How to build a beehive drawings. How to make a beehive for bees with your own hands

At the word “apiary”, rows of pretty multi-colored bee houses - beehives, among which eternal workers busily scurry about, appear before your eyes. Even a novice beekeeper can make such houses for bees, so we suggest finding out how to build a beehive with your own hands in the country according to video and drawings.

Do-it-yourself beehive for bees: drawings

Externally, the hive is a box in which special attention should be paid to the roof and bottom, since they provide warmth and comfort inside the hive. Its size depends on the number of frames and selected drawings. The components of the hive are called the body, compartments, lid and store. The body of the hive is the walls made according to the drawings. One hive can consist of several buildings. Inside the walls, recesses are provided for installing frames. Letok - a hole through which the bee flies into the hive, located in the wall.

The scheme of the design of the hive for bees

The magazine is an optional element, but in the drawings it is a short body. It is installed during the collection of honey or if the bee colony is weak. The liner, as the name implies, needs to be made under the roof and serves to install insulation, or you can place a feeder in it.

Do-it-yourself hive drawings

The bottom is located at the bottom of the body and can be removable or non-removable, it all depends on the drawings according to which you want to make evidence with your own hands. A hive with a removable bottom is much more convenient when caring for bees. The ceiling keeps the internal heat in the hive, so it must be properly assembled from thin planks.

The roof is one of the main parts of the hive and protects the bees from the effects of the atmosphere. According to the shape and drawings, it can be made to be any, but it should be noted that a flat roof is more convenient for transportation. Ventilation holes are also required in the roof.

The frame is made of beams at the top and bottom, slats on the sides and a dividing wall, mounted on special hangers. To get comb honey, use sectional frames with waxed wire stretched inside. Spruce should be used for the frame.

Beehive drawing with 12 frames

The feeder is used for milking bees in the spring-autumn period with sugar syrup. It can be installed at the top or inside the hive, it all depends on the drawings. If it is necessary to separate two families living in the same hive, insert boards are used.
Depending on the size of the frame, the hives are:

• Narrow high. If up is more than in breadth.
• Low-wide - if the breadth is greater than the height.
• Square shape - if the sides of the frame are equal.

What can you make a beehive at home with your own hands

If earlier beehives in the country were built exclusively from wood, then in modern conditions the choice of what it can be made of has expanded significantly. Wooden boards should be chosen from coniferous species: cedar, fir, spruce. From deciduous, aspen, poplar, linden are suitable.

Photo of cabinet modular hive

Wood is breathable and regulates the temperature inside the hive, but has the disadvantage of increasing moisture levels. One of the most successful materials for making a beehive according to drawings is plywood. It is durable, environmentally friendly, stores heat very well. In order for the plywood hive to serve for a long time, its walls are insulated with polystyrene foam, and the roof is covered with acrylic paint. Such a house for bees in the country is easy to make.

Photo of the original hive for bees

An inexpensive option for building a hive is polystyrene foam. Its advantages include good heat retention, lightness, and its disadvantages are fragility and fragility.
Craftsmen also use foam plastic to build beehives according to selected drawings. The bees feel comfortable in it, but to prevent weathering it needs to be covered with paint.

Photo beehive of Styrofoam

One of the durable materials is polyurethane foam, which is not affected by fungus, moisture, microbes, does not rot, does not react to solvents. The disadvantage is that it does not allow air to pass through from the inside, so you need to think about the ventilation system in the drawings. Another durable and unaffected material is polycarbonate.

An interesting video: A beehive made of Plywood and Styrofoam with a replaceable bottom. DIY

Once the type of hive is selected and its dimensions are determined, you can carefully consider the drawing or diagram in order to clearly understand the structure of the hive and the sequence of work. After studying the drawing, all the details of the hive are cut out and you can start assembling. The side walls are connected in a groove way, strengthen them with self-tapping screws or liquid nails.

Photo of a do-it-yourself beehive from plywood

All parts are tightly connected so that there are no gaps. If desired, the hive can be equipped with handles on the sides, which will facilitate its movement. To protect the bees from a too cold winter, a low-power heater can be installed inside the hive.

