Do-it-yourself bee evidence. Self-made hive

Everyone who is engaged in beekeeping knows that a lot depends on the hive, namely on its design and convenience. Therefore, the choice of most beekeepers fell on a beehive designed by the French inventor Charles Dadant. how make a beehive Dadana do-it-yourself - drawings, videos and detailed instructions you will find in our article!

Design features

Charles Dadan was born in 1817 in France. But then in 1863 he and his family were forced to immigrate to America. Dadan dedicated his life to beekeeping. He was constantly looking for new solutions and methods to optimize this difficult task. Charles calculated that in one day a young queen can lay up to 3,000 eggs. Then from his calculations it follows that the bees per day completely fill the honeycombs with honey, the size of which is 1600 cells.

So he realized that no more than 12 Quinby frames were needed in the hive. The total number of cells will then become 10,500. Based on such calculations, he invented a new more optimal design hive. It is interesting that Charles did not hesitate to take the achievements of other inventors as the basis of his calculations and inventions. He used the work of James Quinby, Langstroth, Moses and others.

Soon another inventor, Blat, realized that Dadanov's hives were not suitable for wintering bees in Europe. Then he somewhat redesigned Dadan's design. Now it turned out that the width of the frame has decreased from 47 cm to 43.5 cm. This is how the Dadan-Blat hive appeared.

Design and dimensions

The Dadan hive is capable of containing from 10 to 12 frames. It consists of a nest body, a bottom, magazine extensions and a roof. When making a structure with your own hands, it is worth remembering that all components must be tightly fitted to one another, and the case itself is made in the shape of a cube. It is also mandatory to comply with all sizes. Next is a video on how to make a Dadan construction with your own hands.

Without a detailed drawing, it is also better not to start work. We will talk further about how much materials are needed and what tools are suitable, and now we will give the approximate dimensions of its case. The front shield should be 4 cm thick, 32 cm high and 53 cm wide. The back shield is made to the same dimensions. The thickness of the side shields is also 4 cm, and the width and height are 48x32 cm, respectively.

The dimensions of the hive inside should be 45x45x32 cm. To place the frames in the body, special folds of 1.1x2 cm are used.

We do our own production

The design of the hive, proposed by Dadan, and then improved by Blat, is considered the most optimal for rational beekeeping. This design is great for both the novice and the experienced beekeeper. And now let's figure out how to make a Dadan hive with your own hands for 10 and 12 frames, respectively.

We make a frame

Tools and materials

• dry thin blanks from slats (example and dimensions in the photo below);
• a hammer;
• steel wire;
• awl;
• pliers with wire cutters;
• shoe nails.

Manufacturing

1. The size of the frames of the Dadan hive of 12 and 10 frame designs is no different from each other, and their manufacture is identical. The size of such a frame should be 43.5x30 cm. We take the prepared blanks of dry rails and use nails and a hammer to connect them, as shown in the photo.

Frame rail size

The process of connecting rails

Punch holes for the wire with an awl

• With an awl we make holes for the wire in the side rails.
• We stretch the wire through the holes and, with the help of an awl and pliers, we hold it out.
• Through the last hole we make a loop and fix the stretched wire as shown in the photo. We bite off all the excess with pliers.

Threading wire through holes

Pulling the wire with an awl

Wire fixing unit

View of the finished frame

All frames are ready. Now after the waxing procedure, you can use it.

We make a hive for 10 frames

Construction size

The size of the front shield of a 10-frame Dadan hive should be 53x32x4 cm, where 53 cm is the width, 32 cm is the height, and 4 cm is the thickness. The rear shield is the same size. The dimensions of the side shields should be as follows - 49 (width) x 32 (height) x 4 cm (thickness). Folds of 1x1.2 cm are also made. The thickness of the bottom should be 38 cm.

Drawing of a single-hull hive with two stores

At the top of the hive, a semicircular or oval notch, 12x10 cm in size, is made in the center. Before the notch, there should be an arrival board protruding by 5 cm. Its bottom is the bottom of the hive. The height of the opening is 1.5 cm. The width of the lower notch is regulated by a special bolt, and there must also be a landing board in front of it.

Basic tools and materials

• dry wooden blanks from coniferous trees;
• high-quality glue in the amount of several tubes;
• dye;
• a hammer;
• nails;
• woodworking machine;
• clamp;
• other tools as needed.

Manufacturing

1. We spend quality processing wood on the machine.
2. We cut out the grooves with which the walls of the hive will be connected.
3. We cut narrow strips measuring 18x4 mm.
4. We connect the planks into a shield with glue and a clamp.
5. We assemble the body using glue and nails.
6. We paint the finished hive and drill the notches.
7. For ventilation, we make several holes in the hive with a diameter of 1.4 cm.

We make a hive for 12 frames

Dimensions

Structurally, the 12-frame Dadanovsky hive is not much different from the 10-frame hive. To make it more clear and clearly below is a drawing of this design with all dimensions.

Drawing of a twelve-frame hive

Toolkit, materials and manufacturing

To make this design, we need the same tools and materials as for a 10-frame hive. The production is also the same. To take into account all the nuances of manufacturing, be sure to be guided by the drawings. As for the manufacture of tapholes, they can be made by analogy with a ten-frame design. But some beekeepers prefer not to make the lower notches to the full width, but from 15 to 30 cm, it's up to you to decide.

Photo gallery

Ready Dadan blue

Drawing of a twelve-framed double-walled Dadan

3D drawing of Dadan

Video “Manufacturing of the hive body. Part 2"

This video shows how to make a structure body from prepared shields and what is required for this.

When deciding to go into beekeeping, you will inevitably be faced with the choice of a hive system. Well, having decided, you need to decide whether to purchase ready-made dwellings for bees or make them yourself. Independent production will significantly increase the profitability of beekeeping. You need to consider before you make beehives for bees with your own hands - the drawings are of paramount importance.

Hive systems and their assembly schemes

Since the invention by the Ukrainian beekeeper Petr Ivanovich Prokopovich of the first collapsible frame hive in 1814, many different modifications have been invented. We will look at the most successful hive systems that have received the greatest distribution. It should be noted that there is no universal solution. Each beekeeper who selects hives takes into account the following factors:

Today, using the capabilities of the Internet makes it easier to make beehives with your own hands. Dimensions, drawings, online videos are publicly available within the World Wide Web. You can find everything: what the hive should consist of, characteristics, what devices are used for manufacturing, production step by step.

Dadan-Blatt's invention

The hive was created by a Frenchman, in the USA by Charles Dadant. After his death, the project was improved by the Swiss Blatt. Classic design has one nesting body with internal dimensions of 450 mm wide and 450 mm deep - the Dadan hive for 12 frames. The drawing is shown below.

