the hive is necessary: ​​to tear off the frames that are glued to its bottom without ruining the family is still a task.

Assemble the frames on the nails using a special board-mold, see the sidebar in fig; about the tree for frames, see below. Removing the honeycomb and caring for the apiary is greatly facilitated by folding basket frames, see the figure on the right, but given that even a small apiary requires hundreds of frames, labor and money costs for the purchase of stainless wire in this case are far from always justified.

Note: in some types of hives, non-standard frames are used. These will be described below in conjunction with acc. types of hives.

Lounger

A hive-lounger is something like a chest with frames suspended in it, even its lid is often made folding. The lounger hive is also called the Ukrainian hive, which is not true. It was independently invented by amateur beekeepers from several countries of Southern Europe. The hive-lounger came to Ukraine ready-made, and there, frankly, it was spoiled: they deprived the store and adapted it to the narrow-high frames of the Dadanov size, see fig. In fairness, it should be noted that from the point of view of "lazy" beekeeping in regions with a climate favorable for bees and an abundance of wildly blooming melliferous plants, this made some sense.

The device and dimensions of the beehive-lounger for 16 frames (one or two family) and 20 frames (2 family) are shown on the next. rice. In it, the bee colony is encouraged to develop horizontally, and the observation of the bees is facilitated. An indispensable accessory of such a hive is at least 1 diaphragm.

In general terms, the operating mode of the 16-20 frame lounger is as follows:

• During the spring "explosive" peak of flowering of melliferous plants (garden, buckwheat field, lime-tree, acacia grove) 2 families work, the main (main) and auxiliary. Walking bees from family to family does not particularly reduce the honey collection, they are not up to that, a lot of work.
• In the recession of flowering, the auxiliary family is either separated and removed (resettled), or destroyed, or harassed itself: its worker bees kill their queen and move into the main family. The extra space of the hive is fenced off by a diaphragm.
• If the summer flowering of wild honey plants is not particularly intense, the hive works in a single family mode until wintering.
• In the case of violent summer flowering, a nucleus is formed in the main family, developing into a new auxiliary family.

Thus, the lounger hive, at the cost of some reduction in honey yield, is largely self-adjusting and self-adjusting for the honey / non-honey year. Therefore, even rather significant flaws in beekeeping in it do not excessively reduce the honey yield and almost never ruin the family.

Note: if you read or hear the expression “two-queen bee colony”, “double-queen bee hive”, etc. anywhere, do not believe your eyes and ears. Any student of the biology department, not to mention entomologists, will explain that there are no “two-queen” bee colonies and, in principle, there cannot be. By analogy with individual organisms, again forcedly rough and imprecise, 2 bee colonies in one hive are not a two-headed bird in a cage, but just 2 birds in one cage. Which may or may not get along there.

The lounger hive also has a property that is valuable for professionals: since the expansion of bee colonies is directed mainly vertically, one lounger hive is suitable for wintering 2 or more families, which allows you to save weak families. There is no point in nursing them in a large hive; it will be necessary to give abundant feeding. But an overfed family in the spring will not be able to restore vitality and will wither away. Imagine that someone spent the whole winter in bed on a diet, and in the spring he was sent to a felling or an obstacle course. In a small volume and with neighbors, the bee colony experiences weakness, like a soldier in a trench with a runny nose. The appearance and layout of a wintering hive-lounger for 4 families is shown in Fig.

Alpine

Roger Delon decided to create a hive that would allow bees to fully exploit the incredible honey potential of the alpine meadows, but this task is extremely difficult. Alpine honey plants bloom in groups of species during the season; bloom is volley, its peaks are high, sharp and short-lived. Blooming clumps of islands are located, often remote from each other for considerable distances. Daily temperature fluctuations in the alpine altitude zone are also extreme: in the mountains at night and in summer it is winter, and a little cloud came over the sun - deep autumn. For years, bees for a bribe also need a salvo, and they must wait up to several cold days without turning on their wintering instincts, i.e. A mountain hive should warm up quickly in the sun and keep warm well.

Delon the beekeeper came to the conclusion that, first, bees in such conditions need to ensure the possibility of the fastest development of the family. The second, that the most suitable type of hive for this should repeat the natural habitation most preferred by wild bees - a deck with a hollow. And in order to create conditions that will be good for bees, and honey and wax will go to us, Roger Delon, based on the knowledge about social insects obtained by that time (the middle of the last century), developed a very low wire frame capable of holding a foundation without supporting threads ( see fig.), and already under it - a hive of square-shaped buildings with a height of 108 mm, see fig. below.

Roger Delon made his hive-deck composite for ease of maintenance; the number of its buildings can be up to 12 or more. The roof of the Alpine hive is deaf, like the arch of a natural bee hollow. There is only one entrance, there are no ventilation holes in order to reduce heat loss. Ventilation is also like that of wild bees in a hollow: air enters through the notch, rises under the roof, cools down there, goes down and comes out again through the notch. Bees ventilate themselves by fluttering their wings. There are also no shops, separators, diaphragms, etc., which we need more than bees. Thus, although outwardly Roger Delon's alpine hive is similar to the multihull Langstroth-Root, the differences between them are fundamental.