Knowing how to make a beehive for bees with your own hands according to drawings and videos, you will be able to equip a full-fledged apiary and engage in beekeeping at a professional level. Use improvised materials to build evidence in the country, then

Wild bees can find and equip a home for themselves in the first hollow they come across. Their cultivated counterparts are more demanding on the place of residence, so they will have to build a comfortable hive in which they will not only live, but also work for your benefit. Spending a small amount on materials and a couple of days of work, you will get a reliable home that will more than pay off in the first season.

hive types

You can’t just take a couple of boards and build a beehive with your own hands without a drawing, after all, this is not a doghouse. First you must decide on the type. There are only two of them, and they will become the basis for further modifications, so to speak, the basic models. We are talking about horizontal and vertical hives. The first is popularly called a sunbed, and the second is a riser. Both have both pros and cons, so it's impossible to say with certainty which design is better.

The vertical model can have two or three tiers, each of which can hold about ten frames. It is possible to increase the capacity by installing additional stores or buildings.

frame detail dimensions
frame manufacturing steps. 1-4

The horizontal model in its shape resembles an elongated box. You can increase the initial volume due to new cases that are mounted on the side.

We build a beehive with our own hands according to the drawings

Before starting construction, you need to think through everything to the smallest detail. Do not forget that bees are very delicate and demanding on the conditions of detention. They cannot stand drafts and sudden temperature changes, so their home should be well insulated. It is also worth considering the possibility of further expansion. Beekeeping is a very exciting process, so it is unlikely that you will limit yourself to one beehive.

The design of the bee house should provide its inhabitants with protection from heat in summer, and from cold in winter. For this, the possibility of additional insulation on the sides and on the ceiling should be provided.

drawing - do-it-yourself double-hull hive
drawing - a typical beehive lounger

blueprints
shop with frames

To build a hive with your own hands according to the drawings, you will need to purchase materials. First of all, these are, of course, boards. They should be well dried, and it is better if it is softwood. Boards should not have knots and roughness, so they are polished before starting work.

Basic dimensions

We offer universal sizes that are suitable for hives of any type and design. They assume a distance between the mediastinums of adjacent frames of 37.5 mm, and passages for bees - 12.5 mm. When installing an additional housing, the distance between the lower strips and the nesting frames must be 10 mm. The gap from the rear and front walls to the frames is 7.5 mm, and between the bottom and the bottom plate of the nest frame is 20 mm.

rice beehive manufacturing steps (1-4)
hive manufacturing steps pic 5-8

hive manufacturing steps fig 9-14
manufacturing

The roof can be made of a board, 20 mm wide, or a double layer of plywood. The important part is the harness. Its size is 455x455 mm, and it is made from a board with a width of 15 mm. Planks are attached around the perimeter of the strapping, the task of which is to prevent the lid from slipping. To protect against atmospheric phenomena, all parts are covered with oil.

The bottom is made in the form of a simple frame. Its size is adjusted to the size of the hive. Some models provide for a removable bottom, but in this design there is poor tightness.

horizontal hive type
vertical type

The walls are made of boards, the width of which is 20 mm. In addition to nails, for greater strength, it is desirable to connect them with tongues.

An important component the bee house is the diaphragm. It separates the nest from the rest of the space. For it, 10 mm plywood is used, along the perimeter of which the sides are fixed. The diaphragm should be easy to remove and secure. Other wood is used for the frames. The ideal option would be birch or aspen. The approximate amount of material can be calculated using a do-it-yourself hive drawing.

As mentioned earlier, you are unlikely to limit yourself to one hive. Beekeeping is a very exciting activity, so in the next model you can make your own adjustments based on personal experience.

One of the most important aspects of proper bee breeding is providing a dry and warm place to keep them. To do this, you can buy ready-made bee houses. However, the problem is that used bee hives can be contaminated and new ones are quite expensive. An alternative option would be to make your own hives.

Moreover, there is nothing particularly complicated in this. Almost any beekeeper, even a beginner, with a little effort and effort, can quite make a beehive with his own hands. You just need to carefully study the drawings of existing structures and choose the most suitable option for your insects, taking into account the climatic zone and the expected size of the future family.

Types of hives

People have been engaged in beekeeping for several centuries, and during this time a large number of designs for bee hives have been invented. However, the whole variety of species can be divided into the following 5 groups:

• single-hull;
• multicase cassette;
• sunbed;
• Alpine;
• Asiatic.

The simplest do-it-yourself single-hull hive is an ordinary wooden box with a removable top lid, inside which a honey collection frame is installed.

In case of increasing the productivity of the bee colony, additional wooden cassettes with frames can be installed above the box. For additional protection from atmospheric precipitation, the box is sometimes covered with a gable roof.

