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How to Make Natural Made Bee Hives

Honeybees can thrive anywhere with flowers and plants nearby. As long as bees can access nectar and pollen, a swarm will maintain its population. Try to find a site that is somewhat sheltered and partially shaded so that the hive can sustain heavy winds and sunlight. Be mindful of your non-beekeeping neighbors; avoid spots where bee flight paths will cross public areas. With the right materials, you can build a hive in less than a few hours.

Things You'll Need

Bottom board (wooden stand to hold hive)
Large brick or concrete block
Wooden frame
Large wooden box
Copper naphthenate wood preservative
Oil-based paint and brushes
Wood glue
Hammer and nails
Honey supers (frames of comb)
Queen excluder
Wood inner cover
Aluminum outer cover
Beeswax foundation with hexagonal cells
Smoker
Straw and grass to fuel smoker
Feeder with sugar syrup

Instructions

- 1
  Dip the wood parts -- the bottom board and frame -- in copper naphthenate wood preservative, and coat them with oil-based paint.
- 2
  Secure the bottom board on a set of bricks or a concrete block to keep it off the ground.
- 3
  Attach the wooden frame to the bottom board using wood glue and nails. The wooden frame should be light in weight, but capable of holding sheets of beeswax.
- 4
  Put sheets of beeswax foundation in the frame. Make sure that the beeswax foundation is imprinted with the hexagonal cells so that bees can nest and build straight combs.
- 5
  Place 10 frames of comb in the large wooden box to build the body of the hive, also known as the brood chamber. Bees will use this space to rear brood and store honey.
- 6
  Add honey supers. These frames of comb will allow bees to stock surplus honey.
- 7
  Place a queen excluder in between the brood chamber and the honey supers. The queen excluder will segregate the queen bee from the honey supers by keeping her in the brood chamber.
- 8
  Install a wood inner cover to provide insulation and to prevent bees from attaching comb to the outer cover.
- 9
  Install the outer cover to protect the hive from weather. An outer cover is built by nailing a sheet of 3/8-inch plywood to the rim of the hive and then covering the sheet with a piece of aluminum.
- 10
  Attach a smoker to calm the bees and reduce instances of stinging. Add grass and straw to fuel the smoker.
- 11
  Insert the feeder with sugar syrup.

Insects & Science