# Hive stands



## pressure9pa (Feb 14, 2016)

No need to overthink this one. You want them at least a couple of feet off of the ground to make it hard for animals to snoop around, but cinder blocks and a couple of scrap lumber pieces will suffice. I have a used half-skid on top of two saw horses.


----------



## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

I am a fire sprinkler contractor by trade and always have plenty of pipe lying around.

I use 2 1/2" schedule 40 black pipe, 21 foot long, spaced on 15" centers and concreted into the ground. Always with a slight pitch forward so water will run out of the entrance.











Then there are the ones sitting on some grated flooring out of an old mezzanine











then there are the ones on landscape timbers (dunnage from pipe deliveries)











and some new stands in the making, just drug them out of the pipe piles the other day.










I do like to get mine up off of the ground, (ignore the ones that are not) due to skunks.


----------



## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

One sat on the front porch for a couple of years.


----------



## Beeves4u (Dec 4, 2021)

I over think things...I make mine out of angle iron.


----------



## Kuro (Jun 18, 2015)

Two 4x4 lumbers across small concrete blocks, two blocks for each hive. On each block, I put a piece of 4x4 lumber (cut to ~3 inches long) then a cookie can lid (greased underneath), before placing the long 4x4 lumbers. This prevents ants entering the hives (I learned that trick at the Beesource forum).


----------



## Alto Beek (Jun 26, 2021)

Kuro said:


> Two 4x4 lumbers across small concrete blocks, two blocks for each hive. On each block, I put a piece of 4x4 lumber (cut to ~3 inches long) then a cookie can lid (greased underneath), before placing the long 4x4 lumbers. This prevents ants entering the hives (I learned that trick at the Beesource forum).
> 
> View attachment 67989


I only have 4 hives so they each get their own 16 inch cinder block/s. Keeps them high enough out of the grass.


----------



## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

A single deep hive sitting on a cinder block is pretty stable, once you start to stack supers on it, it will get top heavy and the wind can blow them over fairly easy.


----------



## HTB (Aug 12, 2020)

For quick and easy, cinder blocks and 4x4's but stack the blocks two high, it's much easier on the back. 4x4 posts with 2x6 rails would be nice too, easier to set and keep level. Guessing you'd want one post every 4 ft to keep the 2x's from sagging over time.


----------



## Amadeus (Oct 14, 2021)

These are what I use. 4 feet long 14 inches off the ground. With a couple of supers on double deeps it is still a comfortable working height and very stable. The space between two hives on either end is useful for resting frames or using a frame hanger without it hanging into the walkway at the outside of the hive. 
( there are three stands in that picture.)


----------



## forkhornhanson (11 mo ago)

Awsome! Like always, im probaly trying to make it more complicated then it needs to be...


----------



## elmer_fud (Apr 21, 2018)

I use 2x side by side cinder blocks. I have double stacked the cinder blocks and had 6 ft high hives on them without stability issues. Just make sure the cinder blocks are on stable ground and level. My hives are fairly sheltered from the wind, this height might be more of a problem if they are exposed to the wind.


----------



## Wil-7 (Sep 4, 2021)

My first attempt at making a hive stand. Of course,only one hive is on it now. Those are extra hive boxes for just in case.


----------



## Alto Beek (Jun 26, 2021)

G3farms said:


> A single deep hive sitting on a cinder block is pretty stable, once you start to stack supers on it, it will get top heavy and the wind can blow them over fairly easy.


I agree, once i get beyond a single deep i put them on two blocks for width and when they get to supers i add ratchet strap - had one blow over earlier this year - exciting time!


----------



## BenjaminM (Mar 10, 2020)

I like the concrete footer blocks. I used a pair of 2x6 and there are a couple of beams in between the two runners. I still occassionally get ants around the hives so it's not perfect.


----------



## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

I think you can see it doesn't really matter what or how the stands are configured. So long as you create a stable platform. What I think you should put some serious thought into is your back. You will spend a great deal of time bending and leaning over your hives. Experiment with empty hive bodies and get a height that is most comfortable for you to work. Working from a seated position is optimal (IMO) but not always practical.


----------



## gone2seed (Sep 18, 2011)

One more thing to consider. If you have a good honey crop the supers can be 5,6,or 7 high. That's rough on the back so keep the hives one block high.