Multihull the cassette design resembles a cabinet with drawers without a bottom, in which honey collection frames are installed. Each such drawer has a separate notch, and all drawers are divided among themselves. This option is very popular in the US and Canada.

Hive for bees "bed" is a horizontal structure for 2 or 3 combined compartments, the dimensions of which can be changed by moving the dividing partitions. Convenient for stationary installation, but takes up a lot of space.

Alpine the design is very similar to the multi-cassette model. The main difference lies in the reduced size, the absence of dividing partitions between the compartments and the presence of one wide entrance.

Main Feature Asian hives is the lack of honey collection frames. Instead, crosses or cross bars are installed inside. The accumulation of honeycombs occurs from top to bottom. They are very convenient and provide a simple honey collection, but are inefficient.

In our climatic zone, for arranging a stationary apiary, beehives-loungers for two compartments with the installation of 20 frames are very often used. Often, beginners prefer to use 12-frame hives, which are lighter, more convenient to use, but have less internal volume and hinder the growth of the bee colony.

Materials for the manufacture of beehives

Initially, beekeepers collected honey from wild bees in the hollows of forest trees. Then someone came up with the idea of ​​making decks in logs and installing them near their home. The modern hive is a simplified and, more importantly, lightweight version of the deck. Therefore, wood is considered the best material for making bee hives. Bees feel very comfortable in wooden houses.

Linden is considered the best type of wood in the manufacture of beehives. It absorbs less moisture and practically does not contain wood resins.

However, the thermal insulation properties of this tree are low and the beehives made of linden need to be additionally insulated for the winter. In addition, linden boards are more expensive than other, more common types of wood.

Pine and spruce hives are much cheaper and retain heat better. But the coniferous smell and the ability to absorb moisture make the beehives of these types of wood not comfortable enough. The main advantages of pine and spruce houses are low cost and good ability to retain heat.

Plywood

Easy to process and durable material for bee houses, which, however, does not withstand moisture, and therefore its outer surface must be primed and painted.

To retain heat, the inner surface of the plywood hive is pasted over with polystyrene foam. Plywood structures are strong and lightweight, but require annual maintenance to ensure protection from moisture.

Expanded polystyrene and foam

These materials have become quite widely used for the manufacture of beehives in recent years. They are easy to process, and therefore it is much easier to make a hive from them than from any other material.

Styrofoam and expanded polystyrene constructions are very light, dry and warm. Bees in such houses feel quite comfortable. The low cost of materials makes them available to most beekeepers.

The disadvantages include low strength and fragility of the structure, which requires very careful handling. In addition, polystyrene foam and expanded polystyrene are afraid of exposure to ultraviolet rays and are destroyed over time. Therefore, to protect against solar radiation, hives made of these materials must be painted.

Polyurethane

Another modern material that does not rot, is moisture resistant, is not afraid of ultraviolet radiation, is easy to process, retains heat well and has a low specific gravity. Polyurethane is not spoiled by mice, birds and insects. Hives from it are light and comfortable. The disadvantages include its flammability, inability to pass air and high cost.

Hive design requirements

The main requirements for the design of bee hives are that they must provide a dry, well-ventilated and warm room for bees. When developing your own design that differs from the standard options, you should take into account some features. As practical experience shows, the structural dimensions should provide for the following:

• the width of the upper bar on the frames is 25 mm;
• between the axes of adjacent frames should be 37.5 mm;
• width of streets or passages for bees 12.5 mm;
• between the side rails of the frames and the walls of the hive no more than 7.5 mm;
• from the top of the frame to the lower housing and from the lower bar to the upper housing must be at least 8 and not more than 10 mm;
• the distance from the lower bar of the frame to the bottom of the hive body is within 20-40 mm.

These insects are especially good at distinguishing yellow, orange and blue shades, as well as white. The roof needs to be painted white to reduce its heating from the sun's rays. Before painting, the surface is treated with drying oil or primer.

When using thin walls for the winter period, they are insulated with reed or straw mats. You can use other heaters, but this option with mats is the cheapest. Compliance with these conditions will ensure the normal development of the bee colony and simple maintenance of the hive.

One of the simplest and, at the same time, effective designs for making hives with your own hands is the "horned" hive. This model got its name due to the presence of connecting pins protruding at the corners of the case. It was invented by Mikhail Polivoda, who decided to develop a multi-tiered sectional hive that was as simple as possible to manufacture.