Above the nest compartment there are two extensions for a half-frame, then a liner and a roof.

The frame of the lower case is 300 mm high and 435 mm wide (without hangers). Such dimensions allow the bees to fit the brood with a strip of honey on top. This is important for the life of the family during the free periods. The lower Dadanovsky body is able to accommodate a nest strong family. It contains enough food for wintering outside.

Sunbeds

The 300th frame is popular in the post-Soviet space. In addition to the ten and twelve frame hives of Dadan, it is used in common beds for 16, 20 or 24 frames. In these structures, the development of the bee community occurs in a horizontal plane. To protect empty space or unoccupied frames, a front board is used, which is rearranged depending on the strength of the family.

The figure shows a twenty frame version of the design.

An identical view has a sun lounger hive for 24 frames. The drawing, the dimensions of which will be increased by 137 mm in length, will fit 4 frames more.

As mentioned above, the 300th frame holds enough food for wintering, however, it is not ideal for mid-latitudes. When the club reaches the top bar, the bees are stressed. Movement along the frames in winter is a necessary measure.

An interesting solution was the Ukrainian lounger. In it, the frame described above is inverted vertically, that is, 300 mm wide and 435 mm high. The narrow high format allows the bee club to move like in a hollow tree trunk - from the bottom up (see diagram).

The most capacious is the Vladimir sunbed. It is designed for 32 frames 435 by 450 mm. The walls of the hive are framed - two sheets of plywood with polystyrene foam between them. A large volume allows you to keep several families at the same time through blank partitions, with the possibility of uniting for the main bribe.

The advantages of all sunbeds include:

• accessibility of the nest for the beekeeper;
• no need for substitution of cases;
• ideal for a beginner or an amateur who observes all the processes in a bee colony;
• suitable for operations with frequent re-formatting of the socket (obtaining royal jelly, withdrawal of queens).

The main disadvantages are the bulky design, the need for time-consuming framework work. In this regard, these hives are not suitable for commercial beekeeping, more for the household.

Hive Ruta

The modern technology of industrial keeping of bees is not possible without the use of a multi-hull hive. The most common system in the world is the root system..

The frame differs from Dadanov's in height, it is 230 mm. This size allowed to reduce the weight of the filled body. This solved the problem of the beekeeper's labor costs for working with each individual frame. There was an opportunity to make substitution or a fence of the whole case. There are enough of them 4 pieces per season, but you can not be limited to this number. The bottom is more practical to make removable. The design is suitable for transportation during roaming.

Disadvantages of the hive: there is little space for food for wintering in one building. The solution is substitution of subsidies or wintering on two buildings.

Some beekeepers, for example, A.N. Kuznetsov, create universal hives that allow you to work with the Dadan and Rut frames.

Cebro uses a 300 frame in his multi-hull hive, but his design is very bulky and completely stationary.

Horned

The bee house got its peculiar name for the pins protruding from the body. The protrusions are needed to fix the structure. This type includes the palyvoda hive, in which all elements are simplified as much as possible. Minimal costs required homemade production structures called horned beehive. The drawings are shown below.

Making such a hive is quite simple..

One case contains 8 frames 145 mm high. A metal mesh is also used at the bottom of the hole for the entrance to the full width. The design allows, if necessary, to install it on top of the hive.

The advantages of the system include light weight, possibility of transportation, low budget for production. However, we note that thin walls will require measures for warming during wintering. At the peak of the development of colonies, the hive becomes too high.

Cassette

The ideal solution for beekeepers with limited mobility. The cassette hive eliminates the need to rearrange heavy hulls. They are inside the column. Enclosures designed in such a way that they can be pulled out along the rails onto a mobile stand.

Frameless hives

There is a category of beekeepers who have bees without commercial intent. Some of them consider any interference in the life of a bee colony harmful. And also there are people who want to keep bees, but do not plan to delve into the intricacies of beekeeping.

For these categories, a frameless hive is most suitable. The content of bees in such dwellings is as close as possible to natural conditions. The beekeeper does not need deep knowledge of the biology of the bee colony.

Varre

In hives of this type, the basis of honeycombs is wooden slats. As the author Emile Varre said, his system does not require the use of frames, wire, foundation. Visits are kept to a minimum. Another feature is the high attic roof, which is filled with heat-insulating and moisture-absorbing material (sawdust, straw, fallen leaves).

Hive Shapkin

Can be used with or without frames. The hive was invented by the Russian popularizer of contactless beekeeping V.F. Shapkin. In essence, it is a collapsible board.

The walls of the buildings are based on a frame made of wooden bars. There is a plastic layer outside, plywood sheathing inside, foam plastic between them. The combined bottom helps to produce a successful fight against flare.

Manufacturing nuances

It is not necessary to copy completely finished drawing hive. You can combine successful devices different designs, for example, use a high bottom according to German technology. The same decision is radically changed by small nuances - whether or not to make holes for tapholes in the hulls, to use a blind or mesh bottom, etc.

The most popular material for the manufacture of beehives, no doubt, is wood. It is important to take into account its moisture content before building evidence. According to GOST, it should not exceed 15%. In the case of a high moisture content, the structure will inevitably lead, the dimensions of the board will change.

It is impossible to imagine an apiary without bright houses for bees, and the productivity of insects directly depends on their quality. The drawings of bee hives given in this article will help you make a durable and comfortable house for bees with your own hands. The article describes the main types of hives that are easy to make on your own, as well as drawings and features of their manufacture.

Guided by the tips, photos and videos from this article, you will quickly make bee houses from improvised materials.

Making hives for bees

Making bee hives with your own hands is very popular for several reasons. Firstly, self-production from improvised materials allows you to save money on the purchase of ready-made houses.

Secondly, the beekeeper can independently develop and create a structure that will harmoniously fit into the landscape of the site and provide easy care for families.

Peculiarities

To start production, you need to understand the design of the houses in order to properly make their parts.

The main components include(picture 1):

• Housing - can be single or double, depending on the number of individuals and the method of their maintenance. In the case, special grooves are made for attaching frames, and notches so that insects can get inside the house.
• The bottom can be removable and stationary. Models with a removable bottom are considered more convenient, since it will be easier for the beekeeper to clean the nest.
• The roof is the upper part of the structure. Most often it is made of wood or plywood and covered with existing roofing material.
• Frames are the most important component of any home, but their design depends on the type of house.

Figure 1. The main components of the hive body

Having understood the main parts that make up the houses, you can start producing the hive with your own hands according to the finished drawings.

rules

In order for the dwelling to be comfortable for bees, it is necessary to make a hive according to certain rules.

