Do-it-yourself frames for hives (frame drawings, DIY production). Frame making, frame production, custom frames, custom size frames

You will have to arrange the production of frames yourself, since the size is 435*460 mm. It is not yet standard and such frames are rare on sale and quite expensive.

In addition, frames are usually sold in the form of semi-finished products, that is, in the form of sets of planks - so in any case, the frames will have to be assembled yourself, without relying on the help of your spouse or neighbor.

I immediately note that none of the frame strips should have knots, because they significantly weaken the strength of the frames, and when driving in staples and nails, they split.

The wide-high frame 435*460 mm, intended for use in the Lezhak, differs from the standard frame of the Dadan hive 435*300 mm. only height increased from 300 mm. up to 460 mm.

Only vertical gravity forces act on a frame installed in a hive standing in an apiary. The weight of a wide-high frame with honey, according to Andrei Yakimov, can reach up to 7 kg - this must be taken into account when choosing a frame design. My rough estimate showed a value of up to 6 kg. honey in a wide-high frame.

In order not to run into broken frames in the Lezhak, I consider it necessary to regularly subject the frames to random checks with a static load: we hang two dumbbells weighing 5 kg from the edges of the bottom bar. and observe the joints of the planks - there should be no visible changes in them. Ten, not seven kg. loads guarantee a margin of safety for the frames.

Here is a drawing of a typical frame for a Dadan hive:

I strongly doubt that it is right to call such a frame Dadan’s frame, because he probably used other frames: much simpler and more primitive.

For frame 435*460 mm. the top and bottom frames can be made in accordance with this drawing, and the side strips should be made 460 mm high, not 300 mm.

Frames of this design, as shown in the drawing, are good for nomadic apiaries, since frames pressed tightly cannot move sideways and it is difficult for them to swing around the horizontal axes - the lower edges of the edges of the upper planks.

There is an opportunity and temptation to buy fairly cheap Dadan frames and add them from below using simple flat strips. The side strips can be extended using metal plates and screws.

The problem is that the side bars can deform inward under load. This can be prevented by using cross bar with a cross section of 10*20 mm, deployed vertically.

The easiest and cheapest way, in my opinion, is to make wide-tall frames 435*460 as follows:

We buy sets of 4 Dadan frame slats and make 415 mm long slats on a woodworking machine. cross section 25*20 mm. and strips 160 mm long. section 25*10 mm. (double amount);

A new strip with a cross section of 25*20 mm. We make the middle horizontal bar of the frame and attach the side bars from the kit and extensions of the side frames to it with staples, and we make the old bar 415*25*10 as the bottom bar of the frame 435*460 mm.

For example, you can buy sets of the simplest design - www.seltehno.ru/katalog/vse-dlya-paseki/voshhina.-uli.-ramki.-komplektuyushhie/ramka-%28dadan%29-%28435×300-mm%29.html :

Hive frame 435*300 mm (Dadan) made of linden
Retail: 1000 rub.
Small wholesale: 900 rub.
Wholesale: 800 rub.
50 pcs/pack
Weight (packed) ≈ 12 kg.

Here is information about the frames in Lazutin's sun loungers:

The frame is assembled from strips with a cross-section of 24*10 mm, at the ends of which a microspike is made. Assembly is done using glue, which gives the frame strength and durability.

The top bars of the frames are 37 mm wide and serve two purposes: they establish the required distance between the axes of frames adjacent to each other, and also when installing frames in the hive, they form a continuous ceiling.

I think it’s a smart idea to make the top bars of the frames 37 mm wide, although, in my opinion, it’s easier to make frames with a uniform thickness of 25 mm, and the distance between the frames can be adjusted in different ways: strips 470*12*10 mm, overlays on folds, ...

We have to try different options manufacturing frames 435*460 mm. to choose the simplest, cheapest and fastest option.

Here Video demonstrating successful and quick way manufacturing side strips of frames -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slnc5vR4kPU

It turns out that you can quite easily and simply produce hundreds of side strips with Hoffmann dividers, without really straining to maintain the required dimensions - everything happens automatically when using the simplest devices.

Interesting and simple design framework (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HTrUIuUbX9I) can be seen in the Video published on YouTube.

Personally, I like this frame design the most, and I think its main advantage is that the maximum frame thickness has been reduced from 37 to 25 mm. — this will make it possible to reduce by approximately one and a half times the number of Loungers and boxes for storing frames removed from the Loungers located on the Apiary.

The distance between the frames in the Lounger in the apiary can be adjusted using strips of the required thickness inserted between the frames, or in other ways. For example, you can screw in screws with heads of a suitable diameter or place plastic plates with vertical frame dividers.

I think that it is more correct to set this distance not 12 mm, but within 8 - 9 mm. - then the bees will not block this gap with wax, but will use it for passage.