Each separate section consists of 4 framed boards 155 wide and 22 mm thick. To connect the sections to each other, bars 22x27 mm are fixed in the corner parts of the body, protruding 22 mm in the upper part and not reaching the edge by 17 mm in the lower part.

When the cases are stacked on top of each other, these bars connect them, creating a solid monolithic structure. The gap remaining between the bars is intended for disassembly using a chisel or other tool. The internal dimensions of the case are 450x300 mm.

The density of the joints between the bodies to be joined is ensured by the selection of end seams along the edges of the boards. In order to simplify the work, instead of folds, parallel bars can be nailed inside the body, on which the shoulders of the body frame will rest. In this case, the structure will become somewhat heavier, and the internal dimensions will be determined by the distance between these bars.

The quality of board processing is not critical. The main condition is the absence of strong roughness. The same can be said about the thickness of the board. It is important that only internal dimensions are maintained.

The bottom is made of a metal mesh with a cell of 3x3 or 4x4 mm, stretched over a frame body made of boards 100 mm wide. On one of the narrow sides there is a wide notch 22 mm high. As a ceiling, a cover with boards stuffed with a continuous layer is used.

In winter, for insulation, it is covered with polystyrene foam or polystyrene glued to a sheet of tin. After manufacturing, all sections must be primed and painted with colored paints.

The working capacity of such a "horned" hive is designed for the installation of 8 Dadan or magazine frames. The structure, assembled from several sections, is installed on a wooden platform slightly raised above the ground. The wall thickness of 25 mm provides for additional insulation in the winter season.

Advantages of the "horned" hive

Most beekeepers admit that Mikhail Polivoda developed a very simple and successful design, while noting that:

• making a hive for bees has become easier;
• any dry wood can be used as a material;
• even wood waste can be used as bars;
• in the manufacture does not require the presence of a complex tool;
• the weight of the case is small, which allows you to easily transfer it to a new place;
• you can use store frames or make them yourself;
• the design is inexpensive and affordable even for beginner beekeepers.

As a result, the solution is practical and very comfortable to use.

Instructions for the manufacture and assembly of a classic hive

Thanks to a simple and understandable design, until recently, the Dadanovsky hive was considered a classic option. Its design consists of:

• several cases for installing frames;
• two stores;
• ceiling;
• liner;
• roofs;
• insert board;
• 10 or 12 frames.

As obligatory additional accessories included in the kit, it is considered the presence of a feeder, a drinker and a barrier in the form of conical wooden plugs.

Before you make a hive with your own hands, you need to select and purchase the necessary materials, which can be dry linden, aspen, pine or spruce boards 30-40 mm thick, and 15 mm thick for the cover and liner. The surface of the boards must be carefully processed at least on one side and along the ends. No more than 3 knots are allowed in any wooden part.

As a material, you can use expanded polystyrene, polystyrene of grade not lower than 40 or polyurethane. To assemble the structure, you need PVA glue or other waterproof glue with a strength of at least 20 kg / cm 2, as well as nails 10, 40 and 60 mm long. The roof is covered with a layer of roofing felt or other waterproofing material. At the final stage, you will need drying oil, paints and brushes.

Case and magazine manufacturing

For the manufacture of cases and magazines, the available boards are cut into lengths of 530 and 340 mm. On the long ends of the boards, tongues and ridges 15 mm wide are selected. Shields are assembled from the prepared segments on the tongue-and-groove adhesive joint. To create the possibility of hanging frames, a fold 11 wide and 20 mm deep is selected in the front and rear walls.

On the inner edge of the side walls, it is necessary to remove a fold 16 mm wide and 10 mm deep, and on the outer side, chamfer 5x5 mm. Thanks to the presence of this fold, the store will be installed on the body, and the chamfer will ensure reliable removal of moisture from the walls during rain.

A fold 24 mm wide and 10 mm high is made along the lower edge of the case and magazine. The dimensions of the shield for the side wall are 490x340 mm. In corner joints, they enter the folds of the front and rear walls.

Roof manufacturing

The roof structure consists of a roof and retaining strapping. The roof is assembled from boards 10-15 mm thick or plywood 8-10 mm thick is used. For waterproofing, it is covered with two layers of roofing material or waterproofing. It is even better to use sheet aluminum or galvanized iron.

To hold the roof in a fixed position, wooden slats 20x20 mm are nailed along the perimeter of the strapping. In the end walls, it is necessary to drill ventilation holes and close them with a metal mesh with a cell of 3x3 mm.

