# Pallets for Super Storage



## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

I need to move my supers outside for storage. I was planning a 5/8s plywood deck with 3- 2x4s under the deck with 2- 1x6 cedar fence boards for the base. I plan on a plywood cover for the supers so I can strap everything together. I have all 10 frame medium supers. I was considering a 3x2 or 3x3 configuration for the pallets. Please post what kind of configuration and size deck you use?

Thanks, Rich


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I had pallets built 42"X50" w/out side cut outs, otherwise built like normal warehouse pallets.


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## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

Cleats on the boxes.... or not?

We have two types. Blue ones for cleated boxes and green ones for the straight boxes. Made for layers of 3x2 boxes.


Blue 49.125 by 43

Green 49,125 by 40

"Lids" the same dimensions...



Word to the wise:

If you plan to use them when puling honey a good amount of screws on each runner will keep things from twisting apart. 

Each one of ours has 9 #8 by 3 inch deck screws per runner.


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## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

Thanks- No cleats and I will use the extra screws for a stronger pallet.


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## Brian Suchan (Apr 6, 2005)

Do your best to keep the weather out of the supers with good lids


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## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

The plan is to have a solid lid that can be tied down to keep weather and pests out as best I can. This is a temporary fix for a few years until we can build a shop and storage building.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

MTN, I store mine outdoors under blue tarps w/ a couple of pallets on top to keep the wind from tearing the tarp off and spewing supers across the field. Storing supers indoors poses a different set of problems. Mice get into some of the supers stored outside, but, unless you are really proactive about rodent control, the problems of indoor storage may be much worse.

I sold honey in the comb to someone I know and he stored the supers in a barn until I could come get them, which was 5 months later in the Spring. All that was left was the boxes and the frames. All of the combs were destroyed.

That being said, I see other folks who store all of their supers indoors. Ian Steppler had a photo on Facebook recently that showed that.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

>Mice get into some of the supers stored outside<

Get some barn cats.We are kind of over run with cats at the moment, but you will never see a rodent here!


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

But you do have cat feces to deal with, don't you? And they don't subsist on rodents. You have to feed them too.


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## Sadler91 (Nov 6, 2011)

Just like Mark I had some pallets built to those to fit the supers perfectly. 6 way pallets with open slats in the bottom. In Florida outside super storage is just about impossible. I just bought a 45' High Cube shipping container. It was $4200 delivered. Just poured a concrete pad for it yesterday so the loader can drive right up in. Shipping containers are in my opinion superior to a building. They are airtight and they can be placed away from your building. If you ever have a fire you wont lose your comb. Cheap storage. Maybe look into it.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

What about wax moth damage under such conditions? My buddy Herb in NC uses a container for storage and he fumigates the container to kill any wax moths which might be present.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Cat crap and buying food. Yep ,you nailed the drawbacks.
The best solution is the cargo container or truck vans, closed up and fumigated. Thats pretty common in Cal.


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## crazylocha (Mar 26, 2013)

sqkcrk said:


> What about wax moth damage under such conditions? My buddy Herb in NC uses a container for storage and he fumigates the container to kill any wax moths which might be present.


My boss uses old retired refrigerated trailers (minus ref. Unit) to store supers in. Because I am slimmest and fastest, I get to be the lucky one to put the crystals and other goodies in. Nasty stuff, unfortunately very necessary in central Florida. Get a good container or trailer and set off a smoke bomb (new years, should be commonly available) to check for any leaks.


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## Flyer Jim (Apr 22, 2004)

Cats also help get rid of rattlers, a big plus around here.


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## Honey-4-All (Dec 19, 2008)

Being guilty of this often myself on BS I find it quite interesting to note how this thread has shifted from the topic of building super pallets to a side note that cats kill rattlers. Good to hang around with all of you who are intent on thinking all the way around the pallet instead of just inside the box(s) sitting on top of it. Great way to learn!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

I suspect the link between cats & rattlesnakes is that the cats kill the rodents that would otherwise attract snakes, including rattlers, seeking to eat those rodents. If there are no rodents or other prey, the rattlesnakes are more likely to seek their fortune elsewhere.