If you are interested in how to build a beehive for bees with your own hands, we recommend using these tips:

• The material must be durable in order to reliably protect the family from moisture and bad weather;
• In the design, it is necessary to provide an additional place for the installation of insulation. In winter, it will help maintain the optimum temperature inside the house, and in summer it will provide a comfortable microclimate even in the hottest weather.
• It is better to make several entrances so that their number can be increased or decreased depending on weather conditions.
• The house should be spacious enough so that the insects can freely place the brood and honey inside it.

In addition, one should not forget about the convenience of the beekeeper himself. To keep insects simple and pleasant, it is better to use durable, but lightweight woods, as well as make a removable bottom or opening roof so that you can quickly clean inside the house.

Materials for manufacturing

Despite the wide variety building materials, houses are best made from natural wood. This is a fairly durable and environmentally friendly material that bees really like (Figure 2).

Note: Do not forget that under natural conditions, insects often live inside tree trunks, so boards - best material for the manufacture of houses for insects.

It is advisable to choose well-dried boards without chipping and signs of rot. For this purpose, it is best to choose raw materials from linden, willow, spruce, poplar or fir. They should be even, and their width should be 5 mm more than the expected wall width.

Figure 2. Types of materials for hives

Modern manufacturers also make models from plywood, polystyrene foam and polystyrene. Despite the fact that most of these materials have strength, lightness and long-term operation, natural wood steadily occupies a leading position.

How to make a beehive yourself: video

If you want to make beehives with your own hands according to ready-made drawings, we recommend that you familiarize yourself with the video, which shows in detail the process of production and assembly of such a house.

What are bee hives

The question of what kind of beehives are for bees is of interest to all beginner beekeepers. In fact, there are many types of houses, but we will describe only the most popular of them.

Common types include(picture 3):

1. Dadanovsky- simple and roomy, most often made of wood. In the classic version, it consists of 12 frames, but if necessary, the space inside allows you to install additional frames.
2. Alpine- a multi-body model, made according to the principle of a hollow, in order to maximally correspond to the natural living conditions of insects. There are no partitions and ventilation holes in it (air enters through the notch), and the design itself is very compact and suitable for small areas.
3. Cassette made of wood impregnated with wax, so insects living in such a house are much less likely to get sick. Thin partitions are made inside so that insects can create their own optimal microclimate.
4. sun lounger- the type of house that is most suitable for beginner beekeepers. The walls are usually insulated, and up to 20 frames are placed inside.

Figure 3. The most popular types of hives: 1 - dadanovsky, 2 - alpine, 3 - cassette, 4 - lounger

The types described above are easy to care for and manufacture, so for those who plan to produce houses with their own hands, we recommend using these options.

What paint is better to paint a beehive

Painting a hive is an important step in caring for it. It allows not only to protect the wood from aggressive external influences, but also creates a kind of guide for insects so that they can get home faster.

Figure 4. Paint colors for beehive treatment

The most important question is what color to paint the beehives. Particular attention should be paid to color. Bees do not distinguish between red and its shades, so it is better to use yellow, blue or green (Figure 4). The paint can be any, except water-soluble, as natural precipitation will quickly destroy the protective layer.

Drawings for making a do-it-yourself beehive lounger

To make the production process go quickly, we recommend using ready-made drawings. They immediately indicate the dimensions of each element and you just have to choose the appropriate material, make blanks and assemble them.

Figure 5. Drawing for making a do-it-yourself beehive lounger

Figure 5 shows drawings of several of the most popular hives.

Making a lounger for 24 frames

Sun beds are considered popular models for 24 frames: they are easy to care for, and the design itself allows you to comfortably accommodate both large and small families.

For the production of the front wall, it is better to take one solid board 87 cm high and 37 cm long. You can also use several boards interconnected. The back wall is the same in height, but its length is much larger - 44 cm. The dimensions of the right and left walls are 49 and 44 cm (height and length, respectively). When making the bottom, you need to pay attention to the thickness. It must be at least 3.5 cm, while the height is 84 cm and the length is 54.5 cm.

Further production is carried out as follows(picture 6):

• We prepare blanks, it is desirable that the thickness of the board is 3.5-4 cm;
• We fix the front, back and side walls to the bottom. Boca and rear end should fit snugly against the bottom, while the front should be 1.5 cm higher so that a lower entrance is formed in the house.
• We assemble the roof from beams and wooden boards, and cover them with sheets of metal or other roofing material.

Figure 6. Drawing for the manufacture of a hive lounger for 20 or more frames

In the upper part, one or more notches of a rectangular or rounded shape are equipped. After assembly, the hive needs to be primed, painted and dried.

Beehive lounger in home design for 16 frames

The technology for the production of a sunbed for 16 frames is the same as in the example above. The dimensions of the components remain the same, but the beekeeper can install an arbitrary number of frames in the finished house, up to 20.

Since the lounger is the simplest and most convenient design for the beekeeper, we present several options for drawings for its independent production (Figure 7).

Figure 7. Drawing for the manufacture of a hive lounger for 16 frames

Do-it-yourself drawings for making a beehive boa constrictor for bees

Boa hives are not the most popular, but some beekeepers prefer them for keeping small families (Figure 8).

Figure 8 External Features boa hive

In such houses, special thin and wide frames are installed, in the upper part of which a cut is made for foundation.

Case assembly

To assemble the case, you need to make it clearly in size. Its width is 335 mm, length 300 mm and height 135 mm.

Figure 9. Assembling the body of the boa hive

To assemble the finished structure, you need to make wooden blanks: the front and rear walls (width 13.5, thickness 3 and length 37.5 cm), side walls 13.5 wide, 2 wide and 34 cm long. For connection, grooves are provided that provide a snug fit of the elements to each other and ensure the preservation of temperature.

One and a half centimeter cuts are made on the front wall, which will serve as tapholes. The lid and bottom are made separately (Figure 9).

Bottom

Making the bottom for a boa hive is the most time-consuming process. To do this, you need to prepare two side walls with a width of 9, a length of 34 and a thickness of 2 cm. Two vertical cuts 0.4 cm wide must be made in them, so that later a grate and a bottom liner can be inserted into them.

From 4 bars (two 3 cm wide, and two more - 4.5 cm), a frame is assembled and plywood with a mesh is inserted between them, and the structure is attached to the rest of the parts with the help of folds.

Lid

The cover can be made of plywood or chipboard, leaving an air cushion of 30 mm between them. In summer this air layer will provide support for the optimal microclimate, and in winter, a sheet of foam can be inserted into the free space for additional insulation(Figure 10).