Bottom Assembly

The bottom of the Dadan hives is detachable. The shield is assembled from boards 40 mm thick on glue into a tongue and groove 10x20 mm. The outer strapping is made of a wooden block when connected to a spike. A fold is selected along the upper edge for the possibility of installing a store. The dimensions of the bottom must match the dimensions of the hull.

Finally

As you can see, the technology for making hives with your own hands is not so complicated and quite affordable for execution. To do this, you only need to have some skills in carpentry and joinery, as well as desire. As a result, you will save a decent amount that can be used for other important things.

After the decision to breed bees is made, it is necessary to acquire several families and take care of their housing. The swarm is growing rapidly and as a result, new houses are needed. You can buy them, or you can make your own. Before starting work, you need to know all the subtleties of how to make a beehive for bees yourself. There are a lot of hive types and each has its pros and cons. Before you make a hive with your own hands, the drawings are initially carefully studied.

hive types

Making hives with your own hands is not a difficult task. Before you begin, you need to understand that the evidence differs in size, design and material.
By design, the hive is divided into:

• collapsible;
• non-separable.

Today, non-separable hives have become less popular. Most beekeepers use handmade frame evidence for bees.
Frame houses are divided into:

• vertical;
• horizontal.

Horizontal or lounger, is a single-hull structure with a possible increase in different directions. These clues are suitable for inexperienced beekeepers due to their ease of use. There is one drawback - they are large and heavy. The vertical structure consists of several buildings. Plus, it's lightweight and easy to move around.
These two forms have more than one section, they are separated by a partition, which allows you to change the volume in different directions.

The most famous designs

Dadanovsky hive

One of the popular designs that is installed in many apiaries. Received its love because of its ease of use and spaciousness. It can be made with your own hands from wood, and it consists of 12 frames, which can be supplemented if desired. During the summer period and after an increase in the family, the hive can be enlarged with the help of additional buildings.

Alpine

A multi-hull hive built in the likeness of a hollow. Received great popularity due to the similarity with the natural living conditions of wild bees.

This structure is ideal for places with limited space. It has no partitions and holes for ventilation. Fresh air enters the inside of the hive through the notch.

Ruta

This dwelling is suitable for honey plants living in warm regions, because due to regular rearrangements of the buildings, the thermal effect inside the dwelling is disturbed. Ruta contains 6 cases of 10 frames.

Cassette

These hives have become popular due to the emergence of new bee diseases. This design has thin partitions, in connection with this, the swarm creates a microclimate for itself.

Important! It is built from natural material, impregnated with wax.

Ideal solution for inexperienced beekeepers. It can be quickly made by hand. They consist of 20 frames and insulated side walls, so honey plants survive the winter cold very well. Ukrainian lounger is easy to maintain.

Beehive

The hive is thin-walled, the wall thickness is 20 mm. Suitable for warm climate regions. The house has a lot of advantages - the buildings are light, easy to build with your own hands, very practical.

How to make evidence with your own hands step by step

The principle of operation for all types is the same. Before you make a bee hive with your own hands, you need to know the exact dimensions. 20 frame horizontal bee hive, step by step instructions:

1. We cut parts from a board four cm wide. These parts will serve as the front and back walls of the hive. Lateral, cut out from a board three cm long.
2. We assemble the structure so that all walls except the front one are in contact with the bottom, and the front one rises from the bottom by one and a half cm. This distance will serve as an entrance from below in the future. The corners are joined in a quarter and fastened with nails.
3. We make the floor from a board 3.5 cm thick. The bottom should look like a shield.
4. Ceilings are built from boards: L-47.8 cm, thickness - 1 cm.
5. We construct a roof. It can be made flat, single-sided or double-sided. This is the only part that can be upholstered with a metal sheet.
6. For the northern regions, the lounger must be insulated on both sides.

Do-it-yourself hive-bed for 20 frames

The sunbed consists of a bottom, a roof and walls. The frame is built from shields. Dimensions of the front part: 87x37. The height of the back wall is 87x34. The length of the side shields is 44x49 cm. The size of the bottom: 84x54.5, thickness 3.5 cm.
You can make bee evidence with your own hands from:

• plywood;
• polystyrene;

Simplicity in construction, with your own hands, is that the foam is inexpensive and reliable. Building from this material is simple and profitable. Before you build a beehive for bees with your own hands, you need to know the dimensions. The size of the future hive can be very diverse, it depends on the number of frames that will be there. To find out the width, you need to multiply the number of frames by 3.75. The length is calculated: the length of the frame plus 1.4. The height is calculated: add the height of the frame to the height of the folds.

