# Top Bar Hive built from trash wood found on street yesterday



## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

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Here's another I have built last year from trash wood.

By the way, this hive is presently booming with bees:


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

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*Here's my barrel hive I built last year also:*

Weird? YES !!!!!....But the bees LOVE weird.


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## curios1 (Jul 2, 2012)

Awsome !


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

curios1 said:


> Awsome !


Thanks 

Now who has a cheap package-of-bees still available so I can fill about two of these hives?

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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Nothing wrong with free materials! 

I would paint the edges of the cuts, but leave the faux finish as is.

> Now who has a cheap package-of-bees still available

How many swarm traps do you have placed? Free bees to go with those hives would be hard to beat!


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

Rader Sidetrack said:


> Nothing wrong with free materials!
> 
> I would paint the edges of the cuts, but leave the faux finish as is.


Yes, good idea.

Now what's amazing regarding that wood is - the sides and the ends - I DIDN'T HAVE TO MAKE ANY CUTS !!! The wood was already cut to those dimensions. I had to cut a piece in half for the floor, but that's it. Amazing.





Rader Sidetrack said:


> How many swarm traps do you have placed? Free bees to go with those hives would be hard to beat![/COLOR]


Alright, yeah, I know - but I haven't made any yet. But oh so true. 

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## praxis178 (Dec 26, 2012)

An oil based primer will help preserve the faux wood, thin it out some for the first coat to get better penetration, then a coat at the normal thickness followed by a couple of coats of exterior grade top coat, any color you like;-)

Oh yes free wood can't be beat!!!!


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

.

However,

I HAVE done several trap-outs and cut-outs. The following one was very successful back in September:


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

praxis178 said:


> An oil based primer will help preserve the faux wood, thin it out some for the first coat to get better penetration, then a coat at the normal thickness followed by a couple of coats of exterior grade top coat, any color you like;-)
> 
> Oh yes free wood can't be beat!!!!


Thanks very much for the tips, sir.


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## Silverbackotter (Feb 23, 2013)

That has to be quite the sight. Loading junk in the back of your van with your 7 year old as you explain to the cops " it's for a beehive I swear".


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## Ravenzero (Sep 26, 2012)

Very nice hive Patbeek, the first one is very pretty, the second one....not so much for human eyes. lol


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

Ravenzero said:


> Very nice hive Patbeek, the first one is very pretty, the second one....not so much for human eyes. lol



I have to roll with whatever wood makes itself available. 

But I think I'm going to call the first one "The Church Pew".


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

> Loading junk in the back of your van with your 7 year old as you explain to the cops " it's for a beehive I swear".

If you think collecting unwanted wood from city streets is a bit odd, in the fall I collect bags of shredded _leaves _from city streets. :lookout: Of course, if I also come across any usable wood, that goes in the truck as well. I have never had any interest from police officers, but occasionally a homeowner will ask what I am doing. Most of them ignore me.


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## blasket (Mar 18, 2013)

You're a genius!


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

blasket said:


> you're a genius!


said no wife ever !!!

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## Che Guebuddha (Feb 4, 2012)

Well done! I too keep an open eye for free reused materials. 
All top bar hives of mine are made from reused pallets found beside building sites. The roofs are also from reused materials. I only bought a few screws and some linseed oil to coat the hives with. 








Even the greenhouse in the pic is from reused materials as well as my chicken tractor and solar dehydrator ... and the dog house too


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## DrDoorlock (Mar 5, 2013)

I'm new to this. Has no one shown concern over the formaldyhide used to make particle board?? I worry the Texas heat and rain will swell and dry the chemicals into the honey. Ever been inside a FEMA trailer with this problem. Did you hear about the health risks?


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## DrDoorlock (Mar 5, 2013)

Now a suggestion. Get together with a local fence company and see if they will allow you to haul away the old fence. It's like barn wood and sometimes you get cedar instead of fir or pine.


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

DrDoorlock said:


> I'm new to this. Has no one shown concern over the formaldyhide used to make particle board?? I worry the Texas heat and rain will swell and dry the chemicals into the honey. Ever been inside a FEMA trailer with this problem. Did you hear about the health risks?


 Point well taken.

Yes, I have concerns about it.

However, won't the faux finish lock in all the formaldehyde from seeping into the hive?

If I knew for sure it was really going to be that big of a deal, I'd scrap it.

I mean, we don't even vaccinate due to horrid ingredients in vaccines - INCLUDING formaldehyde..

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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

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I'm done with my formaldehyde death-trap.

However, I don't think they will be exposed to too much formaldehyde due to the faux finish inside sealing it off.

From what I understand, most of those fumes evaporate soon after wood is built. 

But one thing they WON'T be exposed to is Checkmite(TM) or any other obnoxious chemical that's 20 times more harsh/deadly.

Here are the pics:


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

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I moved my bees from my house to a friend's farm last night. Then today, I set up what hopefully will become a fruitful bee-yard partnership. I set up the other two top bar hives next to the active one and hopefully hope to soon have many more:


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## PatBeek (Jan 13, 2012)

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