Figure 10. The bottom and cover of the boa hive: do-it-yourself drawings

In addition, a ventilation hole with a lid must be provided in the lid so that it can be opened and closed when necessary.

Design pros and cons

Although boa hives are not very popular, they have some important advantages. Firstly, it is easy to make from improvised materials. Secondly, there is enough space inside for free movement of bees. In addition, they are light in weight and therefore suitable for mobile apiaries.

Among the disadvantages can be identified higher labor costs for care. Because inside set a large number of small frames, the beekeeper will have to spend more time maintaining them.

The video shows how to make a do-it-yourself boa hive.

They are accustomed to hiding their homes in hollows or dense crowns of trees. Therefore, in order for insects to acclimatize faster in a new environment, experienced ones are trying to create optimal conditions for reproduction and creation of the most delicious. In this article, you will learn how to create a beehive with your own hands, what materials are better to take for bee housing and arrangement options.

Basic structural elements

Before you create a design sketch, you need to know what the beehive consists of. This is due to the fact that the beekeeper is trying to create housing for insects that supports their biological needs. However, this design will not always be convenient for bees.

Primarily, all hive structures consist of a body, two compartments, a lid and a magazine. Outwardly, it looks like an elongated box with a dense roof and bottom.

The buildings are made up of walls. Dimensions depend on the type of construction. There may be several. There are bee nests on the walls.

The store may not be necessary, however, it is suitable for preservation when honey collection occurs. There is also a liner (another version of the store, but without notches). It is located between the roof and the top. It serves as a heater. You can also install a feeder for bees in the liner.

The bottom is located under the body and can be removable and non-removable. The first option allows you to properly care for the bees if they need medical attention. The non-removable one forms a ledge that serves as a landing pad.
Some beekeepers make a ceiling that will keep the heat inside the hive. You can place it at the top of the nest above the frames.

The roof is protection and the main element of the hive. It is able to shelter insects from atmospheric phenomena. The roof is flat and gable. The first allows you to transport the hive.

The frame serves to arrange honeycombs for bees. It consists of a top and bottom bar, as well as two side bars. The frames are equipped with dividers and are located in the bar on top.

How to choose materials and tools for creating

To create a hive, only natural and high-quality materials are used. In the following sections, you will be able to understand what are needed to build a nest, as well as learn the advantages and disadvantages of each of the materials.

Most popular content

First and Enough popular material to create a hive - wood. It breathes well and lets steam out. Basically, choose wood, such as, and. You can also take poplar, or aspen. Wood has a low level of thermal conductivity, protecting bees in hot and cold weather.

Important! For the manufacture of hives, choose a material that does not have rotten areas, knots and cracks.

The only drawback of this material is the ability to retain moisture that enters the hive.

Plywood hives are characterized as environmentally friendly and durable. They are quite heavy and carry transport well. Plywood is superior to wood in terms of thermal insulation and dryness.
To do this, plywood needs to be coated with a special acrylic paint and insulate the walls of the hive with polystyrene foam.

In such hives, bees spend less energy on heating, because everything is already created inside comfortable conditions for habitation and production of honey.

Many beekeepers choose Styrofoam because it is cheap and has high level thermal insulation. It is easy to work with and carry out repairs.
The only disadvantages of this material are low strength characteristics and an unpleasant aftertaste of honey, as bees can taste polystyrene foam.

If you want to produce honey, but you have a small amount of Money then you can make a beehive out of polystyrene. The design turns out to be quite light, retains heat in winter and maintains coolness in summer.

The only drawback is the painting of the finished hive to protect the foam from atmospheric phenomena.
polyurethane foam used to insulate buildings. It has a low level of thermal conductivity, but this property will be useful for creating a hive. Polyurethane foam does not allow moisture to pass through, does not rot, does not react to solvents and protects the nest from germs and fungi. The material is strong enough, and mice will not be able to damage it.

The only drawback is flammability. But this can be corrected with an additional ventilation system.

Polycarbonate is strong, lightweight and durable. The material is suitable for keeping insects, as it withstands low and high temperatures, it is not afraid of exposure to direct sun.
Inside the nest made of this material, an optimal microclimate for bees will be maintained.

List of bee house building tools

To create a hive, you will need the following tools:

• Axe
• Hacksaws of different sizes
• A hammer
• Drills
• jointer
• Bit
• planer
• Marking tool
• power tools
• Angle spikes
• PVA glue"
• Nesting frame (can be borrowed from an experienced beekeeper).

How to make a beehive with your own hands

Now that you have chosen the best material for yourself and collected all the necessary tools, let's get down to the most important thing. In the following sections, you will learn how to build a bee hive from different materials.

Wooden

To make a hive, choose wooden planks with humidity, which fluctuates around 15-16%. Depending on the number and size of the case, the amount of material is also selected. Drawings are best taken from experienced beekeepers.

Important! Adhere to the basic parameters of the main elements to simplify operation.

Housing on the beehive

You will also need boards 4 cm thick for the manufacture of the bottom and body. We make grooves in the boards to connect the walls of the case.

We produce strips measuring 18x4 mm.

We connect the boards into shields, lubricating the grooves with PVA glue. It is very important to press them tightly against each other so that gaps do not form.
And so we do 4 walls. It is necessary to assemble the body in the form of shields, which can be connected with the help of tongue and groove and casein glue. The dimensions of the rear and front walls are 605x320 mm. Side walls- 530x320 mm. In the side walls we make grooves 5 mm deep and 20 mm wide.

Important! Distance between slots-450 mm.

Let's start creating the back and front walls. They should be collected in temporary shields from boards (thickness - 15mm). Wall dimensions - 675x500 mm. The dimensions of the outer side walls are 560x500 mm.

On the permanent place the boards of the outer walls must be nailed separately in order to properly fit in place. We fix the inner walls with glue, the corners must be fixed strictly straight. The lower edge of the case is best placed horizontally.

Lower and upper trays

The lower tray must be made according to the following dimensions - 1x25 cm, placing it from 5 cm from the right wall of the hive. The upper tray has dimensions of 1x10 cm, it should be placed at a distance of 12 cm from the right wall of the hive. Its height is 3 cm below the edge of the upper bars of the frames.
Frame space

A wedge-shaped hole must be made in the back wall at the level of the bottom to make it easier to deal with varroatosis. It can be closed with an insert (dimensions 45x4 cm).

With the help of holes for trays, you enclose the inter-wall space of the hive with small corridors of planks. Dimensions - 1.5x2 cm.

