It's on. 2016 hive building

[Yankee11]

2016 is here. No time to waste. 20 new bottom boards today. Just have to cut my 3/4 inch strips for the top and paint,

[Perry]

Interesting. I see you are not going conventional with your bottom boards, looks like you anticipate moving them using a dolly?

[apisbees]

I like it, Keeping it simple migratory bottom boards are the only way to go in my opinion They stand up to moving better than the dadoed side bottoms.

[Yankee11]

Yes. you can use a dolly.

These are working great so far. They are very cheap and quick and easy to make, They are actually holding up very good. It's 3/4 plywood. Just have to paint the and fill the open sides of plywood with paint. They are cheap to. 1 piece of plywood 21.00 will make 10 bottom boards. They will come out to be around 3.50 per bottom board.

Those 2x3's on the bottom also hang down over the front and rear of the hive stands or blocks and keep the hive from sliding when push on it with my hive tool. It also makes a nice place to run the strap and remove the strap.

I've made a lot of different styles and will stick with these. Easy, quick and cheap ans seam to last.

Here is a picture of what I mean about catching the hive stand front and back.

[Perry]

I like it, and may end up changing to something like what you have done. Our 3/4" plywood up here is a lot more than $21 though.

I am even starting to think about the benefits of palletizing in quads. I helped a beek friend wrap his and man it was fast. A lot less hassle mowing and keeping yards clean, plus the benefit of the two sheltered sides. 12 hives on 3 pallets takes up less ground than 12 single colonies. Using common covers would be less expensive as well.

[CBT]

We like the pallet system for local pollination. Load on a trailer and leave trailer on site while the bees work.

[apisbees]

I used individual migratory bottom boards and would place 4 hives on scrounged shipping pallets. This way the hives could be strapped and moved individually when needed, separated 4 to 6 inches for ease of getting a hold of honey supers, and slid tight together with an insulated pillow over the top and covering the sides for winter

[Yankee11]

Forklift?

[Perry]

I don't intend to get to the point where a forklift will ever be needed. Hives could sit on pallets in quad formation as Apis suggests, perhaps separated by a few inches during the summer and then pushed together for the cold winter months. The telescoping covers would be the problem in the winter, unless they were removed and replaced with a common cover in the fall.

[apisbees]

Taking bees into orchards for pollination the farmers like the hives placed 2 together in the center of the row of trees and and the next 2 placed about 10 rows over. Having to go down the rows the branches are to low to allow a fork lift so carrying them singly is necessary.

[Perry]

I am starting to think that palletizing may be the way to go even if one isn't considering moving them for pollination. If I was going to do pollination I think I would go the trailer route, buy something just road legal that would hold 20 or 25 hives and just leave them on the trailer.

[marios]

hey perry
i use double pallets always say in the fall i will put them back to back, hasn't happened yet. it does make wrapping easier.

[Perry]

I can see that I am going to have to get over there for a visit Mario! The system you have is something I am interested in. I especially want to check out that lift you designed for your trailer. Have you got it pretty much the way you want it?

[marios]

hey perry
moved the lift to a truck, and had to redo all the bearings :\'(, went with a heavyier trust bearing can,t wait untill spring to try it out, we suffered almost 2 feet of snow last saturday so all work is in the shop now.

[Perry]

Hi Mario.
We "only" got a foot and a bit. I will have to make a trip to watch your lift in action. Once you have all the bugs worked out, maybe you can get into manufacturing a few?

[LazyBkpr]

I don't intend to get to the point where a forklift will ever be needed.


   Bragger !!!!


   I have a lift for the back of my truck as well... designing it TO pick up the pallets so I can swing them into the truck and avoid starting the skid steer.. will let yall know how that works!

   Yankee.. is that 3/4 inch plywood???
   If it is your probably all right.. i use 1/2 inch, just so I can make inner covers, lids etc all from one size... but I have to put boards all the way around the bottom to keep the front lip from warping.  Basically the same design.   Quick and easy.