I bring a short history hive frames:

Today it is well known that the inventor of the hive frame in 1814 was our compatriot P.I. Prokopovich.

His first frames were standing - they rested with the bottom bar on the so-called “honey board” with cuts through which bees could pass, but the queen could not pass. This was the first dividing grid.

These frames were closed by all the slats and therefore mutually held each other.

The first frames hanging freely on hangers with free passages around them were invented in 1851 by the American L. Langstroth. These frameworks were further improved by A. Ruth, and practically in this form we use these frameworks today.

The invention of frames that interlock only with side slats is attributed to Quinby and Danzenbacker. If the first one had standing frames, then the second one had them hanging on short wooden rods located in the middle of the wide side slats.

The invention of a permanent frame divider on frames belongs to Hoffmann. These are the types of frames that lovers of interlocking frames use nowadays.

In accordance with the traditions that have developed in our area, the width of the street between adjacent honeycombs of frames should be 12 mm, and the width of the side strips should be 25 mm, then the distance between the centers of the honeycombs will be 37 mm.

When using “classical” Langstroth-Ruth frames without Hoffmann dividers, the required lane width is ensured by appropriate placement of the frames in the body.

Application practice various types framework showed their strengths and weaknesses.

Advantages:
1. When installing and closing the frames, the required width of the streets is automatically set.
2. When transporting hives for migration, the immobility of the frames in the body is ensured, which prevents the destruction of honeycombs and injury to bees.
3. When inspecting the nest, you can remove or install several frames at a time.

Flaws:
1. When installing frames in the hive and closing them, the bees are injured.
2. Bees will polise the places where the frames close, which makes their further separation very difficult. Sometimes, when removing frames from the hive, the separating protrusions of the frames may even break off.
3. As such frames are used, the width of the streets increases, since propolis and wax constantly accumulate on the edges of the dividers.
4. With such a framework, it is not possible to set the street width to less than 12 mm. Early spring To speed up the development of families, it is recommended to set the streets at 9-10 mm.
5. The manufacturing technology of these frames is more complex than the “classic” ones, since it requires additional milling of each side plank three times. In addition, performing this technique wastes 8-10% of the total volume of frame wood.
6. The wood consumption for the manufacture of these frames is higher than that of “classic” ones. This means that, taking into account additional milling operations, the cost of a frame with Hoffmann dividers will be higher than the cost of a “classic” frame.

"Classical" Langstroth-Ruth frames without dividers

Advantages:
1. When installing frames in the hive, the bees are practically not injured.
2. Frames are much easier to remove from the hive than frames with permanent dividers.
3. It is possible to adjust the width of the street depending on the need.
4. The manufacturing technology of these frames is simpler than frames with dividers, since the operations of milling the side strips are eliminated.
5. Less wood consumption than frames with dividers.
6. Taking into account clauses 4 and 5, these frames will be cheaper than frames with dividers.

Flaws:
1. When placing frames in the hive, you must set the required width of the streets manually. However, such experience is acquired quite quickly. For example, I use the thickness of the middle finger of my hand as a “measurement” of the required width of the street.
2. Before transporting the hives for migration, the frames must be additionally secured using removable dividers.

There are many options for removable dividers, but, in my opinion, the most convenient option is a U-shaped divider made of two wooden blocks 12*12*100 mm, secured with small nails on a crossbar made of tinned tin (from a tin can).

This separator is placed on top of the frame and, with its bars, ensures the fixation of adjacent frames.

For lovers of frames with constant Hoffmann dividers, I can offer a variant of the frame (conventionally called “half-Hoffmann”), which, in my opinion, has minimum quantity shortcomings.

This frame has a permanent divider installed on only one side, and the total width of the top of the side bar is not 37 mm, but 35 mm.

Regarding my priorities in this matter. I have long since moved away from Hoffmann dividers and use only “classic” Langstroth-Ruth frames with straight side bars.

So I intend to abandon Hoffmann dividers, because I am not going to roam with heavy Beds, and I don’t recognize other hive designs, and prefer to use mainly frames of the simplest design.

The template for assembling frames can be made of metal, wood, or wood-metal. It is better to make the corners that fix the frame metal: this will make it possible to drill holes for the wire - you just need to very accurately mark 6 holes on the corners, mark the drilling points and then without haste drill 12 holes with a diameter of two mm.

I note that the template does not require a flat platform at all: it can be made from bars with a cross-section of 50*50 mm. Use screws to assemble the frame and secure the corners to it with screws.

The production of frames is naturally divided into two stages: the production of 4 planks of 3 types and the assembly of frames, and it is reasonable to combine the assembly of frames with. To fasten the planks together, frames should be used - it makes it possible to speed up the creation of frames compared to using nails and a hammer.