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## crazylocha (Mar 26, 2013)

H4A, 
Guilty on both counts. Sharing what have learned from working for a commercial 3k+ operation since March, and trying for figure out what to do for my 8.5 hive growing dilemmas. Seems Mama squawks about the growing stacks of waxed deeps and supers in the spare bedroom, her shelves of canning jars are growing faster than my hives will in spring (fingers crossed).

She was just over joyed when the recently purchased 10 supers were delivered. Been straining my last 2 brain cells trying to figure out what I can do to store them in the pole barn or tractor shed (Mama's choice so she can fill the 80ft pole barn with canning shelves). At work we are dipping frames like crazy and have the Copper napthanate dip tank out to dip rims in. Need to get mine built this weekend before we shut the wax room down for winter.

My question is very similar...
Can I put extra wax dipped supers and deeps with tight lids and bottom outside in North Central Florida until February/March when the blackberry breaks? Or are they doomed to wax moth infestation even though not drawn yet? Individually wrapping in garbage bags is treacherous with meeses in horse country. You should see what they did to my Christmas light collection, and the damage was not an excuse to buy more. I didn't need an excuse, just another 400amp transformer!


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## honey jhar (Jun 5, 2014)

Hey, ya'll. please repeat for the simpleton...
Sturdy flat surface for supers with empty comb stored inside, stacked to equal height. Cover with appropriate lid and weigh down with heavy item, straps, etc. 
For a hobby-est, freezing the empty comb first to kill pest eggs.
And the result will be normally okay, ready to roll come spring, some years have mouse damage?


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

I stack 'em on old bee pallets. Mediums go 10 high, deeps7. Put a lid on each stack, throw a big new tarp on and call it good. The cats patrol the area constantly. God help any mice that came in on deadouts!
If you can keep rain out, they will be good to go. Rain will make for ugly moldy combs in the spring.Once it starts freezing here, wax worms are not a problem.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

Honey-4-All said:


> Being guilty of this often myself on BS I find it quite interesting to note how this thread has shifted from the topic of building super pallets to a side note that cats kill rattlers. Good to hang around with all of you who are intent on thinking all the way around the pallet instead of just inside the box(s) sitting on top of it. Great way to learn!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Yeah, it is. You're welcome. I think it's nice to hear how things are different in other places. No rattle snakes here.

The first guy I knew of who stacked supers on pallets outdoors for the Winter always threw Rodent bait under the pallets before stacking supers on them. I don't.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

I find rattlers in some yards every season. You definitely have to be cautious about reaching under a pallet .


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## MTN-Bees (Jan 27, 2014)

It's all great information - Thanks


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## HarryVanderpool (Apr 11, 2005)

We store our supers in shipping containers.
A few comments on that:
It seems to me that many of the folks selling containers in my area have the price fixed.
They will all give you the exact same price and the same price for delivery.
Well, we continued looking and low & behold we found some better deals all the way around.
We save about $500.00 over the apparent fixed price of the others.

Another thing to totally avoid is purchasing one over the phone.
The ONLY way I will buy one is to drive to it's location, CAREFULLY inspect the unit that I select, write down it's unique ID number and tell the vendor that if anything other than THIS ONE is delivered, I will turn it away.
Check the deck carefully. The doors, latches, roof; check everything.
We are very happy with ours!

As for pallets: Many of us here try to do everything ourselves as much as possible even to a fault.
But before you decide to build your own super pallets, spend some time on the phone price shopping.
We found that Salem Pallet Co. could make them for us at a great savings over building them ourselves.
The reason is that they have many,, many connections with truss manufacturers and other business's that can work together on cut sheets to save waste.
That is the problem with building high quality super pallets yourself; WASTE! Waste is money down the drain.
Our pallets are 40" x 32 1/2" with the forks going through the long side. This maximizes room in the container.
In the 40' Highboy containers each stack has a pallet 6 high and one 7 high.
We do not drive in ours.
We picked up a couple of Harbor Fright  pallet jacks on sale.
We roll them to the door and pick them up there.

Just a few ideas to chew on....


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