Beehive Bench Stand

Sparky · April 21, 2012, 10:18:57 PM

Here is a stand I built and put in place today at one of my a remote bee yards.
Love the location that is surrounded by olive bushes in full bloom and the floral smell that is fantastic.

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slacker361 · April 21, 2012, 10:21:19 PM

Looks good to me

BlevinsBees · April 22, 2012, 05:42:14 AM

I like the portability of it. Very nice and sturdy.

DoctorZ · April 22, 2012, 07:50:45 AM

Very Nice!

Would the end grain on the legs wick up moisture?

specialkayme · April 22, 2012, 10:34:52 AM

Nice bench.

Personally I don't see the need for anything more than two cinderblocks under a hive, or six cinderblocks under two 2x4's. Especially in an outyard. But I can respect a well built item when I see it. :-D

Joe D · April 22, 2012, 11:14:55 AM

Looks real nice Sparky, and should work well.

Joe

CVBees · April 22, 2012, 12:45:48 PM

Sparky,

Long time no see. Nice looking bench, but the reason I replied was Olives? in Hagerstown? no kidding is it commercial? or on your property somewhere? Is your daughter still into bees? Hope all is well.

CV

FRAMEshift · April 22, 2012, 01:13:55 PM

I think he means Russian Olive. Very nice looking and good smelling non-native shrub.... that is highly invasive. I have one in my yard which I am trying to kill. I have been late to realize that non-native Wisteria, Crepe Myrtle, bamboo, and Russian Olive and not your friends.

kd7kxw · April 22, 2012, 01:19:39 PM

Quote from: FRAMEshift on April 22, 2012, 01:13:55 PM
I think he means Russian Olive. Very nice looking and good smelling non-native shrub.... that is highly invasive. I have one in my yard which I am trying to kill. I have been late to realize that non-native Wisteria, Crepe Myrtle, bamboo, and Russian Olive and not your friends.

Good Luck killing it, when I was a kid the seeds got into our pasture through the irrigation water and it was a constant battle to keep them at bay. I was the only kid I knew that owned a machete for practical purposes.

William F Abell Jr · April 22, 2012, 02:13:15 PM

Nice work on the bench. I learned last year that I couldn't use a stand with any kind of opening under the hives. Where I am in the mts. of central VA the copperheads love those spots. I use nothing but solid cement blocks-no openings. By the way does anyone know the difference between Russian Olive and Autumn Olive? I have always called mine Autumn Olives and the bees and the other pollinators love them. Sorry to get off topic.

Sparky · April 22, 2012, 03:07:09 PM

Quote from: DoctorZ on April 22, 2012, 07:50:45 AM
Very Nice!

Would the end grain on the legs wick up moisture?

If you were ambitious you could buy the treatment to paint the end cuts like you should on all cuts, on pressure treated lumber but I figure it will give me years setting on the stone bed before it will need anything done to it.

Sparky · April 22, 2012, 03:28:56 PM

Quote from: CVBees on April 22, 2012, 12:45:48 PM
Sparky,

Long time no see. Nice looking bench, but the reason I replied was Olives? in Hagerstown? no kidding is it commercial? or on your property somewhere? Is your daughter still into bees? Hope all is well.

CV

Hello again ! Yes the olives are either Russian or autumn olive that i planted many years ago in several locations for wildlife food and cover. The berries are not of real olive size that you are thinking of. My neighbor lady across from my house had a field that was cleared and left to grow wild and guess where the birds deposited all the seeds. I have a spot as you seen in the pic. that she give me to put bees in that is just polluted with them and the smell is just wonderful. My Daughter is not doing as much as she did with me, she has a boyfriend now that she is growing to be a beautiful young lady and don't have as much time to play with dad you see. :'( You can't keep mother nature at bay. Hope all is well with you and yours also.

Sparky · April 22, 2012, 03:37:57 PM

Quote from: billabell on April 22, 2012, 02:13:15 PM
Nice work on the bench. I learned last year that I couldn't use a stand with any kind of opening under the hives. Where I am in the mts. of central VA the copperheads love those spots. I use nothing but solid cement blocks-no openings. By the way does anyone know the difference between Russian Olive and Autumn Olive? I have always called mine Autumn Olives and the bees and the other pollinators love them. Sorry to get off topic.

The Russian variety is more aggressive and will get larger to tree form. My bushes are of the Autumn variety that get to be about 10'-12' tall. The Russians will hold on to the berries till later in the season. The honeybees are on them in great numbers and you can hear the bushes just hum.

Dange · April 25, 2012, 10:35:47 PM

Very nice! I also built one similar to yours. One difference that I did that you might want to consider is your first and end cross pieces I made four inches longer to make a frame stand.

Sparky · April 26, 2012, 09:31:16 PM

Quote from: Dange on April 25, 2012, 10:35:47 PM
Very nice! I also built one similar to yours. One difference that I did that you might want to consider is your first and end cross pieces I made four inches longer to make a frame stand.

Thats a good thought. My stand would not be wide enough. I measures 17" front to back overall.