How to make a cheap bee hive from a barrel (Honey Cow)

[velacreations]

People keep bees in many different kinds of hives, but we will focus on a cheap and simple design, called the Honey Cow.

MATERIALS:
55 gallon plastic barrel, preferably food grade (makes two hives)
22 feet of 1x2 nominal lumber
46 feet of 1x1 lumber
2 X 8 foot of 2x4 nominal lumber
A 3 feet by 4 feet piece of tin
20 - 1 wood screws
10 - 2 wood screws
8 - 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 the barrel in half lengthwise, making sure that there is a bung hole in each half.

Clean it well. Choose a food-grade container to avoid potentially dangerous chemicals.

Lay the barrel down like a canoe, 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) there is a rim of plastic that protrudes. Cut this away.

Rub the interior with beeswax. This will remove any foreign smell that remains and make it more attractive to a hive. A drop or two of lemongrass oil is good as well.

The Frame

Measure the length and width of your barrel and cut the 1x2 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.

The Top Bars

Cut 23 X 24 lengths out of the 1 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 1x2 lumber, make a frame that fits around the barrel frame, with a 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 and 2 lengths of 39 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.

Tie the roof down to the hive to prevent it from blowing off.

Ready for the Bees

You are now ready for the bees. You can buy a package, a queen and bees, however the most satisfying way to get into bee keeping is to capture a swarm.

More information: velacreations.com/bees.html
More photos: flickr.com/photos/velacreations/sets/72157622528453587/

 

[Boogity]

Hi and welcome to the forums. Also thank you for the great ideas.

The photo album on Flicker shows a long slot cut into the bottom of the half-barrel. But it is not mentioned in any of the text instructions. Can you explain?

Do you replace the bung plug with the small 3/4" tapped opening open? Or do you allow the bees to enter and exit through the big tapped hole?

Thanks again.

 

[velacreations]

I let them enter and exit through the big hole, but you can reduce it, if you think it is necessary.

The slot was initially for ventilation and a screened bottom. I am not convinced it is entirely necessary, that is why I left it out.

 

[BirdBrain]

I have heard of Queen bee excluders. What are they and how would they work with this system?

 

[velacreations]

Queen excluders keep the queen located in a certain part of the hive. Most natural beekeepers and top bar beekeepers do not use them. The queen will naturally want to lay in the combs nearest the entrance.

 

[BirdBrain]

If this type of hive were used in say South Texas, what would you do to keep the Africanized bees out?

 

[velacreations]

why are the africanized bees entering your hive?

If you are suggesting that they will breed with your queen initially, that might be true, but other than that, if you buy bees, you are buying domesticated bees, not africanized bees.

A lot of beekeepers use africanized/hybrid bees as well, and just make sure you suit up real good. These types of hives (top bar hives) are used all over africa, so they work well with those bees.

 

[BirdBrain]

I don't currently have a hive although I keep dreaming of when I can. When I was growing up in South America we had trouble with the Africanized bees coming in and taking over hives. They were so frenzied that they produced little honey. We also had problems with moths coming in. That was back in 1980 or so.

We plan to retire in South Texas and wondered how to deal with the Africanized bees. We were visiting the folks on the old home place and Dad mentioned they had a large colony of bees in an old oak down the hill and half way up the next slope. He was warning us due to the kids, but it made me wonder about how easy it would be to keep bees there with out interferance.

 

[velacreations]

I don't know that you would have the same problem in Texas. Those bees are not african bees, they are hybrids with the feral bees. I've never heard them taking over hives....

A lot of beekeeper like the african hybrids because they generate more honey than the domesticate breeds.

 

[Icu4dzs]

OK, so this looks REALLY easy compared to the 3 hives I just built out of wood using the Dadant method. A very demanding set of plans to be sure!)

I studied your pictures and am assuming (either correctly or not) that the frames for the hive sit inside the barrel.

Please discuss the frames you use and how many of them fit in this hive.