The first tests of the new hive gave a result that Delon's colleagues did not believe at first, despite his impeccable reputation: the bees did not steal honey and did not go from family to family, even when there were 40-50 sq. m. melliferous lands. In the very immediate 1988, Roger Delon's hives yielded 20-22 kg of honey, and those located in the same area gave 2 kg each.

However, beekeeping in a Roger Delon hive in terms of complexity and requirements for the professionalism of a beekeeper can be compared to caring for a canary or budgerigar released into the garden in spring. Labor costs for working with many small frames also increase 3-4 times compared to the Dadant hive. At the same time, climatic conditions are not so extreme in the lowland areas in the burst flow of honey plants, but even there the bees do not have time to take all the available nectar and pollen, and from the surplus of bribe they begin to steal honey, instead of thoroughly exploring the surrounding melliferous areas. Therefore, we often offer for sale as alpine hives the hives of V. Khomich and Varre, modified for flat conditions, based on the same principles.

Khomich's hive differs from Roger Delon's hive in the increased body height of 220 mm, which reduces the number of frames with the same total area. The Varre hive has been redesigned for a custom wooden frame of reduced height and increased width, see drawings in fig. on right; it is even easier to confuse it with the Langstroth-Ruth hive. The honey harvest from these hives in bad years is less than from the prototype, but this is due to the lower productivity of honey plants. In the mountains, its significance takes on fantastic values ​​due to the transparency of the air, moderate temperature and high insolation.

Ozerov, etc.

From time to time, among beekeepers, interest flares up in the Ozerov and Lupanov hive under the frame increased to 500x500 mm. In the conditions of Central Russia with a long, but rather sluggish flowering of not very productive melliferous plants, according to the authors' plan, it was supposed to give the same effect as Roger Delon's hive in the mountains. But - it was smooth on paper. The 500x500 frame is far from optimal for the development of a productive bee colony (are there many dry warm hollows half a meter across?) And instead of increased marketability in the hives for large frames, there is the allocation of side families, the walking of bees and the theft of honey.

How to make hives

The assembly method for the hive frames is shown above. The assembly of the hive sections from the point of view of carpentry is somewhat complicated only by the need to select the folds at the top and bottom. The fold at the top can be selected both inside and outside, see fig. The outer folds provide a detachable connection of the sections when assembling the hive, and the hangers of the frames rest on the inner fold. If it is not possible to use a milling machine, the folds can be exactly selected with a special folding plane - the scherhebel. They collect hives on nails: a lot of self-tapping screws of various calibers are needed for an apiary, they will cost a lot, and they will not add strength to the hives.

The hangers in a poorly maintained hive can stick to the rebate, which is why enthusiasts are constantly proposing designs of rebate-free hangers. But in practice, it turns out that the side gaps in all of them "walk", which is why the frames are no longer glued with their shoulders, but with the sidewalls, which is much more serious. In general, the best non-rebated gimbal is proper, timely maintenance of the hive.

What are hives made of?

Traditionally, hives are made from seasoned non-resinous spruce, chamber or room dry, i.e. up to 8% humidity. In the air, then it will not completely damp, because from the inside, it is saturated with the fumes of bee bread, honey and the secretions of the bees themselves. Frames are made of the same spruce, but the best material for them is linden. Linden wood is light, which makes the whole hive lighter, and very viscous, does not prick under nails.

MDF is similar in properties to linden, but, as far as is known, no one has yet tried to make frames from MDF. Beekeepers are conservative people, and for good reason. However, MDF is not chipboard or fiberboard at all, it exudes gaseous products ("gas") even less than linden. More precisely, it does not gas at all: it completely lacks synthetic binders. MDF is obtained by pressing wood pulp at an elevated temperature, as a result of which practically pure lignin remains. For the outflow of phenol-containing compounds, etc. MDF is not certified because That is unnecessary. In general, the MDF hive frame is perhaps the only thing a novice beekeeper can experiment with.

Plastic hives

Recently, hives made of various types of plastics have been actively promoted on the market. The Finnish styrofoam hive, see fig., Is quite popular due to its relatively low cost and immediate readiness for work: set, put frames, and you can inspire a family. Also, the undoubted advantage of expanded polystyrene hives is negligible heat loss, but with their other features it is worth and worth understanding in more detail.

The popularity of Finnish beehives has spawned numerous attempts at DIY styrofoam hives, but they are not the same thing. Polyfoam is the trade name for expanded polystyrene foam. The last phrase is not a tautology, i.e. not expressing the same thing in other words.

