# Hive pallets



## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

Do commercial keepers use standard wooden pallets or do they need custom sized pallets?


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## roger eagles (Apr 18, 2004)

Most of them with 2000-3000 are standard pallots up here.Approx 4 ft. x 38-40 in.Big enough to space in summer,and just push together for winter wrap.


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

Hmmm. How do they obtain the pallets they use? Do they buy them new and used or just manage to accumulate them wherever they find them?


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## Sundance (Sep 9, 2004)

Check with trucking outfits. They often give them away...... Especially slightly damaged ones.


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## mark williams (Jan 19, 2003)

Also at construction sites is a good place to find them,


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## rainesridgefarm (Sep 4, 2001)

I use the ones from the pine shavings the horse people get to bed their horses. Also if you go to you local seed dealer or the co-op they have pleny\ty


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

Actually, I'm interested to know whether or not the standard pallets are the best configuration for what beekeepers do. Do they use the standard sizes available because that's what they can get, or is it possible that a custom-built pallet for beekeepers would be preferred?


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## Sundance (Sep 9, 2004)

I think the main issue is if you are pollinating or not. If you travel then space is critical and specialized pallets are a must.

If you are just setting for honey then either works fine.


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## dickm (May 19, 2002)

The dude I met last winter made his own from pressure treated. They had screened bottoms and were 11 pounds lighter than standard, an important feature for travel. Did you forget that the pallet is the bottom board?

Dickm


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

There is another type pallet besides the clip pallet that has metal corner brackets for those dinosaurs who still nail bottom boards on and use boom loaders most of the time,but put the hives on pallets during pollination so they can be forklifted into the orchards(some growers insist on getting them INSIDE the orchard rather than around the edge).


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## roger eagles (Apr 18, 2004)

We get lots from bulk service stations.Just measured sum up this morning,4ft. by4ft.Beauties.Very solid to hold 8 full supers high.,and a little more spacing for summre use.


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

> Did you forget that the pallet is the bottom board?


I didn't even know that. The hives I saw on a pallet were just sitting on there with bottom boards. From looking at them I suspect they'd not moved in a long time. The pallet had regular deckboards (slats) rather than a solid top. Is a solid top in place of individual bottom boards the way they're usually set up?


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## Flyer Jim (Apr 22, 2004)

Yes, same have all the hives facing the same way but most have two facing one way and two facing the other. Some hold 4 hives and some hold 6. Kind of like every thing else, every one does it a little different.
Jim


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## Hillbillynursery (Nov 13, 2003)

I think if I was shipping to Cali for pollenation I would custom make a pallet. The idea of wasted space and weight on a semi are bad things.


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## loggermike (Jul 23, 2000)

Right.Pallets for trucking bees around are NOT the same dimensions as regular store pallets(which are fine for just getting hives up off the ground).The kind with a plywood floor that is the common bottom board for the 4 hives has metal clips that hold onto the side of each hive to prevent shifting.These are known as clip pallets.The other type is for hives with bottom boards nailed on.Here is a typical bee pallet:http://kutikshoney.com/loading/smoking.jpg


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

> Pallets for trucking bees around are NOT the same dimensions as regular store pallets


Thanks for the link. I'm getting closer. Found this '01 reference on bee-l.


"Contact A.H.Meyer at 1-800-841-7952. They will send you plans for the
industry standard pallet. They also sell the clips. You will add value to
your operation by using the industry size and standard pallets. Many a
sideliner has sold his operation to a commercial beekeeper only to end up
with a stack of homemade odd size pallets, Telescoping covers and homemade
bottom boards as the semi rolled out of sight.. On the other side of the
coin the two largest beekeepers in the U.S. don't use the industry standard
pallet but a design of their own. Hope I have helped."


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## SageBrush (Jun 18, 2004)

My pallet.

Commercial pallets are custom made from pressure treated lumber in two and four pack sizes. i've seen six and eight packs in pictures. We use the two pack size. I call them double pallets. The smaller ones are my preferance so I can move them by hand without the tractor. I know a fellow that has around 600 hives, he uses all small pallets and moves them around with a light weight hand truck.


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

> I call them double pallets.


Wow. That's one fine piece of work. Thanks.


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## Sundance (Sep 9, 2004)

Nive pallet......... Too pretty for trucking....


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## Trevor Mansell (Jan 16, 2005)

Thats a nice pallet , we actually use almost the same thing in a four way configuration . Except we went down to a sheet metal place and had clips made. The clips are about 4 inches wide ,so the hives sit farther apart . Wich makes it nice for youre hands ,and to keep the ants from between the supers.


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## Bob Nelson (Feb 10, 2005)

The picture of the double pallet (SageBrush) is representative of the 4 way clip pallets used by most migratory commercial beekeepers. The hives face 2 on each side in opposite directions. 