Step-by-step instruction:

1. Initially, you should decide on the size and start construction in stages.
2. We put stencils of the future house on the foam sheet.
3. We cut out future walls and clean the corners with sandpaper.
4. To fasten all the details, cut out the quarters and use nails and self-tapping screws to connect.
5. The bottom is made of galvanized sheet.
6. The roof must be flat or pitched. After fastening the roof, it is weighted.
7. Lettki perform standard.

After the construction of the hive is completed, it is necessary to make frames. They consist of: top, bottom and side bars. It is made from dried, natural material.
Dimensions according to GOST:

• top and side - B-2.5 cm
• top rail - H-2 cm;
• lower rail - B - from 1.5 to 2.5 cm;
• H - 1 cm;
• dimensions depend on the type of hive, dimensions according to GOST - 43.5x30.
  (H-height; B-width; L-length)

frame scheme

Frame

The central part of the hive is a four-walled box. It has a bee nest. As the bee family increases, the bodies can be pointed at each other. According to the number of buildings, houses are divided into: single, double-hull and multi-hull (from 3 or more). The wall thickness should be 35 mm. This size will help the swarm to overwinter well. The number of frames in the case can be from 16 to 24.

The parts prepared for the body are connected with nails or PVA glue. A cut is made in the lower part of the front wall: B-4cm, H-1cm. This slot will serve as an entrance and exit for the swarm. Also, at the bottom of the case, a hole is drilled for ventilation. The made case is treated on the outside with a water-repellent material and painted white.

Important! On the case, it is necessary to make notches on the sides, 7mm below the top of the case. They will serve as handles for easy transportation from place to place.

Roof

The roof is made from a board 2 cm thick. From the prepared boards we make a structure in the form of a shield and, to prevent the board from rotting, we cover it with a tin sheet.

Important! When building a hive, a tin sheet is used only to cover the roof, it is not used for wall cladding.

Most beekeepers place a mesh on top of the hive for extra ventilation when transporting bee houses. It is also necessary to isolate the swarm from the outside world.

Bottom

For regions with a cold climate, the bottom is made of two layers of boards with insulating backfill. In the southern regions, insulation is not required, therefore, it is made from a single board.

The bottom is made of bars. Three side bars have standard dimensions - 57x6.5x3.5. The bars that will be installed in the back are 44.5x6.5x3.5. In each bar, at a distance of 2 cm from the top edge, it is necessary to make puzzles. After all the details are cut out, we proceed to assemble the parts of the structure. The bottom should be assembled with the letter "P". Grooves are needed to install the floor. The arrival board is made from a 5 cm protruding beam, the front bottom beam.
The bottom, for convenience, should be removable and double-sided.

1. Left side wall. 2. Front top bar. 3. Arrival board (notch valve). 4. Inclined board arranged in a notch. 5. Front lower block of the entrance hole. 6. Bar for fixing the bottom mesh. 7. Grid. 8. Middle bar of the back wall. 9. Lower bar of the back wall. 10. Upper bar of the back wall. 11. Flooring bottom. 12. Letkovy insert.

Sample Toolkit

Before you start making a hive, you need to prepare the following tools:

• wooden hammer;
• awl;
• wire;
• pliers;
• nails and screws;
• measuring tape;
• perforator, welding machine and grinder;
• board 32x18, 12 mm plywood;
• insulation;
• a metal sheet;
• PVA, paint, brushes.

Blueprints

Drawings are more convenient to use ready-made.

Due to the large number of frames and housings, it will be difficult for a beginner beekeeper to make a multi-hull hive.

This type of hive is a large, long box. The floor and roof fit snugly into the structure itself. Drawings of the manufactured structure:

When designing a multi-hull house, you must follow a few rules:

1. The bottom can be made by anyone. The removable bottom makes it much easier to care for insects.
2. It is better to make the roof of the hive flat, for more convenient transportation.
3. Frames should be with side bars and have side bars.
4. For a family of bees, you need to make a feeder from a nomadic mesh.
5. The roof is assembled after the assembly of the entire structure and after the stage of insulation.
   The house should be warm, comfortable and airtight. Otherwise, the swarm will get sick, will not endure the winter cold and will not bear honey well.