For each of the 4 joints of the planks, you will need three to four brackets, since the load on a 435*460 frame is approximately one and a half times greater than on a 435*300 frame, where two brackets are usually sufficient.

It is possible to make a frame from one wooden plank and wire two to three mm thick:

I think that a frame of this design can only be used as a magazine frame: the frame measures 435*460 mm. The foundation is unlikely to hold, even if you use two one-and-a-half sheets of foundation, but I still think it’s necessary to try - maybe you’ll be able to come up with a way to make workable frames.

I came to the conclusion that it was necessary to buy ready-made sets of frame strips, because it was stupid to try to compete with production using semi-automatic machines. Most low prices found it on the website http://www.ramka-uley.ru/— the problem is that we need to agree on the production of strips for 435*460 mm frames.

I note that plastic frames are also produced, but they do not interest me for two reasons: firstly, plastic frames measuring 435*460 mm. not on sale; secondly, I don’t see the point in abandoning wooden frames.

I invite everyone to speak out in

After Prokopovich invented the frame hive, beekeepers no longer had to smoke out and destroy the bee colony to extract honey. Moreover, this invention soon allowed beekeeping to reach new level management, when it became possible to manage the development of the bee colony and the intensity of honey collection. It is on their basis that the following were created:

• Prokopovich’s first 10 and 12 frame hives with honey sleeves (nowadays honey sleeves weighing up to 0.5 kg are no longer used - they have been completely replaced by frame hives with 145 mm extensions);
• collapsible multi-body hives of reduced weight Ruta and Dadan with a removable bottom;
• non-collapsible 10 and 12 frames with 145 mm extensions;
• horned bodies with light weight for ease of handling during honey collection;
• beds with two packages of 12 frames each, on which two or more bee families can live, separated by outposts (they can be used with 145 mm extensions both for collecting honey and for mass breeding of bee families).

Therefore, every person who has taken up the exciting and profitable business of honey production needs to master:

• making beehive frames with your own hands;
• a technique for standing waxed blanks to obtain full-fledged sushi, as a tool for working with bees;
• maintaining dry land outside the hive in such a way as to protect it from damage by moths and mice;
• effective use of sushi to obtain brood in order to quickly increase the strength of the colony for intensive honey collection;

But they take longer and are more difficult to make, especially in Ruth’s hives, than, for example, frames for medals, because after waxing they can be completed not by a person, but by non-flying construction bees in their colony.

Video: Making frames for hives with your own hands

Types of hive frames

1. Nesting

For classic 10, 12 frame, multi-body hives Dadan-Blatt and for sun loungers, the frames should have the following basic dimensions: 435 x 300 x 37 mm. It is in this space:

• the bee colony is kept in winter;
• the period of spring development passes;
• during summer honey collection, the queen should not stop sowing young animals;

The product should be located in the hive, as shown in the drawing:

With proper maintenance of bees, honey is pumped out with your own hands only from the outer nesting frames, and products with blackened foundation, on which the queen sows brood, are promptly replaced with full-fledged dry material.

A strong family entering winter should be densely located on no more than 10 items, therefore, in a 12-frame hive, when forming a nest with your own hands, the 2 outermost ones are replaced by outer frames.

1. Store half frame

Half-frames have the following main dimensions: 435x145x37 mm and are used in the attachments of multi-frame hives Ruta, Dadana and in classic 12-frame hives to obtain pure comb honey. But you need to remember, when placing products on the guy wire, that the building bee goes into the 145-mm extension when the entire nest is built up.

The nature of bees is such that they collect nectar reserves in the free space that is available above the nest, therefore, with intensive honey collection, a strong, developed colony can completely fill a store with 12 half-frames with honey weighing 16 kg in a few days. After this, the full cassette is either replaced by one worker or a new cassette with drying material is placed on it.

The advantage of using cassettes with half-frames is that:

• during honey collection, the nest in which the family develops is not disturbed;
• you can plan pumping without stopping either honey collection or family development;
• you can obtain commercial honey without additional purification;
• frames filled with honey have less weight and size, therefore, the foundation on them is practically not destroyed during pumping.

1. Ruth frame

This design has intermediate (between the sizes of a classic frame and a half-frame) main dimensions: 435x230x37 mm. Frames for hives according to the Ruth scheme are used when industrial production honey, when in a multi-body horned hive a colony for honey collection is developed by a flying bee using brood from several queens. Using this method, in one season you can grow a family that fits in 6 or more buildings and is capable of collecting up to 250 kg of honey. At the same time, the total weight of the body with honey is about 30 kg, which is the optimal weight when pumping it out by 2 workers.

In this case, pumping is done only at the end of the season, and the numerous flying bees, worn out during intensive honey collection, are used according to Ruth’s scheme to obtain bee venom. To effectively use a multi-hull hive before the start of the season, it is necessary to have sufficient supplies of dry land that can serve, proper storage, 5 – 7 years.

