Bees
Sunday, May 6th 2012 @ 2:27 AM
We’ve decided to add bees to our urban farm. The hive we’ve decided to go with is called a Honey Cow. It is designed to be as close to the type of structure bees would build their hive in nature. Unlike the usual square commercial hives that we are familiar with, it does not have frames, foundation or excluders. Instead, it has top bars which allow the bees to build as they would in a fallen log; beautiful, natural combs. As it is less intrusive to the bees, it's easier to make and manage, which makes it a perfect beginners backyard hive.
MATERIALS:
55 gallon plastic barrel, preferably food grade (makes two hives)
22 feet of 1”x2” nominal lumber
46 feet of 1½”x1” lumber
2 X 8 foot of 2”x4” nominal lumber
A 3 feet by 4 feet piece of tin
20 - 1½” wood screws
10 - 2” wood screws
8 - ½ “ screws
Bungee Cord or tie wire
45 feet thin moulding OR natural fiber string and beeswax
TOOLS
circular or jig saw
drill
tin snips
tape measure and marker
The Barrel
Cut your barrel in half lengthwise, making sure that there is a bung hole in each half.
Clean it extremely well as you likely don`t know what was in it. It is best to choose a food-grade container to avoid potentially dangerous chemicals.
Lay the barrel down with the open side up, so that it would catch water. This is the position it will be in from now on.
On one end of the barrel (which used to be the top when it was whole) you may see a rim of plastic that protrudes, cut this away.
Rub the interior with beeswax or paint it with melted beeswax. This will remove any foreign smells that remain and make it more attractive to a hive. A drop or two of lemongrass oil is good to add as bees love it.
The Frame
Measure the length and width of your barrel and cut the 1”x2” lumber to make a frame. For example, if your barrel is 36” by 24”, cut 2 lengths of 25” and 2 lengths of 37” (the extra inch allows you to screw one piece into the next).
Glue and screw the frame together.
Screw the barrel inside the frame.
Cut the 2"X4" boards into 40" pieces. These boards are now the legs.
Screw the legs into each side of the barrel. Make sure you screw the frame to the leg and put several screws from the barrel into the leg for a good, sturdy fix.
Top Bars
Cut 23 X 24” lengths out of the 1 ½”x1” lumber
These are the bars to which the bees will attach their honeycomb. However, you need to provide a guide so that they make straight combs.
Screw a thin piece of moulding, 20” in length, centered on each top bar, with at least an inch on the ends of the top bar. This moulding will face down, into the barrel, when the bar sits on the frame. Rub some bee's wax on the molding.
The Roof
Using the 1”x2” lumber, make a frame that fits around the barrel frame, with a ¼” gap on all sides.
If you cut 2 lengths of 25” and 2 lengths of 37” for the barrel frame, cut 2 lengths of 27 ½” and 2 lengths of 39 ½” for the roof frame.
Take the piece of tin and screw it to the frame, leaving equal space on all sides.
Bend the extra bits of tin down and screw to the sides of the frame.
Using the tin snips, cut any extra bits hanging below the frame.
Put the roof on top of the barrel frame.
To keep the roof from blowing away, wrap the bungee cord around the roof and barrel, attaching it back on itself. You can also use a few bits of tie wire to tie the roof down on the hive.