Video

Sooner or later, every beekeeper is faced with the need to expand his farm, because bee colonies are growing, swarming, etc. A good way out is to make a hive with your own hands.

Of course, in order to quickly solve the problem, the missing hive can be bought. But the prices for new "housing" are high. Buying a used one is cheaper, but, firstly, you still need to find the right type of hive, 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 insects could hurt them previous owner.

Primary requirements

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

Practice shows that during construction it is important to consider the following rules:

1. Maximum simplicity of the device. This reduces the cost of hives and allows the beekeeper to manufacture, repair, etc.
2. Capacity sufficient for the normal life of bees.
3. The ability to reduce or increase the size of the nest according to the strength of the family (a weak family cannot cope with heating a large nest).
4. Providing warmth inside the hive.
5. Creating the necessary conditions for work, allowing you to quickly inspect, disassemble the nest, without crushing a single bee, without damaging a single comb. To do this, the hive should open from above, and the frames should be easily removed through the top, without touching each other and the walls of the house. Otherwise, the bees will stick them together with propolis, and then it will not be possible to remove them without pushes and shaking. And this, as a rule, greatly irritates insects.
6. Convenient location of the letka. So that nothing complicates the work of bees during the flight, it should be at the very bottom. So it will be easier for insects to take out rubbish and keep the dwelling clean, working individuals will be able to immediately fall on an empty foundation and leave the brought prey on it.
7. The ability to adjust the size of the notch, so that when attacked by bees of another family, it could be narrowed or closed.
8. Lightweight, compact and lightweight. There should be no protruding parts.
9. Convenience for cleaning bottoms. Removable bottoms make this work quick and easy.
10. Good ventilation. For insects, access to fresh air is important, so the frames inside the hive should be located edge-on to the notch (the so-called “cold drift”).
11. Proper conditions for brood - honeycombs 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 desirable to keep hives of the same type and size with standard frames. This will facilitate their maintenance, will make it possible not to get confused with different frames, shops, etc.

Where to begin

Consider how to make a single-walled vertical 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 magazine extension. After that, you can safely take on sunbeds, multi-hull and other more complex structures.

Material selection

Recently, in the arrangement of apiaries, non-traditional building materials for beekeeping are increasingly being used - polystyrene foam, various types of plastic (polystyrene foam, technopor, etc.), bituminized paper plates, chipboard and others. Wood continues to be the best material. For the manufacture of a bee house, soft, porous and light tree species are optimal ( pine, poplar, Linden, spruce, alder, willow, aspen) - they retain heat better, are easily processed.

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

The material must be of good quality: straight-layer, without cracks, rot and knots. Moisture content - no more than 15% (achieved after 2-3 years of aging in a barn, under a canopy). Freshly sawn boards have a humidity of 40% or more, so they must first be dried, after 20-30 days in a warm, dry room.

Required tool

An important component of success is the availability of a workplace and tools. The ideal option is a carpentry 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 blanks;
• tools for planing (planer, jointer, etc.);
• tools for chiselling and stripping (chisels and chisels);
• drill, screwdriver and drill bits.

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

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

Hive making

The whole structure consists of separate parts (stand, bottom, body with frames, magazine with semi-frames, roof lining, roof), and the parts, in turn, are made of parts. To properly make a hive, it is extremely important to observe the accuracy of measurements. Typically, 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 it” and master the basic techniques of working with wood, it is better to get down to business, coming up from the less important part - processing the details of the store.

Shop extension

The design principle of the store is the same as the case, although its walls are half as low.

In the diagram: 1, 3 - front and rear walls with frame folds; 2, 4 - side walls; 5 - notch for carrying; 6 - demonstration of angular mates.

Detail dimensions for 12-frame magazine extension:

The step-by-step workflow is as follows:

• cut boards to size. The planed surface can be checked with a metal ruler - attach to the treated plane with an edge diagonally, across and along, look at the clearance. When warps, gaps will be visible;
• trim the 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 upper folds 10x20 mm at the side walls (outside), lower folds 10x21 mm - from the inside;
• cut a recess on the side walls for removal/carrying.

After the folding is completed, the next step will be preparation for the "knitting" of the walls of the store. To do this, it is necessary to select 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 articulated in quarter corners 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 assembly. It should be collected carefully, without distortions. The internal dimensions of the store should be 450x450 mm in length and width.

