Commercial 2-way Pallets: How we build our honey bee hive bottom boards.

In this video, I show the dimensions of how we set up and build our custom 2-way pallet bottom boards (bases) for our honey bee hives. When you become a commercial beekeeper you have to think about efficiency in both servicing and moving the hives around. Pallets are the best design for this application.

[joetripp]

I love that you're thinking of the future as well as bee space and convenience with what you're building. That extra time up front should save a lot of time in the long run. We love Bailey's Bee Supply as well.

[johnmarshall]

Bailey's are good people but my go to is Miller bee supply. Do a lot of business with them, they are also good folks to deal with. Thanks for the video, keep them coming!

[jasonseaward]

You should consider doing shiplap joints. I got a hive from a local supplier and there was a ¼" gap across the bottom board and my stronger hive started robbing that hive (which was a bummer) but a shiplap joint would solve that. Im going to be doing that when i make my lids, and bottom boards.

[GaryManess]

Holler out bee keeper's 🐝 hope it helps get you out there. Great video

[kellycarpenter]

This is cool .No w clips. All hot dipped too .Kel

[jasonfought]

All.of my bottom boards are built with 3/8 gap. Works great! No mice

[Jim_]

Ashby. Hey man I live in Rougemont. I am wanting to move to a sideliner operation and hopefully commercial down the road. If you ever get the time I would love to check out your setup and ask some questions.

[Zarealy]

What species of wood are you using for all your equipment?

[PutEmInTheBox]

Ever use advantech before you started the wax dipping?

[bennymccartney]

What machine do you use to make the langstroth frames themselves, not the jig to put them together

[kellycarpenter]

Cool my pallets look like shit ..I'm going to be selling some real estate and up grading .hopefully 2000 bee hives .So we are going to be talking .But I like to do it in person .That means I have a drive to make .. I'm going to need bottom board vents because I take them to the California desert .for varna control and desert blossom honey to make my mead .Ill show up with some of my honey wine .Kel

[sidelinerbeekeeper]

Bees and equipment are so cheap coming out of almonds. We are so envious here in Canada that we can't buy trailer loads and cross the border. Buy, split, sell, and you pretty much get them Cali bees free with a little sweat equity. I started out building my equipment myself, but as the volume I needed grew faster than I could keep up, (still working another job)I had to purchase pre built. I say this because I was sure glad I used the same dimensions on my own equipment that I manufacturered as the commercial guys normally would, so everything was interchangeable. I know a dollar saved is a dollar earned, but the money in a bee business comes from the volume of bees that you have producing, not the money you save on equipment. The model I just suggested buying from Cali, buy/split/sell is the fastest way to grow and get a return on your investment and turn a profit, I suggest you have the knowledge to keep bees first. It's painfully slow growing bees out and your skill level is superior to the hive count that you currently have, it takes years for the two items mentioned to come in line. I'm starting season 5 this spring with 300 colonies and 80 plus nucs, I have a short season which doesn't allow much growth, 60% get split and if I take more than 3 brood frames at the split I lose my honey crop because I'm still drawing comb(new beekeepers don't have any extra comb). I wish I could get Cali bees, I'd buy 1000 and work them. No money in box building your own equipment. Have a good season this summer, I hope the boxes are heavy.

[KirBeesFarms]

Do you sell pallets? I need about 50.