# Just finished building my hive stand for the garden



## Flyin Brian (Feb 27, 2016)

So let me start with saying I am NEW as in "neva been done befoh" so I hope I am doing things correctly. I have 2 empty hives and I am picking up my packages on April 2nd, so I'm just over 4 weeks away from being a beek!

I went to home depot today with a pencil and a measuring tape. First I came up with the 2 pipes and the T with 10" nipples  and the black pipes are 48" long. I'm planning to drive those at least 24"into the ground and also secure them to a vertical board in the garden. 

Next I needed the ladder type frame. I made a bunch of measurements and ended up buying 2 pressure treated 2X4s and had the home depot guy cut a 3rd into 5 pieces 17" long. I came home and screwed it all together and I think it is going to work well. The ladder is 20" wide and 96" long. I think I could have 4 hives if I really wanted to, so 2 will fit just fine. 

Here is a photo. I laid the pipe & crossbar on the ladder frame so you can see how it will fit when driven into the ground and ladder set on top:


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Welcome to Beesource, Brian!

Looking at your photo, it appears that the crosspiece pipe is galvanized, but the vertical leg that goes into the ground is "black pipe". Black pipe is commonly used for gas piping, and is not galvanized. As you are pounding it into the dirt, I would expect that galvanized pipe would be less prone than black pipe to rust in the soil.


Ants may not be a problem in your area, but your style of hive stand/legs does lend itself to adding an ant barrier to the legs. More on that here: http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?317114-Ant-Problems-Solutions


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## Colobee (May 15, 2014)

'Looks good. I'd be concerned that the weight of 4 hives (eventually) full of honey might put a strain on those pipe supports. IF it starts to become unstable with the single posts, you can always replace the end caps with elbows and add 4 more legs. Or throw some blocks under the corners. I'd be inclined to sink the pipe legs into concrete plugs, or set the ladder on several blocks, but I do almost everything "overkill" (less "do-over's"). 

You'll probably be fine, if your soil cooperates. Good luck!


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## jbraun (Nov 13, 2013)

My club has 3 hives it keeps at the extension office where we meet. Last year we had flooding from the creek that took the hives away. I've designed a stand that is similar to your but we are using 4 4x4 pressure treated posts as our uprights. Since it has to be 21" off of the ground to be above the creek that puts the hives way to high to work comfortably. So I'm suggesting a 2 level cement block step, if you will, behind the stand. We have our board meeting this next Monday and if it gets passed we need to get approval from the extension office before installing. You should feel lucky that you are the only person who gets to make your decision.


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## Bees of SC (Apr 12, 2013)

Colobee is right, I don't think your 1" pipe with 2 brood boxes and 2 honey boxes, maybe more, will do hold up..Put your stand together, then put your hive boxes on, put a 100 lb on top of that, rock that like the wind blows, see if it works before you put bees there.....JMO....


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## Flyin Brian (Feb 27, 2016)

The reason i went with the gas pipe is i am renting where i live currently, so i will be moving the hives next year to a more permanent home.

i may have underestimated the weight of all that rocking back and forth. I am also driving these adjacent to a vertical board from a planter box and will be strapping the pipes on the board as well.


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## HIVE+ (Jan 4, 2012)

Consider not only the wobble and rust of vertical leg, but the threaded connections are not galvanized and the wall thickness is greatly reduced.


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## Bees of SC (Apr 12, 2013)

What ever----BeeHappy.......


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## My-smokepole (Apr 14, 2008)

My I suggest a differnt post set up that is cheaper and more stable. That what your pipe deal is going to be. Buy four cement blocks and but them at each of your corners of your ladder. I could see after a few weeks that your pipe idea will be driven all the way in the dirt. If that is to low for you do 8 block. Listen to the people that have been down this road. Other wise you could be sorry.


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## Flyin Brian (Feb 27, 2016)

My-smokepole said:


> My I suggest a differnt post set up that is cheaper and more stable. That what your pipe deal is going to be. Buy four cement blocks and but them at each of your corners of your ladder. I could see after a few weeks that your pipe idea will be driven all the way in the dirt. If that is to low for you do 8 block. Listen to the people that have been down this road. Other wise you could be sorry.


I do agree this setup may not end up being strong enough, but I was hoping to have as few access points for ants as possible. Since I haven't had hives before, I don't know for sure that ants will be a problem, but we have had a lot of ants in our house & yard over the years. That's why I was trying to go this direction. I have 2 plastic 3" pipe caps that I planned to cut a 1" hole in and place on the legs and pack with grease.

