DIY hive frames - dimensions, drawings, instructions and photos

Frames for hives are the most important “consumables” that beekeeping cannot do without. This is one of the main elements of the hive. Each beekeeper must have a supply of honeycomb frames, because the demand for them in the bee farm arises constantly - it is necessary to regularly replace old and broken ones, and add new ones when expanding the bee colony.

The quality of the honeycomb frame largely determines the success of the development of the bee colony, the calmness and efficiency of insects, and hence the amount of honey collected.

for novice beekeepers to independently master the production of frames for their hives, since purchasing ready-made ones requires additional cash costs and is not always possible at the right time.

What should the framework be?

Despite the seemingly simple procedure, several important factors need to be taken into account when assembling frames. The quality of the product depends on the following points:

• base type;
• number of frames;
• dimensions;
• string tension method;
• form.

Making frames with your own hands
Frames have a classic design and consist of two elements - a base and a wire . The size is influenced by the volume and type of hive. There are ready-made frames on sale, plastic ones are especially popular, but purchasing them all the time is very expensive (compared to homemade analogues).

Important ! The main function of the frame is to limit the construction of cells. Thanks to it, bees direct potential in the required direction, which a person regulates at his own discretion.

As a rule, several slats are installed inside the hive parallel to each other. Slats of different thicknesses are installed at the bottom and top of the structure. To make your own frames, you need dried wood without defects. Moreover, it is better not to use pine and birch blanks - the optimal material for homemade products is soft larch.

Construction frame in beekeeping

Innovative bee frame

Types and designs of hives

The main difference between bee houses is the size of the hive frame and its location, the structure of the walls and volume. Depending on the design, hives are divided into two types:

• Risers in which the frames are located one above the other, which is why they are also called vertical. To create additional space, the hive is increased in height.
• Sun beds that have many frames (20-24 pieces). They are installed in one row. When making a hive, additional space is immediately created in it.

Bee houses come with one and two walls, as well as combined ones: the front and back sides have double walls, the sides have single walls. How the frames are set relative to the entrance determines how much evidence will be skidded. When positioned perpendicularly - with cold, when positioned parallel - with warm.

It is very difficult for a novice beekeeper to choose the type of hive. But the future beekeeper should know that it is necessary to take into account the climatic conditions of the area and the presence of honey plants. The method of beekeeping is of great importance. From the very beginning, you need to determine for yourself what kind of apiary will be - stationary or nomadic.

What types of bee frames are there?

Although frame hives are a beekeeper's most important tool, they are made and look different. The most common types of products are:

• sectional;
• coverings;
• construction;
• experimental;
• outposts.

DIY bee feeder

Traditional frame designs

There are also species, the use of which is determined by the characteristics of the life activity of insects:

• nesting _ They are installed in the brood zone, often at the bottom of the hive. Performs the function of a honeycomb;
• store-bought . Necessary during honey collection, located in the upper part.

Nesting frame for bees
Using covering frames, the nest is separated from the rest of the space in the house. Insulation pads are placed behind such structures. Such frames are needed in winter, when temperature conservation is required.

Go ahead. The building frame is a regular frame with a strip of foundation. The latter is necessary as a guide - it shows the bees the direction in which they should build honeycombs. As a rule, such a frame is attached in the center of the house or the 2nd one.

Sectional frame

Feeder frame for bees

As for the sectional frames , it is from them that beekeepers obtain honey.

If we talk about nurseries, incubators and feeders , then the latter are most common. With their help, food is supplied. Often, a honeycomb frame lined with plywood can hold up to 2 liters of syrup. The incubator - and this, as you might guess, is an isolated area - contains eggs, larvae, pupae or queen cells. The nursery, necessary for attaching cells with queen cells, is equipped with special movable slats.

Bee frames

Expert opinion

Ponomarev Sergey Stepanovich

Beekeeper with 30 years of experience, Candidate of Technical Sciences

In a regular store kit there are 4 frames and containers, and the dimensions in this case are 145x435 mm. It is worth knowing that insects do not really want to work in plastic frames.

Answers on questions

Many beekeepers believe that bees winter worse in painted hives. Is this true?

Yes. In hives with unpainted walls, gas exchange is better and there is less dampness. It is no coincidence that screen wood is considered the best material for making hives.

What materials are hives made from?

Wood (boards), hardboard, plywood, foam plastic, etc. are suitable for making hives. However, the most suitable, traditional and well-accepted material by bees is wood.

Where to place an apiary in the garden?