----------



## bensbienen (Jul 31, 2020)

I often have very uneven ground at my apiaries and I don't want to put anything into the ground as it's not my land, so I used a design I found on youtube and refined it a bit.


----------



## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Blocks and 4x4 rails are quick and cheap but that means working the hives from the rear (facing frame ends). I commonly space them a couple of feet apart so I can step between the rails to work the boxes from the side. I prefer individual stands but if ground is soft they are not as stable. 24" concrete patio slabs, then a pair of 8" cement blocks with 4 paver bricks on top works good for level ground. Keeps the weeds from growing up under the hives too.


----------



## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

How many hives? I usually have 2-4 and have found concrete blocks to be cheap, durable, stable and flexible. I have a row of them with 3 blocks under each hive. The blocks are all touching so they make a large, flat surface. On top of the blocks I have strips of pvc siding so the bottom boards do not sit directly on the blocks. In the winter, this allows me to slide the hives together to wrap them as one "unit". In the spring, I slide them apart to help prevent drift. If I split or make up a nuc, I move some blocks to another area. When the supers get high, I got blocks to stand on. You could say I am a confirmed block head. J


----------



## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

Fivej said:


> How many hives? I usually have 2-4 and have found concrete blocks to be cheap, durable, stable and flexible. I have a row of them with 3 blocks under each hive. The blocks are all touching so they make a large, flat surface. On top of the blocks I have strips of pvc siding so the bottom boards do not sit directly on the blocks. In the winter, this allows me to slide the hives together to wrap them as one "unit". In the spring, I slide them apart to help prevent drift. If I split or make up a nuc, I move some blocks to another area. When the supers get high, I got blocks to stand on. You could say I am a confirmed block head. J


PVC strips probably prevent (at least lessen) moisture wicking up into wooden bottom boards and rotting them too. Good idea.


----------



## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

psm1212 said:


> PVC strips probably prevent (at least lessen) moisture wicking up into wooden bottom boards and rotting them too. Good idea.


That's the thought behind it. I am attaching the strips to my bottom boards now as I swap them out, but will keep the strips on the blocks too to make them easier to move. J


----------



## LarryBud (Jul 19, 2020)

I use 2 x 4 pressure treated, maybe a little fancy but my first hives were in my wife's garden so... You need to be at least a foot off the ground to avoid predatory animals like skunks whose coat is too thick for the bees to sting through but if they stand up to get to the height of the entrance, the bees can sting their underbelly. Three years and still good, work space between.


----------



## psm1212 (Feb 9, 2016)

The pictures that get posted here make me feel like I am the Sanford and Sons of beekeeping. I would be embarrassed for you guys to see the mismatched, disorganized trash I keep bees in.


----------



## crofter (May 5, 2011)

psm1212 said:


> The pictures that get posted here make me feel like I am the Sanford and Sons of beekeeping. I would be embarrassed for you guys to see the mismatched, disorganized trash I keep bees in.


Dont let those yuppie beekeepers put a guilt trip on you! A quick and dirty, getter done kind of guy I worked with had a favored expression " Good enough for the girls I hang around with"


----------



## LarryBud (Jul 19, 2020)

crofter said:


> Dont let those yuppie beekeepers put a guilt trip on you! A quick and dirty, getter done kind of guy I worked with had a favored expression " Good enough for the girls I hang around with"


Frank-, nothing for nothing but your bee yard looks like a bee concentration camp-but I wish I could get away with that here.


----------



## forkhornhanson (11 mo ago)

Awsome! Thanks for all the input! Think I am going to build a wooden stand. I am starting my first year with 2 hives, excited for the new adventure!


----------



## Litsinger (Jun 14, 2018)

Fivej said:


> I am attaching the strips to my bottom boards now as I swap them out...


@Fivej

This is a brilliant idea- are you cutting the j-channel off to make it flat or leaving it 3 dimensional?


----------



## Fivej (Apr 4, 2016)

Litsinger said:


> @Fivej
> 
> This is a brilliant idea- are you cutting the j-channel off to make it flat or leaving it 3 dimensional?


