This is information about the custom hive body I am designing and testing. This page will be updates with any additional information about the design as I change it.
The reason I originally designed this is that I wanted a box that I am able to build out of scrap 2x4s with a table saw and a chop saw. I don’t actually own either of these two tools, but I do have access to somebody else’s tools at no cost to myself other than fuel for travel.
Initial plans for the hive body.
Now, the first draft plans I made worked fairly well. A PDF of the plans can be downloaded from here. I built a prototype from these plans so that I had a chance to correct any issues before making more. I have discovered at least one issue with this design: there is a small gap on the bottom of the ends when placed on top of a Langstroth hive body. This should be fixable by adding a cross-piece on the bottom of the ends to cover up this gap. Also, I believe that I need to make the whole assembly a 1/16″ – 3/16″ taller to provide space for the bees to move across the top of the frames when there are two of these hive bodies stacked.