It is advisable to place the apiary in a place protected from the wind. It is better along a solid fence, the wall of a house or a barn on the south side. Place the hives on stands, the direction of the entrances is south or southeast.

What should frames be made of - plastic or wood?

If you plan to make frames yourself, you must decide not only on the type of construction, but also on suitable materials.

Table. What are the frames made of?

Sun lounger

This is the most common and popular type of hive among beekeepers. The lounger is easy to use. Bees live comfortably in it. If the number of insects grows rapidly, frames can be added. The hive body fits 24 pieces. This type of bee house can be easily made by yourself. However, it should be taken into account that it is a massive structure. Sunbeds have a number of varieties:

• Vladimirsky is the largest bee house. The dimensions of the frames of the hive-lounger reach 430 x 450 millimeters. There are 32 of them placed in the case.
• Standard – the number of frames can be different: 16, 20, 24.
• Polish or Ukrainian - the elements of the hive are narrow and tall, there are 20 of them.
• Kenyan is a large type of structure that holds 40 frames. It is made not from wood, but from bark.

Frame sizes

One of the key requirements for a hive is the size of the frames . The productivity of insects will largely depend on them, which, in turn, will influence the future development of the apiary.

Hive frame sizes

It is for this reason that you should not only make the frames correctly, but also install them correctly.

1. The distance between adjacent frames should be about 4 cm - this will provide standard streets for the movement of insects.
2. The width of the top bar should be approximately 25 cm.
3. The lower/upper elements should be located at a distance of about 1 cm from the walls of the house.
4. There should be 5-7 mm left from the side slats to the bottom of the structure.
5. From the bottom slats - about 2-3 cm.

Note ! The finished frames must be securely fixed inside the hive. On the other hand, if necessary, they should be easily and quickly removed.

The manufactured frames should be securely fixed inside the house

Bee frames are measured by external dimensions and have the following parameters:

• Euro frames – 223x370 mm;
• Zander hive – 220x420 mm;
• Langstron - 232x448 mm;
• Dadan-Blatt hive – 300x435 mm;
• Golets – 250x330 mm;
• Dadana - 285x448 mm.

Alpine hive drawings

It is important that the hive conditions do not differ from the classic sizes.

On a note ! In general, the elements of the entire structure are connected, and therefore a correct comparison of dimensions is required. If the combination is incorrect, you will not be able to achieve family development.

For your own production, you can use common drawings - for example, a Ukrainian beehive.

Dadan, Ukrainian, multi-body hives

We also note that all frames consist of 4 main slats, let’s get acquainted with them.

Any frame consists of 4 main slats

Top rail

It often has special grooves that allow it to be fixed between a pair of side slats.

Bottom rail

A special block, its length is the same as the gap between the two side slats. The optimal width is 2.5 cm.

Side rails (2 pcs.)

These elements can be:

• rectangular;
• trapezoidal (widening at the top);
• in the form of a fork (the top rail is inserted into its upper groove).

Since most of the load from the honeycomb falls on the side strips, their width in the narrowest part should be at least 2.5 cm. This is regulated by the current GOST.

GOST 20740-75. Hives, technical specifications . Downloadable file (click the link to open the PDF in a new window).

GOST 20740-75

Traditional wooden structures use steel wire

Advantages and Disadvantages of Configuration

First let's look at the benefits of a narrow-tall hive configuration:

• there is no need to attach additional stores and extensions to the hive (the house is already large enough), which makes placing honey in the combs more convenient for bees, and also makes it easier for the beekeeper to work with the hive;
• ease of operation: the hive is installed in one place, and after that all manipulations are associated exclusively with the frames;
• convenience of carrying out anti-swarm measures;
• facilitating routine inspections of the hive: the nest is well inspected at any time and period of development of the bee colony, in addition, the nest can be expanded once with many honeycombs, thereby reducing the number of inspections;
• minimal probability of honeycomb breakage during honey pumping (the side bars do not bend due to the strong tension of the wire between the lower and upper bars);
• In a narrow, high hive, bees overwinter well.

Overview of a narrow-tall hive. Part 2

Like any other bee house design, this one also has some disadvantages:

• heavy weight: difficulty moving the hive and impossibility of migration;
• large height: you have to choose high stands, and this makes working with the hive difficult;
• If you skew the frame during installation or make a mistake in choosing the height of the hangers and the fold (they should have the same height), the bees will simply glue the lower edge of the side strip to the wall.