Just adding strips to the bottom of the side boards. I have thought about making some from PVC, but haven't got around to actually doing it. J


----------



## Jim Braun (Nov 8, 2019)

All of my colonies are in out yards. Given that I like to have everything easily to break down and move. 2 cinder blocks and 2 -4 x 4.


----------



## funwithbees (Mar 27, 2010)

Jim Braun said:


> All of my colonies are in out yards. Given that I like to have everything easily to break down and move. 2 cinder blocks and 2 -4 x 4.


40X48 pallets work well. 4 hives to a pallet.no labor to build and usually can be had for free!


----------



## oscarinw (Apr 23, 2020)

Just adding to the thread cause I haven't seen anything like mine, although they're not uncommon. I got the idea from youtube I believe. My stands are for each hive and I like them over cinder blocks because they are more stable and I can strap the hive and the stand together. I also like working the hives from the side so no multi-hive skids for me. One 2 x 6 x 6ft gives you all you need for it unless you add a flat bottom which I do from any scrap 3/4 material... My hives are 8-frames, just for reference.
The 2 models I have used are side by side in the picture. The one in the middle is what all look like now. If you are interested in the plans, let me know, I can see if I find the video.


----------



## SAE (Sep 10, 2021)

Here's one of the single stands I made using some scrap 4x4 post 2x4 bracing in the center under the hive and 1x4 on the outer edge. The ac unit pad was a good idea to make trimming grass easier and get the wood off the ground, the cement blocks not so much as dead bees would collect between them and the pad and attract ants if not cleaned so i got rid of them.


----------



## popeyemth (Feb 26, 2016)

There’s a story in next month’s American Bee Journal (full disclosure,by me) about building a stand for 3-5 hives


----------



## amatol (Jun 1, 2017)

forkhornhanson said:


> Im getting ready to set up my hives for the first time and was wondering what you guys use for hive stands? Or are they even needed?


----------



## LarryBud (Jul 19, 2020)

I like all of the responses on this thread (especially Crofter's Bee Luftstalag 13-where's Stg. Shultz's?) but for the beeginner, make it a fun project, a foot off the ground to keep the varmints out and not too high (I learned my lesson of 5 full supers and trying to take a loaded super off) and strong enough to support the hive when you start adding supers and have 200 lbs of honey on it! Good luck on your first season and best wishes for more!


----------



## Catsailor2008 (Jan 4, 2022)

4x4 treated for legs...2x8 treated for cross pieces...18 inch legs...cut shoulders on the legs so support pieces could rest on the shoulders...glued and screwed...and painted...lol..hey it was winter in NC and gave me a project...this is 4 feet long and built two others 6 foot long...the same method


----------



## crofter (May 5, 2011)

Catsailor2008 said:


> 4x4 treated for legs...2x8 treated for cross pieces...18 inch legs...cut shoulders on the legs so support pieces could rest on the shoulders...glued and screwed...and painted...lol..hey it was winter in NC and gave me a project...this is 4 feet long and built two others 6 foot long...the same method


Bully for StrongI I have seen 200 gallon oil tanks on flimsier supports.


----------



## gator75 (Apr 21, 2021)

For small backyard beekeeper with bad backs I'd think about elevating the hives stands so you can work the lower brood box without bending over too much. My platforms are at 20-24" I don't have an issue with stacked supers because with only a few hives, I can pull a few capped supers, extract, and place the wets back on the hive the same day.


----------



## ericweller (Jan 10, 2013)

These hold 4 hives. I have modified the design so that there are only 2 posts in the ground. My hives are on hilly ground and only having to dig 2 holes to hold 4 hives is pretty easy. It puts the hives at a nice height.


----------



## Wil-7 (Sep 4, 2021)

If there are Skunks around your neck of the woods, don't they recommend that the entrance be about 16 inches high off the ground ? I have Skunks but I only elevated mine about 12 inches but I am a short little fella of only 5'-7" and with a bad lower back, even after surgery 4 years ago ,I might add. My one hive is a ten frame but I have since purchased some 8 frame boxes for future bees.


----------



## jnqpblk (Apr 7, 2015)

I would never go without hive stands, ie. never simply set bottom board directly on the ground.
My hive stands are separate for each individual hive, and generally made with free salvaged material.
4 8" 2X4 legs and 4 16 1/4" 1X4 skirt.