Expanded polystyrene as a raw material is sold by polystyrene granules saturated with dissolved gases. In the production of foam products, they are poured into a mold, which is heated to 80-90 degrees; in artisanal conditions - immersing the mold in hot water. Gases are released, the granules swell, fill the mold tightly and stick together; on the surface and on the cut of the foam, its cellular structure is clearly visible.

Styrofoam is a very fragile material, and advice to make hives out of it, fastening the plates ... with self-tapping screws, it's not even funny. The styrofoam hive will shrink as you carry it, even before it is filled with honey. And it is not realistic to mold foam at home from granules: a form to which the foaming granules would not stick is expensive.

According to another method, the granules are foamed separately and the hot, viscous foaming mass is pressed (extruded) into a mold, this is the so-called. extruded polystyrene foam, EPS. EPS is much stronger than polystyrene and you can extrude hive sections from it. But - only at a suitably equipped enterprise.

However, this is not all. The general strength of EPS is higher than that of many types of wood, but the local strength (for scratching, cutting, pressing with something sharp) is much less. Therefore, if the hive is made of EPS, it is impossible to remove the stuck frame from it without damaging the hive itself. Likewise, mechanical cleaning of the expanded polystyrene hive is also impossible.

And that is not all. EPPS, like its more durable and expensive substitutes (polyurethane, polycarbonate), is not absolutely resistant to ultraviolet radiation, temperature fluctuations, atmospheric precipitation. A protective paint / film increases its durability, but claims about a service life of ... 30 years are also not funny from the point of view of the most reckless marketing.

And that's not all. Yes, plastics do not absorb condensation, it flows down in a plastic hive, from where it is discharged. But in a populated hive it is always warmer than outside. In a wooden hive, the condensate is immediately absorbed without evaporating back, and diffuses outward - the dew point always shifts to the colder (more precisely, less warm) side. Therefore, the microclimate in a wooden hive under the same external conditions is more favorable for bees than in plastic ones, especially since in the latter there is no outflow of air through the walls.

And this is still not all. Almost any plastic, especially EPSP, when heated and under the influence of the slightest admixtures of volatile organic substances in the air, gasses, which is not useful for either bees, honey or its consumers. Experiments with heaters have shown that EPS boards, tightly walled up in building structures, seriously decrease in volume over several years, emitting droplets of styrene - a viscous yellowish liquid with a specific odor. In the atmosphere of the hive, there is more than enough volatile organic matter.

Note: hence another argument against plastic hives - disinfection / pest control, for example. against mites, and the treatment of bees in them by spraying drugs is impossible, and medicinal syrups are very problematic.

Finns are not worried about these circumstances: in the local climatic and economic conditions, disposable hives for disposable bee colonies pay off very well. Moreover, a considerable, if not the main share of the income of Finnish beekeepers comes from the sale of wax for technical purposes. Which the Finns have, by the way, of excellent quality. But beekeepers specializing in the production of food and medicinal products of beekeeping subject the hives made of expanded polystyrene to harsh and well-founded criticism, see, for example. track. video about Shapkin's hive.

Video: about Shapkin's hive

About warming hives

From the above it follows that it is also undesirable to insulate plywood hives with foam, and this is true. For insulation of hives, it is better to use foam rubber - expanded polyethylene (PE). PE does not exactly gas, because it lends itself to chemical attack only by strong acids and alkalis, it is resistant in the open air. Think about the problems with plastic waste.

Penolon is produced in sheets up to 12 mm thick, therefore, to insulate the hive, you will need several layers of it. It is not necessary to insulate the hive over the entire surface, turning it into a thermos: for normal wintering of the bee colony, some heat exchange of the hive space with the environment is necessary. The scheme and method of warming a plywood hive are shown in Fig.

When choosing foam for insulating a hive, you need to request a specification or a certificate for it from the manufacturer and make sure that the base is high-pressure PE, suitable for the manufacture of parts, incl. medical equipment. In the production of low-pressure PE (otherwise - catalytic PE), a cadmium catalyst is used. Its traces in the finished product are negligible, but cadmium and its compounds are highly toxic carcinogens of the highest degree of danger with a cumulative effect. In the past, low-pressure PE household utensils were labeled "For non-food products and substances", but now "alternative" suppliers hide the mention of how to get their PE away in paper.

Finally

So where should you start with? Completely without experience, or, if the apiary is intended primarily for pollination, from a beehive-lounger. In the latter case, it is possible to use a Ukrainian lounger without a store, and then it is better to entrust beekeeping and honey collection to a visiting beekeeper.

If you have bothered to prepare in advance theoretically and have a general idea of ​​what bees are and how to handle them, it is better to do the Dadant hive first. Increasing it, you can eventually move on to commercial beekeeping without increasing the area for an apiary.

When you become skilled, the best choice would be the Varre or Khomich hive. With them, again, without expanding the apiaries and without attracting helpers, it is possible to achieve the profitability and marketability of the apiary so that one can think about going into a professional and own industrial apiary from the Langstroth-Ruth beehives.