Making your own frames

First, let's look at a few recommendations that are important to follow when assembling frames:

• first of all, select the drawings;
• then select the materials that will be used in the work;
• make frames according to GOST dimensions. Make sure that the structure fits well into the hive and does not wobble in it, otherwise the frame will have to be adjusted by slightly changing its dimensions.

Making hive frames with your own hands

Video - Rules for assembling frames

For what

The quality and quantity of honey and other beekeeping products obtained does not depend on the size and shape of the hives, but on how high-quality the structures are in it. Back in the 19th century, hives did not have frames. In order to collect honey, beekeepers fumigated the bees. This is a cruel method that often leads to the death of almost the entire bee colony. Modern analogues allow us to avoid such sad negativity. Collect a large amount of honey, normalize the development of the family, save the bees.

Modern models are purchased in the store. It's easy to make it yourself. The quantity depends on the size of the hive. But an important parameter is the size of the bee frame. A full-fledged process of work for the whole family is ensured during honey collection, during the wintering period, when the queen is worming and the young are being bred.

Master Class. Simple frames for bees

Let's look at an example of how regular frames of standard width (without extenders) are made.

Step 1 . The work begins with the manufacture of the upper strips. For this purpose, a 2nd grade board with a thickness of 20-21 mm has been prepared.

The frames will be simple

Second grade board

Step 2 . Small slats 47 cm long are cut from the board to organize the top bar. First of all, the board is cut into pieces of the required length (i.e. 47 cm). For 50 frames you will need approximately 10 such segments.

Sections of 47 cm

Next, smaller sections are cut - 41 cm each. To form the side posts of the frame, sections of 29 cm are sawn.

Step 3 . After we have cut all the slats, it is necessary to form a groove in each 47 cm long board that will serve as an “ear” for hanging the frames in the nest. In the example, a conventional milling machine is used to form the groove.

It is important that the size of the “ear” is exactly 10 mm. All 10 boards are processed in the same way.

A groove needs to be formed in each board

All segments are prepared

Step 4 . There is a groove on both sides of each board. All that remains is to cut them longitudinally, for which in the example we use a homemade sawing table (a Makita hand-held circular saw is connected, and a distance of 25 mm is set using a parallel stop).

Smaller planks (41 and 29 cm) will also be sawn, but already 10 mm wide.

Homemade sawing table

The distance is set to 25 mm

Step 5 . All top strips are cut. In the example there were 62 pieces.

Side strips are also ready, 80 pcs. (enough for 40 frames). There are so few of them because there was a lot of material with knots that had to be thrown away.

Upper bars

Side bars

Step 6 . All planks are laid out for drying, since raw wood was originally used.

Important ! This drying method has a significant drawback: parts that are located near the pipe and next to the stove itself may become distorted. Especially if there are at least small knots there.

The slats are laid out for drying

Step 7 . After 2-3 days, when the planks are dry, you can make frames from them. To do this, you can use, say, this simple device - a tablet for making frames.

The device is a regular piece of OSB board and 4 strips located between each other strictly at an angle of 90 degrees and at the distance required for the standard frame size.

Shot of the fixture

Step 8 . Then all the planks are simply placed between these spacers and nailed together. Moreover, you need to start scoring from the bottom corners. Each corner is leveled, nails are driven in, after which you can move on to the top part. Since we have grooves there, the slats will not go anywhere.

All frame strips are placed

You need to start from the bottom corners

At the top there is a groove and an ear

Note ! This simple device will make the job much easier. It will take you no more than 30 seconds to put together one frame.

How to make a twelve-frame Dadan hive with your own hands

The dimensions and drawings of the twelve Dadan frame hives are given for the single-wall type, since the second walls are built on top of the internal ones and do not matter.

Preparing for work

With some skill, making a Dadan hive yourself is not difficult. There are several important points.

• Storing and processing wood in a dry place. Only dried wood is used.
• Study the drawings in advance and imagine the work order.
• Prepare tools and materials.

A job well done will last a long time. The lifespan of a manufactured hive depends on the material.

Operating procedure

• Blanks are cut from a 35 mm board according to the drawing. The joints are prepared and the folds are selected. The workpieces are polished.
• When assembling, wide boards are contrasted with narrow ones (if the front bottom board is wide, the bottom side boards are taken narrow).
• The joints are glued. PVA or carpenter's (casein) glue is used. It is important that the glue does not have a strong odor and is not toxic to bees.
• The ends of the connections are additionally reinforced with pins or self-tapping screws. Before further assembly, you need to let the glue dry.
• The upper tap hole is drilled, the lower tap hole is cut along the edge of the body.