Parallel to the front inner wall on the body, we will nail the first layer of the floor. The length of the floor is 65 cm. The first board must be positioned so that it protrudes 1 cm beyond the body. On this ledge we make arrival boards. Then we nail the rest of the floor boards. After that, turn the case upside down and lay a layer of cardboard and roofing material. The next layer of the floor is boards.

External walls

After you have made the floor and nailed the inner walls, install the outer walls. We nail the front and rear from the bottom of the case each. The ends should protrude 2 cm beyond the side inner walls. At this time, lay the insulation between the walls. Holes for the tray should be cut in the front board. There should be a hole in the back wall for the subframe space.

Also, for stability, it is necessary to nail the lining to the corner outer walls.

At the ends of the rear and front walls, which protrude 2 cm beyond the side inner walls, it is necessary to fill the side outer boards with a thickness of 15 cm. Planks 4x2 cm should be nailed along the entire perimeter of the inner walls.

On the slats on the front and back sides of the hive, folds (dimensions 1x1 cm) should be selected to install the frames. Planks must be placed tightly on the insulating material.
Warming material

To fill the inter-wall space, you need to use moss. It should be more dried, as such moss will fill the voids well.

Styrofoam, insulation board, wadding, wool and tow are also used.

Since beekeepers often have to lift the roof and put it back, the product must be light. For this you need a harness. It should be made 12 cm high from boards 15 cm thick.
Above the nest under the roof, it is necessary to leave a free space 24 cm high. In this place we place a store on a half-frame and a heating pad.

Pillow

The pillow is placed between the sides on the canvas so that it fits snugly against the walls of the side.

The pillow occupies 1 cm above the nest. Dimensions - 75x53. The thickness of the stuffing is 10 cm. You can also use moss, but it is best to use it to insulate the side walls.

Entrance for bees

It is necessary to leave 1 cm between the bottom and the lower edge of the housing for the passage of bees and ventilation in winter.

Did you know? It is better to paint the hive white, as this color is better remembered by insects.

Styrofoam

To make a foam hive, you will need foam sheets, self-tapping screws (5 cm), fine sandpaper, water-based paint, liquid nails, a paint roller, a ruler, a screwdriver (screwdriver), a clerical knife and a circular saw.

Important! All hive objects are connected in exactly the same way as wooden bases nests for bees.

The foam sheets should be of the following dimensions - 3x5 cm. On paper, we prepare a sketch of the design and transfer it to the foam using a marker and a ruler.

We cut out the design with a clerical knife, saw or hacksaw for metal. We clean the edges with sandpaper.
We fasten the side walls with overlaps (at the joints we cut out quarters and tightly drive the walls into each other). We fix the elements with liquid nails.

To fix the result, use self-tapping screws around the perimeter.

Polyurethane

For the body you will need 8 metal plates. Four plates will form the outer contour, and the remaining four - the inner. Spacers must be installed between opposite inner plates. External tiles should be bolted together.

Metal plates must be screwed to the inner sides of the outer tiles, forming recesses for gripping in the body.

The base and cover are made with grooves. Plates will be inserted into them. Strips of metal are applied along the edges and the parts are connected with bolts.

Holes should be drilled along the inner and outer perimeter of the body and cover. Threaded metal rods will be inserted into them during assembly.

Bolts should be screwed onto the rods, holding the entire structure firmly. In the lid, holes should be made for pouring the mixture and a valve with a plug. They will close this hole. Bottom and roof

For the roof you need 2 rectangular parts. One should have protruding sides along the edges, the other - a protruding rectangular interior.

The bottom is a rectangular frame with metal mesh in the middle. It is made from individual polyurethane foam bars. You can fasten them with bolts.

You should have 4 molds for the bars. In all bars, you need to put a strip of metal around the inner perimeter, which will form folds. We lay and nail a metal mesh on them with a stapler.

The front bar is best placed lower in height to get a slot for the tray. After casting with a cutter, we select the grooves in the inner side walls for the bottom valve. It is cut out of polycarbonate. We also place the rear bar lower in height to insert the valve into this slot. Preparation of a mixture of polyurethane foam

This material is obtained as a result of the reactions of a polyol and a polyisoconate.

When pouring the mixture, you need to correctly calculate the total mass for the process. This can be done by calculating the volume of the hive part: multiply it by the width, thickness and length. The resulting amount must be multiplied by the technological loss factor (1.15) and the estimated density of polyurethane foam (60 kg / m2).

For one hive body 5 cm thick, about 1.5 kg of polyol and 1.7 kg of polyisoconate are consumed.

Important! Pour the mixture very quickly within 10 seconds, as it quickly hardens.

For mixing and pouring, there are special devices that provide heating of the mixture. However, you can get by with a construction mixer. To do this, you need to pour polyisoconate into a flexible container and immediately start mixing it with a mixer. Then the polyol is poured in and the mixture is stirred for 3 seconds. After that, the finished polyurethane foam is quickly poured into the mold.

Preparing and pouring into molds

Beekeeping is not an easy task, but it is beneficial not only because of its high profitability. Entomologists and agrarians are unanimous: in general, the benefits of the honey bee Apis melifera are not only honey and wax, which is highly demanded in technology, but even more - pollination of fruit plants. An apiary in a country house, a personal plot, in a garden and next to a vegetable garden is definitely worth all the trouble and expenses, if not directly, by the output of marketable beekeeping products, then by increasing the productivity of the economy as a whole.

A ready-made hive in the Russian Federation can be bought for 2000-4000 rubles, but without frames. One hive in the apiary will not do. The most expensive equipment for private beekeeping - a honey extractor and a wax melter - can at first be rented or given away for processing. Other bee care supplies are more readily available. That is, at the beginning of beekeeping, it makes complete sense to make hives yourself: they are not material-intensive, they are not structurally and technologically complex. This publication is devoted to how to make a beehive with your own hands. The material is designed primarily for beginners.

Do or create?

Hive not to eat technological equipment in the normal view. It is primarily the home of the bee colony (families). Honey collection is determined by many factors: the experience of the beekeeper, the method of beekeeping, the number, species composition and density of honey plants in a given place, the location of the apiary on it, and finally, just the weather. But honey collection from the hive depends on right choice its type and workmanship are much more than the milk yield per cow from the design of her stall.

A bee family is not a family in the usual sense, nor is it a colony of individuals or a nest. Since the middle of the last century, some zoologists for short description communities of social insects (termites, ants, social wasps and bees) use the term "superorganism", implying that "superorganism" is the subject of a population of a given species, an individual in it is its structural unit, like a cell in our body, has strictly defined functions , one cannot exist on its own, and within the “superorganism” community, a complex exchange of information is continuously going on.