----------



## krismellebrand (Oct 29, 2016)

forkhornhanson said:


> Im getting ready to set up my hives for the first time and was wondering what you guys use for hive stands? Or are they even needed?


i used 12 cinderblocks and 4 eight foot 4x4’s for my hive stand. Room for a second hive or a place to put boxes during inspections. Sometimes I stand on it when the hive gets tall.


----------



## Wil-7 (Sep 4, 2021)

krismellebrand said:


> i used 12 cinderblocks and 4 eight foot 4x4’s for my hive stand. Room for a second hive or a place to put boxes during inspections. Sometimes I stand on it when the hive gets tall.
> View attachment 68124


Holy smoely. Have you been to Home Depot lately and priced lumber? That's a small fortune in 4x4's lately. Sure hope things get back to normal.


----------



## crofter (May 5, 2011)

I like to have the stand project as little as possible beyond the hive. Easier access from both sides and rear. Being short I find working the hives from the rear end of the frames imprecise and hard on the back. The use of beams or stringers sure simplifies a secure and stable installation but there are tradeoffs.


----------



## forkhornhanson (11 mo ago)

Well this is what I ended up making for my hives, thanks for all the input! No all I need is for my bees to arrive!


----------



## Wil-7 (Sep 4, 2021)

forkhornhanson said:


> Well this is what I ended up making for my hives, thanks for all the input! No all I need is for my bees to arrive!
> View attachment 68151
> View attachment 68151


Just a suggestion but I would probably add another 2x4 to the outside of those legs, full length, to give it a wider and more stable footprint.


----------



## forkhornhanson (11 mo ago)

Wil-7 said:


> Just a suggestion but I would probably add another 2x4 to the outside of those legs, full length, to give it a wider and more stable footprint.





Good thinking!


----------



## JustBees (Sep 7, 2021)

I my neighborhood I recycle old fences into hive stands, 
Pressure Treated 4x4, Use some extra copper "sauce" on anything that goes on or in the ground. 
The Cedar boards get turned into bottom boards for hives. Rim boards, lid sides, even migratory lids, swarm traps.

Bricks and boards are everywhere, portable and versitile.
Firewood rounds are handy and good for garden ambiance.
Also I always have a spare box or block handy in the yard for a work stand.


----------



## JConnolly (Feb 21, 2015)

This is my ant proof hive stand.











The stand is constructed of 2x6. The first stand of this style I constructed used complicated joinery. The next four I made were lag bolted them together for simplicity (see below).

The stand sits on 1/2-13 x 4" long leveler bolts. The bottom of the cross member is drilled and countersunk (see image 1 below) so that a 1/2-13 nut can be hammered into the countersink A nut is placed over the end of the leveler bolt and used to drive the nut into the countersink (image 2) without damaging the threads. Then the nut is epoxied in place (image 3). A film of grease on the threads keeps the bolt from adhering to the epoxy. A 1/2-13 tee nut could be used instead. The cross members and side rails are fastened together using 3/8" lag bolts and predrilled holes. A 1/2" hole is drilled in a 4' PVC test cap and it is secured to the bottom of the cross member over the leveling screw with 3 small wood screws (image 5 and 6). The text cap is filled with grease (image 7), I used the cheapest axle grease. The leveler bolts are extended and the stand is placed on cinder blocks or pavers or other suitable hard surface and leveled using the leveler bolts. When the stand is upright the grease cup is upside down and the grease is protected from rain. The grease needs to be refreshed every couple of years, I just put on a nitrile glove, reach under, and smear new grease in the cap.











Ants cannot get onto the stand except by climbing the leveler bolts, where they encounter the grease barrier. Keep the weeds down and don't lean anything against the stand to make a bridge for ants to get on the hive stand.


----------



## Wil-7 (Sep 4, 2021)

I built two more hive stands and just stuck a few hive bodies on them so they can pick up the outdoor smells before my new bees arrive later this Spring. I have them sitting on rubber mats that we no longer need in our horse stalls. Those might keep the grass at bay and also keep small hive beetles from laying eggs under the hive. On the far end, you can see the colony I have now still insulated from winter. Just to the front of the hives about 25 yards away is a quarter acre pond the bees can get their water from. I have them facing southeast here in NE Ohio. Sorry for the two pictures. I don't know how that happened.


----------