During the manufacturing process of the bottom, extension and roof, it makes sense to periodically try them on in order to notice errors immediately.

• The removable bottom is made wider and assembled from quarter boards (or in another way with good tightness). Three strips are stuffed in such a way as to fit into the fold at the bottom of the body. The front side remains without a strip for ventilation. You can take boards thicker than 4 cm, this will make the bottom heavier, but make it stronger.
• The superstructure (store) is assembled similarly to the body. A fold is selected along the top edge of the superstructure.
• The roof is placed on the body or store. Over time, they change shape a little, so you need to make sure the roof fits not too tightly. There are holes for ventilation on the sides or in the front part. In order for the bees to be transported, the openings must be covered with a fine mesh.

Twelve frame hive size

Typical sizes of Dadan hive elements are 12 frames.

Frame for the Dadan-Blatt hive

Creating such a frame is also not difficult. For work you will need wood blanks, nails, wire, an awl, a hammer and pliers. The external dimensions of the product will be 300x435 mm. So, follow the instructions:

• the planks are cut out according to the dimensions shown in the figure;
• the planks are assembled, small nails are used for fixation;
• on the side slats, holes are made with an awl in increments of 6 cm;
• a steel wire is pulled through the upper holes on each side, then threaded like a “snake” so that there is no overlap;
• a loop is made at the last hole and twisted;
• The wire is stretched with pliers, but there is no need to overdo it. After this you can start waxing the frame.

Instructions for stringing the wire

After making wooden frames with installed spacers or shaped side strips, it is necessary to begin tensioning the wire to subsequently attach the intermediate wall made of foundation to it. To do this you will need the following equipment and materials:

• steel wire with a diameter of 1.5-2.0 mm, wound on a reel;
• drill or screwdriver with a drill of the appropriate diameter for the wire;
• marking drill jig or template that you can make yourself;
• hammer, pliers, pliers;
• nails for fastening and tightening wire.

To increase the convenience of unwinding the wire, it is recommended to install the reel on a vertical axis.

Master Class. How to tension a wire

To ensure that the string in the frame is properly tensioned, follow the step-by-step instructions below.

Table. The nuances of wire tension.

Installation and tension of strings

When stretching the strings on the frame, the order of work will be as follows:

1. using a jig or marking using a template, drill the necessary holes in the opposite strips depending on the chosen arrangement of the strings;
2. drive the tension nail into the frame;
3. pull the wire through the drilled holes, passing through them in a sequential snake;
4. wrap one end of the wire around the corresponding nail;
5. Pull the wire using pliers and secure it to the second nail in the same way.

The tension level of the string should ensure that a musical tone appears when it is plucked with a finger. Otherwise, it is necessary to perform a constriction.

Waxing frames

Foundation is a thin layer of wax on which hexagons are formed using a press (they will serve as cells for honeycombs). When the frames are ready and the wire is stretched, the artificial foundation is attached using a pattern. Typically the dimensions of the pattern are as follows: 295x450x30 mm. The part is stretched onto a board with a fold applied, and thanks to the pattern, the correctness of the folding is determined.

Expert opinion

Ponomarev Sergey Stepanovich

Beekeeper with 30 years of experience, Candidate of Technical Sciences

The frame is expanded by hanging foundation on it. In this case, you need to ensure that the upper rows are filled without fail, otherwise the insects will begin to form honeycombs across.

Is it worth using such hives?

Advanced beekeepers have long noted such a hive. Farrar observed the behavior and condition of all bees, compared honey production under various conditions, and also took into account the use of certain techniques. Such a hive is the most suitable for intensive and mass beekeeping, as it implies a large bribe from one bee family. The main advantage of the device is the preservation of space, which is ensured by the structure of the structure.

The greatest difficulty and problem is the transition process. Beekeepers often use the experience of experienced specialists, adopting some subtleties, secrets and tricks.

History of appearance

The first frame hive was invented by Pyotr Prokopovich. Soon after this, the first proposals to standardize its components began to be heard. But the decision on this was ultimately made only in 1918 at the first congress of beekeepers in the USSR, held in Kyiv. A well-known beekeeper in the former USSR, V. Shimansky, who spoke at it, expressed the idea that standardization, including for handicraft production, will make it easier for beekeepers to work and live and will help reduce the cost of materials for breeding bees, and ultimately honey and other end products of activity apiaries.