“Superorganism” in the full sense of the word is another life at our side, and, as the 1969 Animal Life aptly remarked, this word has no more to do with displaying the true essence of the differences between them and us than a puff of smoke has to do with the Club of Famous captains. An internal combustion engine piston is closer to an old soft boot, and its cooling jacket is closer to a piece of clothing than a bee colony is closer to our family, and its fertile female is closer to a mother or queen.

Therefore, at the beginning of beekeeping, you need to make a beehive for bees, firstly, exactly following the chosen pattern. Beekeeping has been around for millennia, but the first frame hive that made it possible to fully domesticate the honey bee was developed only 200 years ago, it is so difficult for us to understand their life. Secondly, at the start, choose a sample for repetition that is proven, convenient not only for the life of bees, but also for the development of your understanding of it. Chasing immediately only for the maximum honey yield means dooming yourself to failure in advance. You cannot become a beekeeper based only on book knowledge, and you need to make beehives for your apiary in such a way as to back them up with observations and practical experience as best and as quickly as possible.

Hive of Dadan

In an area more or less provided with flowering honey plants, the Dadanovsky hive gives a honey flow comparable to that of the Langstroth-Ruth hive, and caring for it and beekeeping in the Dadan hive is not much more complicated than in the lounger hive. The Dadan-Blatt hive for 12 frames 300 mm high (Dadan frame, see below for frames) provides wintering for 2 bee colonies in a temperate continental climate, and at the same time can be made under the standard Ruth frame. A Dadan-Blatt hive fully filled with honey weighs up to 35 kg, which allows you to manage it alone.

In the hive of Dadan, a building and a store different heights make up the hive module. Multi-hull hives are obtained by stacking modules one on top of the other. This hive is now known in several varieties adapted to local conditions. In Russia, their own modifications of the Dadan hive have been developed, but in view of the ongoing climate changes, the Dadan hive in the variant common in the northwestern states of the USA and Canada, designed for 9 Ruth frames, may be of interest; see its drawings in fig. below. The climate there is much wetter and more unstable than in the Central Strip of the Russian Federation. But it’s probably too early for us to supply the hive with a comb liner with inserts; then the Section Comb Super turns into a simple box, and the Inner Cover and Outer Telescoping Cover become the usual cover and roof, respectively. The structural material of this hive is a 16 mm thick hemlock board, which can be replaced with moisture-resistant plywood.

hive frames

Removable frames in a hive for bees are a kind of foundation on which they build a house - honeycombs. From the point of view of bees, combs are divided into nesting, for brood, and idle for stocks. In the cells filled with honey, the first queen lays her eggs, the worker bees seal them, and the larvae develop by swimming in the food. In idle combs, food is stored for the whole family for the winter and bad weather.

Note: honey bees although they form a "superorganism", they are not endowed with reason and act instinctively. Therefore, in the hive, with an excess of space, it is possible to build empty honeycombs. Their appearance is highly undesirable, because. the strength of the family is wasted both for her and for the beekeeper.

From the point of view of the beekeeper, nesting and idle combs should be separated, highlighting separate frames for both. In this case, you can take honey and wax without destroying or even disturbing the bee colony. Therefore, structurally, the frames for hives are divided into nested, placed in the body, and store.

Most hives are designed for low-wide frames, which are wider than tall. Bee colonies tend to develop vertically, so a low-wide frame reduces the likelihood of swarming when there is a large excess of food. Enthusiasts of a narrow-high framework inevitably face a decrease in the honey flow as a whole, because when the germ of a new swarm - the nucleus - is released from the bee colony, the accumulated reserves are spent on it.

The standard dimensions of the nesting frame of the hive since the time of Ruth are 435x230 mm, and the magazine, or half-frame, 435x145 mm. The nesting frame of Dadan differs only in its height increased to 300 mm, see the dimensions and drawings of the frames for the hives in fig. A 2-mm galvanized wire is stretched in the opening of the frame (inset at the top right in the figure) and foundation is laid in it, this is a kind of trench for the foundation. Bees will build honeycombs without foundation, but honey collection from the hive will then begin later. The frame in the case/magazine hangs on hangers resting on the inner fold of the box, see below.

The width of the upper shelf of the frame is 36 or 37 mm, but the hive body / magazine is calculated for the frame installation step of 37.5-38 mm. The fact is that a too dense package of frames from thermal expansion can jam in the box, and beekeepers already have a lot of trouble with frames glued to it with propolis. Therefore, based on the local climate, the width of the frame shelf and their calculated step are chosen as follows:

• The climate is even: sea, steppe or others with slight temperature fluctuations - a shelf of 37 mm, a step of 37.5 mm.
• The climate is temperate continental, eg. Central Russia - shelf 37 mm, pitch 38 mm or shelf 36 mm, pitch 37 mm.
• The climate is continental or if the apiary is in the mountains - a shelf of 36 mm, a step of 38 mm.

The gap between the sidewalls of the frame and the walls of the hive has been precisely verified by beekeepers over the centuries: 8 mm. More - the bees will build it with honeycombs; less - it will be tightened with poppolis and the frame will stick. Ways to remove sticky frames are known, but why deal with problems if you can not create them?

The gap between the lower bar of the frame and the bottom of the hive is made larger, 20 mm. Less is impossible, if you deprive the bees of the opportunity to walk along the bottom or limit it, the family will wither away. But then regular care of the hive is necessary: ​​to tear off the frames that have stuck to its bottom without ruining the family is still the same task.

Assemble frames on nails using a special pattern board, see sidebar in fig; for frame wood, see below. The excavation of combs and the care of the apiary are greatly facilitated by folding basket frames, see the figure on the right, but considering that hundreds of frames are required even for a small apiary, the labor and money costs for the purchase of stainless wire in this case are far from always justified.

Note: in some types of hives, non-standard frames are used. These will be described below along with resp. hive types.

sun lounger

The hive-lounger is something like a chest with frames suspended in it, even its lid is often made hinged. The beehive-lounger is also called the Ukrainian beehive, which is not true. It was invented independently by amateur beekeepers from several countries of Southern Europe. The hive-lounger came to Ukraine already in finished form, and there, frankly speaking, it was spoiled: they deprived the store and adapted it to narrow-high frames of Dadan size, see fig. In fairness, it should be noted that from the point of view of “lazy” beekeeping in regions with a favorable climate for bees and an abundance of lushly flowering honey plants, this made some sense.

The device and dimensions of the hive-lounger for 16 frames (one or two family) and 20 frames (2 family) are shown on the next. rice. In it, the bee colony is even more encouraged to develop horizontally, and the observation of the bees is facilitated. An indispensable accessory of such a hive is at least 1 diaphragm.