If I do go with the cement blocks, is there any easy way to prevent ants from coming in? The only solutions I have seen are using thinner legs with some type of barrier.

I do appreciate the feedback from all... thank you!


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

If you use 4 legs, the pipe doesn't need to be pounded into the ground. Here is one approach that has ant blockers and could sit on blocks ...









Photo linked from this thread: http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?314949-My-version-of-the-ant-proof-hive-stand


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## Colobee (May 15, 2014)

I'm sorry but this made me chuckle, at myself... I recalled having sunk lag bolts into the underside corners of my wooden "ladders", then resting them in cut off tin cans full of veg oil, which sat on cinder blocks. I never had much of an ant problem, even after 'Version 1" was abandoned...

It's better to distribute the weight across a fairly large area, rather than a point. Heavy spring rains can loosen the soil, and even multiple cinder block support points can sink a bit. Look up "floor flange" and consider using them as "feet" for your pipe, set on blocks. Regardless of how you do it, 4 legs of any kind will be substantially more stable. What kind of quakes do you get? I find that anything less than legs/support every ~4-5 ' will sag and fail, sooner or later. 

This isn't rocket science, but there is some engineering & geology involved.


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Here is an example of a two-legged hive stand with a problem ... 










That photo was posted in this earlier Ant Stand thread: http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...ks!&p=1018618&highlight=ant+stand#post1018618


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## Flyin Brian (Feb 27, 2016)

Ok, on to plan D.

I went to HD and picked up 4 pier blocks & 4 floor flanges. I also grabbed a pair of 12" nipples since my new spot for the hives (hence plan D instead of C) is sloped to the left. I now have 4 legs, all galvanized, 10" on the right and 12" on the left. 

I'm pretty sure this one will pass muster.


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## Colobee (May 15, 2014)

That looks much better. It will probably be OK for two hives, depending on where you place them. They will stay level longer if you set them over the legs as much as possible. You'll likely have to add a mid-way pair when you go to 4 hives.


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## exmar (Apr 30, 2015)

FWIW, I'd just use four concrete blocks, two at each corner and put your "ladder" on those. The first year I got into keeping bees, I had two hives and set up a spare hive, baited with LGO, old comb, etc. as a trap hive nearby. Ants moved into the trap hive. I FREAKED. Tried vaious things to get rid of ants, researched and found whatever would kill ants would kill bees as they're closely related. Finally removed trap hive, put in my barn, added a couple of mothballs and the ants promptly left. A healthy hive has no problem getting rid of ants. Think about it, in a forest, or natural setting, ants and bees have coexisted for a long time. I'm talking about the ants we have in SE Ohio, don't know what variety you're fighting in California. My hives have four large bricks on each cover for wind stabilization and each hive rests on two concrete blocks.

Scenario, rain loosens soil, wind kicks up and hives and "ladder" start to move the pipes in the ground. Also, I'm sure you're aware that even with foundation in the frames, it's a REAL good idea for the hives to be level, leveling with only two pipes driven into the ground will be interesting. 

Good luck and have fun,

Ev


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## Billboard (Dec 28, 2014)

Flyin Brian said:


> Ok, on to plan D.
> 
> I went to HD and picked up 4 pier blocks & 4 floor flanges. I also grabbed a pair of 12" nipples since my new spot for the hives (hence plan D instead of C) is sloped to the left. I now have 4 legs, all galvanized, 10" on the right and 12" on the left.
> 
> I'm pretty sure this one will pass muster.


Looks like the legs should be moved in one more wrong. Will it eventually sag in the middle having the legs so far apart? Idk just asking.


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## Bees of SC (Apr 12, 2013)

You are getting closer however,,,you still have thin legs.....JMO..Look at some of the pic that others have posted........


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## Flyin Brian (Feb 27, 2016)

Billboard said:


> Looks like the legs should be moved in one more wrong. Will it eventually sag in the middle having the legs so far apart? Idk just asking.


The reason I didn't put the legs in farther is I don't want it to tip when I take the weight off one end 

I'm starting with 2 hives so it should be fine like it is. I stood on it and rocked around quite a bit and it didn't move. If I end up with more hIves and no ant problems it will be easy to add 2 more legs in the middle.


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## Colobee (May 15, 2014)

I think you'll be fine. At least we've gotten you away from this design 


Rader Sidetrack said:


>


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## jbraun (Nov 13, 2013)

Plan D looks great to me. You probably won't have weight problems this year with 2 hives. My stands are 8' and I only use 3 hives per stand as 4 makes it difficult to take off the outer covers, they rub.


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