Gearing up for 3rd try..

[Lastfling]

Nucs are suppose to be here around 4/1.  All hive bodies painted / re-painted (as the case may be).  I built and leveled a new hive stand using  cinderblock and 4x4's yesterday as my previous one could only hold one hive.  The new one has the potential for 4 hives at least as the 4x4's are 10' long.  I was going to cut them down, but decided to leave them as they are for the time being. 

Now for a really dumb question.  What holds/keeps the hive on the stand?  Weight alone?  I ask because just positioning one hive made me wonder what's going to happen with a full bottom deep when removing the top deep for inspection?   It seemed the remaining components - deep / bottom board -  wanted to slide around on the stand (4x4).   For clarification the stand itself is cinderblock piers with (2) 4x4's laid parallel between the piers.  Total height from ground to top of 4x is 16".    Does the bottom board need to be anchored to the 4x4 in some way?    Am I overthinking this?  Which I may be, as the hives from last year weren't anchored, but they were lower to the ground just sitting on pieces of 4x4. 

[Some Day]

You could use hive staples to fasten bottom boards to your 4x4's. 

https://www.mannlakeltd.com/hive-staples

[Lastfling]

That’s a possibility -Thanks

[neillsayers]

I place my stands on 4x4s raised on concrete blocks. Hives are about 2' apart. Then I screw 2x2s on either side of the stand so I can pull a pallet strap or piece of rope around hive and 2x2s to keep the hive from toppling over in a high wind.

The bees tend to propolize the bodies together and to the bottom board, so if I need to pull a box off it rarely pulls the bottom box off the stand. (Think that was what you were asking. Hope it helps.)

[Wandering Man]

I used straps to hold down the hives when Harvey blew through last August.

Otherwise, I've not had any problem with wind gusts up to 40 mph.  But there is a brush break in front, a fence and workshop behind, so they probably never see 40 mph winds.

Before Harvey:


After Harvey:

[Lburou]

I tie hives down with a rope.  The rope is easily removable, does not poke holes in the hive, and is adjustable to all hive heights.

[Lburou]

This is how the hives did during an actual tornado in our backyard...

[LazyBkpr]

That's impressive Lee! Glad your bees weathered that storm so well!

   I move hives about too much to screw them down, but that would work.   I also have a stand that is cinder blocks with 4x4's and I just set the hives on them, and yes, weight is all that holds them down. I don't have many problems even with the winds we have here. Tornado three miles away blew one of my top covers off. A guy mowing with a skid steer with a mower front attachment hit one of my hives and knocked it over. Don't have many issues with them if the stands are sturdy.   

[Lastfling]

Thanks all for the responses. I would have answered back sooner, but for whatever reason Tapatalk tells me I don't have permission to post.