AT in general terms the mode of operation of the 16-20 frame lounger is as follows:

• During the spring "explosive" peak of flowering honey plants (garden, buckwheat field, linden forest, acacia grove), 2 families work, the main (main) and auxiliary. The movement of bees from family to family does not particularly reduce the honey flow, they are not up to it, a lot of work.
• In the decline of flowering support family either separates and moves away (resettles), or is destroyed, or harasses itself: its worker bees kill their queen and move on to the main colony. The excess space of the hive is fenced off by the diaphragm.
• If the summer flowering of wild honey plants is not particularly intense, the hive works in 1-family mode until wintering.
• In the case of violent summer flowering in the main family, a nucleus is formed, which develops into a new auxiliary family.

Thus, at the cost of some reduction in honey yield, the bed hive is largely self-regulating and self-adjusting for the honey/non-honey year. Therefore, even rather significant flaws in beekeeping in it do not excessively reduce the honey flow and almost never ruin the family.

Note: if you read or hear the expression “double queen bee colony”, “two queen hive”, etc., do not believe your eyes and ears. Any student of the Faculty of Biology, not to mention entomologists, will explain that there are no “double queen” bee colonies and, in principle, cannot exist. By analogy with individual organisms, again forcedly rough and inaccurate, 2 bee colonies in one hive is not a two-headed bird in a cage, but simply 2 birds in one cage. Which may or may not get along there.

The sunbed hive also has a property that is valuable for professionals: since the expansion of bee colonies is directed mainly along the vertical, one sunbed hive is suitable for wintering 2 or more colonies, which allows saving weak colonies. It makes no sense to nurse them in a large hive, you will need to give abundant top dressing. But an overfed family in the spring will not be able to restore vitality and wither. Imagine that someone spent the winter in bed on a diet, and in the spring he was launched into a logging or obstacle course. In a small volume and with neighbors, the bee colony experiences weakness, like a soldier in a trench with a runny nose. The appearance and layout of the wintering hive-lounger for 4 families is given in fig.

Alpines

Roger Delon decided to create a hive that would allow bees to fully use the incredible honey potential of alpine meadows, but this task is extremely difficult. Alpine honey plants bloom in groups of species throughout the season; volley bloom, its peaks are high, sharp and short-lived. Blooming clumps are located on islands, often distant from each other at considerable distances. The daily fluctuations in temperature in the Alpine altitudinal zone are also extreme: in the mountains at night and in summer it is winter, and a cloud has come up a little on the Sun - deep autumn. The flight of bees for a bribe is also necessary in bursts, and they must wait up to several cold days without switching on wintering instincts, i.e. a mountain hive should quickly warm up in the sun and store heat well.

Delon, the beekeeper, came to the conclusion that, first, the bees in such conditions need to be provided with the possibility of the fastest possible development of the family. Secondly, the type of hive most suitable for this should repeat the natural dwelling most preferred by wild bees - a log with a hollow. And in order to create conditions that will be good for the bees, and honey and wax will go to us, Roger Delon, based on the knowledge about social insects obtained by that time (middle of the last century), developed a very low wire frame capable of holding foundation without supporting threads ( see fig.), and already under it - a hive of square buildings 108 mm high, see fig. below.

For ease of care, Roger Delon made his hive-deck composite; the number of its buildings can reach up to 12 or more. The roof of the Alpine hive is deaf, like the vault of a natural bee hollow. There is only one letok, there are no ventilation holes to reduce heat loss. Ventilation is also like that of wild bees in a hollow: air enters through the notch, rises under the roof, cools down there, goes down and exits again through the notch. Bees ventilate themselves by fluttering their wings. There are also no stores, separators, diaphragms, etc., which we need more than bees. Thus, although outwardly the alpine hive of Roger Delon is similar to the multi-hull Langstroth-Root, the differences between them are fundamental.

The first tests of the new hive gave a result that Delon's colleagues did not believe at first, despite his impeccable reputation: the bees did not steal honey and did not go from family to family, even when 40-50 square meters were left for the bee colony. m. honey lands. In a very non-honey 1988, Roger Delon's hives produced 20-22 kg of honey, and dadans located in the same area - 2 kg each.

However, beekeeping in the hive of Roger Delon can be compared in terms of complexity and requirements for the professionalism of a beekeeper with caring for a canary or a budgerigar released into the garden in the spring. Labor costs for working with many small frames also increase in comparison with the Dadan hive by 3-4 times. At the same time, in flat places with bursts of flowering honey plants, the climatic conditions are not so extreme, but even there the bees do not have time to take all the available nectar and pollen, and from an excess of bribe they begin to steal honey, instead of thoroughly exploring the surrounding honey areas. Therefore, we often offer for sale as alpine hives the hives of V. Khomich and Varre, modified for flat conditions, based on the same principles.

The hive of Khomich differs from the hive of Roger Delon in the body height increased to 220 mm, which reduces the number of frames with the same total area. Hive Varre converted already under non-standard wooden frame reduced height and increased width, see drawings in fig. on right; it is even more easily confused with the Langstroth-Root hive. The honey flow from these hives in bad years is less than from the prototype, but this is due to the lower productivity of honey plants. In the mountains, its significance acquires fantastic values ​​due to the transparency of the air, moderate temperature and high insolation.

Ozerov and others.

From time to time, among beekeepers, interest flares up in the Ozerov and Lupanov hive under a frame enlarged to 500x500 mm. In conditions Central Russia with a long, but rather sluggish flowering of not very productive honey plants, it, according to the authors' intention, should have given the same effect as Roger Delon's hive in the mountains. But it was smooth on paper. A frame of 500x500 is far from optimal for the development of a productive bee colony (are there many dry warm hollows half a meter in diameter?) and instead of increased marketability in hives for large frames, there is the allocation of side colonies, walking bees and stealing honey.

How to make beehives

The method of assembling frames for hives is shown above. The assembly of hive sections from the point of view of carpentry is somewhat complicated only by the need to choose folds at the top and bottom. At the top, the rebate is selected both inside and outside, see fig. The outer folds provide a detachable connection of the sections during the assembly of the hive, and the hangers of the frames rest on the inner fold. In the absence of the opportunity to use milling machine folds can be exactly selected with a special folded planer - a sherhebel. Hives are assembled on nails: you need a lot of self-tapping screws of various calibers for the apiary, they will cost a lot, and they will not add strength to the hives.

Hangers in a poorly maintained hive can stick to the rebate, which is why enthusiasts are constantly suggesting non-rebate hanger designs. But in fact, it turns out that the side gaps of all of them “walk”, which is why the frames are no longer glued with hangers, but with sidewalls, which is much more serious. In general, the best foldless suspension is the correct timely care of the hive.