A. H. Meyer's http://www.sd-exports.org/ahmeyer/index.htm clips and pallet design are the standard if you will. Their dimensions are 33X48. They are built specifically for use with beekeeping. They consist of 3-48 inch 2X4's for runners. The cleats on the bottom are 2-1X4's 33 inches long. Then 2 pieces of plywood 33X21 or 22 depending on preference. The plywood is fastened to the top or deck flush at teh ends of the runners leaving a 4-6 inch space in between. On top of this are fastened the rim pieces to raise the hive body above the surface the same as a bottom board. The 4 clips are placed where the hive bodies are side by side ( 2 for each end). Don't skimp on plywood size, go at least 5/8 or 3/4. This makes them heavier but then the idea behind the pallet is to use a loader. 

The clips used are W shaped and keep the hive bodies about 3/8 inch apart. I have seen home made clips which are U shaped and the hive bodies sit up against each other. I would opt for the gap in between for air flow to prevent rotting of the wood.

These pallets handle well with pallet forks and are usually stacked 3 singles or 2 double high for loading and unloading. Being 4 feet long they fit 2 wide for 2 rows the long way on a flatbed truck or semi trailer.


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## greenbeekeeping (Feb 13, 2003)

Does anyone know what a pallet of doubles or singles weighs?


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## roger eagles (Apr 18, 2004)

Our oak pallet is around #30 lbs.Well built to hold 4 hives 7-8 reg supers high.


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## Bob Nelson (Feb 10, 2005)

The amount of honey or feed they are carrying is a large variable. A pallet of 4 singles will range from 220# up to 280# or more. A pallet of 4 doubles will be even more variable at 350# to over 500#. 

You will note my estimate of the low end of doubles versus singles is a wider gap than the tare weight of a hive body and comb. Doubles typically carry more reserve feed and this is what I have taken into account.

On a semi that can haul up to 48,000# you can load about 816 singles, 512 one and a half stories, or 408 doubles if they aren't too heavy.

Bob Nelson


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## Barry Digman (May 21, 2003)

> A. H. Meyer's http://www.sd-exports.org/ahmeyer/index.htm clips and pallet design are the standard if you will.


Thanks Bob. I called Meyer's and the lady was kind enough to send me a drawing of their pallet design. It's a hand-drawn affair which probably makes perfect sense to someone who knows what the thing looks like in real life. My wife was trained as a draftsperson, and took a look at and couldn't decipher exactly what we had. I think that between your description, the drawing, and the photo from Sagebrush that I should be able to build one. Or several.


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## greenbeekeeping (Feb 13, 2003)

Does anyone have a good picture of some 4 way pallets????


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## Stevebeeman (May 22, 2011)

We require the pallets to be in the range of 33.5" X 47" for moving to pollinate crops. 48' trailer = 96 pallets = 384 hives. The pallet must be the floor of the hive. Also require "W" clips. Screened bottom boards are not going to last a season with a forklift.
If we can save just 1 minute for every pallet we move X 2,500 pallets thats 42 hours saved at $75. total crew/forklift/truck hour it begins to add up.


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## Ozone (May 24, 2011)

Legit pallets are expensive. Nearly $ 50 in materials.


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## Stevebeeman (May 22, 2011)

our Pallets with materials from Lowes, Pressure treated 2X4 and 3/4 inch plywood runs $30.00. We use 6"X1" redwood fencing for bottom pallet supports (3). Labor = lots of sweat and beer. 3 guys 20 pallets in 6-8 hours. I think if we cut back on the beer we could get it under 6 hours. We use a panal saw to cut the 4' X 8' plywood. Pre cut everything then assemble 
The extra plywood makes great tops and entrence reducers.


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## Seven Hills (Apr 7, 2011)

Used pallet company in Fresno 
Custom pallets and lids 
Bought 4 way with clips and dipped in parifin for $18.50


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## Ozone (May 24, 2011)

I use 1/2 sign board, which is similar to MDO board, which is $ 50 per sheet. Has a long life , and smooth surface. I use 5/4 1x6 decking for the 33 inch foot supports, two treated 2x4's 47 inches, and one 4x4 in the center, 47 inches; with the 4 clips, and the spacers under the hives.

Even with jigs, they take a while to assemble. And total cost around $ 50 materials.

They are industry standard size, and work well.

I attempt to level them before I load them with boxes.


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## Stevebeeman (May 22, 2011)

Seven Hills said:


> Used pallet company in Fresno
> Custom pallets and lids
> Bought 4 way with clips and dipped in parifin for $18.50


Also try Pallet Masters in Woodland, CA.

Problem we found in Fresno and Woodland is they make the pallets out of whatever used material they have on hand. Not all pallets are the same. Sometimes the hive boxes do not fit or have a little wobble to them. Know many people that buy, use and love'm. We call them Frankenstein pallets because they come from so many parts.


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## westernbeekeeper (May 2, 2012)

Here are pics of one I just built. I yet have to put screened drainage holes in. Made from reclaimed lumber.


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