You can familiarize yourself with all the stages of the process of manufacturing and assembling a store extension in the video below:

Frame

The body is constructed from 4 walls: the front (with an upper notch 0.8–10 cm long, 1 cm high), the back and two side walls. Inside the case, along the upper edge of the front and rear walls, a frame fold (20x11 mm) should be selected, as well as upper and lower folds in the same way as was done in the magazine extension. Folds will eliminate through cracks and create a better connection with the body of other parts of the hive. The details of the nest are connected in the corners to the 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 - rear wall: a - upper part; b - lower part.

Case details:

The manufacture of the case includes three stages:

Shield building. The finished walls should be 32 cm high. Such wide boards are rare, so they usually assemble the base in the form of shields, consisting of two boards - a wide and narrower one, connected along the length into a ridge and tongue. Joints in adjacent walls should be spaced apart so that wide boards overlap the ridges and tongues of adjacent walls. This will further enhance the strength of the nest.

The order of work is as follows:

• cut and plan parts to size;
• in the upper parts, select the tongues (14 by 10 mm);
• in the lower ones, select the ridges (14 by 10 mm);
• glue shields. Lubricate surfaces with combs and tongues 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 to dry.

Shield preparation. After drying, the shields are planed and trimmed according to the indicated dimensions, the folds are selected (similar to a store).

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

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

Roof lining and roof

A liner (insulation extension) is installed on top of the case or magazine. Ceiling boards are laid inside it, an insulating pillow, top dressing, etc. are placed. The roof completes the structure.

Details for the liner and roof:

The liner is constructed from 4 blanks of the same size. For their manufacture, you need to perform the following work:

• process and trim parts to the required dimensions;
• saw through straight spikes (20x20x20 mm) at the ends of the blanks;
• grease the spikes and lugs of the spikes with glue, then assemble the structure and dry it;
• drill holes with a drill (45 mm long, less than 5 mm in diameter) in the corners in the middle of the spike at each corner, grease the dowels with glue and hammer into the sockets. This operation will increase the strength of the structure;
• cut planks for the ceiling according to size. They are placed above the frames of the nest or magazine extension (if used).

The roof is single pitched. Its design includes strapping and roofing. The slope is made from the front wall to the back. The roof is covered with boards, roofing iron or any other waterproof coating is placed on top. The process of building a roof includes three stages:

1. Strapping production. The front wall should be twice the height of the back wall to create a slope along the top edge (about 7 degrees). To get such a slope in the blanks 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 undercover space in the front and back walls, 4 ventilation slots (200 mm long, 3 mm high) should be sawn outward or holes with a diameter of 30-40 mm should be drilled in the sidewalls. The harness is assembled in the same way as the roof lining - using straight spikes (20x20x20 mm) and dowels.
2. Processing and fastening of support bars and ventilation dampers. 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. To the sidewalls inside the strapping in the corners near the front wall, movable rotating support bars are attached with screws. 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 holes should be barred from the inside with small nails or paper clips with an iron mesh with small cells (no more than 3 mm). Outside, the holes are covered with rotating oval shutters.
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 fastened with 4 nails to the front and back walls of the strapping, the extreme boards are also nailed to the side walls. A second, external, roofing material or another layer of boards is laid on top of the lower layer.

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 - the 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 dampers; 8 - roof.

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

Removable bottom and landing board

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

Dimensions of parts for the detachable floor and arrival board:

Do-it-yourself dona construction for hives includes three stages:

1. Strapping construction. It is necessary to cut out four bars according to the specified parameters and make straight spikes at the ends: 40x40x10 mm. The dimensions of the upper and lower spikes on the rear bar and the outer spikes on the front bar are different - 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 select tongues (10x10 mm) in the side and rear bars on the inside.
2. Construction of flooring. Three decking boards are glued together into a shield in a comb and tongue (10x10 mm). After docking, clamp with a clamp. After drying in the shield, you need to select the end folds (20 by 10 mm) and get the ridges (10 by 10 mm). On the front board of the shield, you need to chamfer half of its width (in front, its thickness should decrease to 20 mm).
3. Bottom assembly. The glued shield must be pushed into the grooves of the strapping.

In the binding 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 base of the folds, chamfer (5x5 mm) for water drainage.

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

The arrival board (530 by 80 mm) is detachable. Its surface has a slope, for this a chamfer is removed. As a result, the leading edge is 10 mm, the rear - 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 fit freely into the sockets.

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

Video

Tips for choosing materials and tools that will be useful to you when building your first hive, an experienced beekeeper shares 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:

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