What are hives made of?

Traditionally, hives are made from seasoned non-resinous spruce, chamber or room dry, i.e. up to 8% humidity. In the air, then it will not completely dampen, because. from the inside it will be saturated with the vapors of bee bread, honey and the secretions of the bees themselves. Frames are made from the same spruce, but the best material for them is linden. Linden wood is light, which is why the whole hive is lighter, and very viscous, it does not prick under nails.

MDF is similar in properties to linden, but, as far as is known, no one has yet tried to make frames from MDF. Beekeepers are conservative people, and for good reason. However, MDF is not at all chipboard or fiberboard, it exudes gaseous products (“gassing”) even less than linden. More precisely, it does not gas at all: it completely lacks synthetic binders. MDF is obtained by pressing wood pulp with elevated temperature, resulting in almost pure lignin. On the expiration of phenol-containing compounds, etc. MDF is not certified, because That is unnecessary. In general, an MDF hive frame is perhaps the only thing a beginner beekeeper can experiment with.

plastic hives

AT recent times hives from various kinds plastics. The Finnish polystyrene beehive, see fig., is quite popular due to its relatively low cost and immediate readiness for work: set it, put the frame in, and you can move in a family. Also, the unconditional advantage of polystyrene foam hives is negligible heat loss, but it is worthwhile to understand their other features in more detail.

The popularity of Finnish hives has given rise to numerous attempts to make DIY foam hives, but this is not at all the same thing. Styrofoam is the trade name for expanded polystyrene foam. The last phrase is not a tautology; not expressing the same thing in other words.

Expanded polystyrene as a raw material goes on sale in polystyrene granules saturated with dissolved gases. In the production of foam products, they are poured into a mold, which is heated to 80-90 degrees; in artisanal conditions - immersing the form in hot water. Gases are released, the granules swell, fill the mold tightly and stick together; on the surface and on the cut of the foam, its cellular structure is clearly visible.

Styrofoam material is very fragile, and advice to make beehives out of it, fastening plates ... with self-tapping screws, this is not even funny. The styrofoam hive will settle down simply when being carried, even before it is filled with honey. And molding foam at home from granules is not realistic: a form to which foaming granules would not stick is expensive.

According to another method, the granules are foamed separately and a hot viscous foamy mass is pressed (extruded) into a mold, this is the so-called. extruded polystyrene foam, XPS. XPS is much stronger than styrofoam and it is possible to extrude hive sections from it. But - only at a properly equipped enterprise.

However, that's not all. The overall strength of XPS is higher than that of many types of wood, but the local strength (for scratching, cutting, pressing with something sharp) is much less. Therefore, if the hive is made of EPPS, it is impossible to remove the stuck frame from it without damaging the hive itself. In the same way, mechanical cleaning of the polystyrene foam hive is also impossible.

And that is not all. XPS, as well as its more durable and expensive substitutes (polyurethane, polycarbonate), are not absolutely resistant to ultraviolet radiation, temperature fluctuations, and precipitation. A protective paint/film increases its durability, but claims of a service life of ... 30 years are also not funny from the point of view of the most reckless marketing.

And that's not all either. Yes, plastics do not absorb condensate, it flows down in a plastic hive, from where it is discharged. But it is always warmer in a populated hive than outside. In a wooden hive, condensate is immediately absorbed, without evaporating back, and diffuses outward - the dew point always shifts to the cold (more precisely, less warm) side. Therefore, the microclimate in a wooden hive with the same external conditions more favorable for bees than in plastic ones, especially since in the latter there is no outflow of air through the walls.

And that's still not all. Almost any plastic, and especially XPS, when heated and under the influence of the slightest impurities of volatile organic substances in the air, gasses, which is not useful for bees, honey, or its consumers. Experiments with heaters have shown that XPS boards, tightly immured in building structures, seriously decrease in volume over several years, releasing droplets of styrene, a viscous yellowish liquid with a specific odor. There is more than enough volatile organic matter in the atmosphere of the hive.

Note: hence another argument against plastic hives follows - disinfection / disinsection, for example. against a tick, and treatment of bees in them by spraying preparations is impossible, and medicinal syrups are very problematic.

These circumstances are of little concern to the Finns: in the local climatic and economic conditions disposable hives for disposable bee colonies pay off very well. Moreover, a considerable, if not the main share of the income of Finnish beekeepers comes from the sale of wax for technical purposes. Which the Finns, by the way, are of excellent quality. But beekeepers who specialize in the production of food and medicinal bee products subject polystyrene foam hives to harsh and well-founded criticism, see for example. track. video about Shapkin's hive.

Video: about Shapkin's hive

About warming hives

From the foregoing, it follows that it is also undesirable to insulate plywood hives with foam plastic, and this is true. For insulation of hives, it is better to use foam - foamed polyethylene (PE). PE definitely does not gas, because. only chemically attacked by strong acids and alkalis, it is resistant in the open air. Think about the problems with plastic waste.

Penolon is produced in sheets up to 12 mm thick, so several layers of it will be needed to insulate the hive. It is not necessary to insulate the hive over the entire surface, turning it into a thermos: for a normal wintering of the bee colony, some heat exchange between the hive space and the environment is necessary. The scheme and method of plywood hive insulation are shown in fig.

When choosing foam for hive insulation, you need to request a specification or a certificate for it from the manufacturer and make sure that the base is high-pressure PE, suitable for the manufacture of parts, incl. medical equipment. In the production of low-pressure PE (otherwise called catalytic PE), a cadmium catalyst is used. His traces in finished product negligible, but cadmium and its compounds are highly toxic carcinogens of the highest degree of danger with a cumulative effect. Once upon a time, low-pressure PE household dishes were labeled "For non-food products and substances", but now "alternative" suppliers hide the mention of the method of obtaining their PE away in the paper.

Finally

So, which hive to start with? Completely without experience or, if the apiary is intended primarily for pollination, from a beehive-lounger. In the latter case, it is possible to use a Ukrainian sunbed without a store, and then it is better to entrust beekeeping and honey collection to a visiting beekeeper.

If you have bothered to prepare in advance theoretically and in general imagine what bees are and how to handle them, it is better to make the Dadan hive first. By increasing it, you can eventually move on to commercial beekeeping without increasing the area under the apiary.

When will you become skilled, the best choice there will be a Varre or Khomich hive. With them, again, without expanding the apiaries and without attracting assistants, it is possible to achieve such a profitability and marketability of the apiary that one can think about switching to professionals and one's own industrial apiary from the Langstroth-Root hives.