Drawing of a multi-body horned hive with Ruth frames:

1. Grafting frame

This design is adapted for the targeted removal of the queen during her quiet change or in the case when she died. The product has the same basic dimensions as the nest frame and looks like this:

Before introducing the structure into the colony, queen cells with queens at the exit are attached to the transverse strips.

1. Ukrainian breeding

If the above-mentioned product designs are used by beekeepers to develop intensive beekeeping, then Ukrainian bee frames are made taking into account the nature of insects. The Ukrainian 16, not 12, frame hive with narrow high frames (300x435x37 mm) quite fully imitates the life of a family in a nest box. There is enough space in it for collecting honey and for the development of the family, in order to receive 20-30 kg of honey from the hive per season. At the same time, the queen does not wear out in one season and can sow for up to 5 years.

Making at home

In order to start making frames with your own hands, you need to have a supply at home:

• dry slats of appropriate sizes: 25 x 25 mm, 10 x 25 mm and 37 x 10 mm;
• thin stainless steel wire;
• bushings for frames;
• shoe nails;

and tool:

• pliers;
• hammer;
• an awl or drill with a 10 mm drill for a sleeve with a diameter of 11 mm;
• wire cutters

First, you need to make a set of strips in accordance with the drawing of a specific type of frame for comb honey. Afterwards the frame is knocked down using a hammer and shoe nails. For example, the frame of a regular nesting frame looks like this:

After making the frames, 3 or 4 holes are made symmetrically in the side strips, dividing 300 mm into equal parts, through which the wire is pulled, starting from the top or bottom. The end is secured to the side frame and the string of wire begins to be tensioned. But when tensioning, you cannot overdo it so that the sidewalls do not bend. After cutting the wire, the other end is secured, and the frame is ready for waxing.

When using the frames and pumping out honey, the weight of the honey cuts the wire into the tree and gradually weakens, which often leads to a break in the foundation. Therefore, to increase the service life of the product, it is recommended to insert special metal bushings before pulling the wire into the holes.

In narrow-high (for Ukrainian hives) frames, the wire is stretched between the upper and lower bars, as shown in the figure, which are thicker than the side ones and the wire can be pulled tighter. However, metal bushings inserted into the holes extend the life of narrow frames.

But even after waxing, the frame for receiving honey is not yet ready. It still needs to be put on a guy in the hive when there are a lot of young, but not yet flying bees in the family. Only after the construction of the honeycomb can the product be used for its intended purpose:

• place a nesting one for sowing cells by the queen;
• 145 - millimeter - into a cassette for collecting honey;
• for the development of the family and collection of honey in a horned multi-hull hive - the frame of the Ruta system.

Video: How to properly make frames for hives! (very fast)

Operation and storage of hive frames

Without a sufficient number of high-quality frames, the complete construction of which can only be done by bees, it is impossible to profitably maintain an apiary. Therefore, they must be treated with care.

Nesting frames are used most intensively:

• Firstly, after 7–10 sowings they must be removed from the hive and disposed of, because the cells in them darken, become smaller and the bees in the colony can crush them;
• Secondly, in winter, the family should go to frames that are already seasoned (brown), half filled with honey;
• Thirdly, the light ones are pumped out in the fall and stored dry until the next season, so that they are the first to be introduced into the hive in the spring before feeding the colony.
• In the fall, for the winter maintenance of bees, families are transplanted from Ruta hives into 12-frame hives, or into bed hives.

The queen, if she is provided with space for sowing in the nest, does not go into the nests and does not sow in them. Therefore, in 145 mm cassettes, with proper maintenance of the bee colony with your own hands, the bees bring only honey. The dry land, after pumping out and finishing the honey collection, is removed from circulation, treated with a solution of acetic acid against moths and stored.

It is best to store sushi in sealed bags made of thick polyethylene, which are not difficult to make with your own hands, so that mice do not get to it either.

Beekeepers are people who can do a lot with their own hands, because we are talking about the convenience of the bee colony. High quality and correct production DIY hive frames are very important for bees and honey production. We invite you to find out from our article what types there are and exactly how to make them.

This design is considered the most popular among beekeepers, but this is not surprising, since it is one of the most convenient for a bee colony. In addition, it’s easy to do it yourself by choosing correct size wooden slats. Beehive frames, both previously and nowadays, were mainly made of wood, as the safest and most environmentally friendly material.

Dimensions and features

The dimensions of the Dadan-Blatt structure are fixed by many years of beekeeping experience and are divided into store and nesting. Magazine frames (or half frames) are used in the lower tiers of the hive, so their size is smaller. The size of the nesting form is 435x300. The size of the magazine form is 435x145.

The components of each frame form are an upper and lower bar (1 piece each), as well as two side strips. The length of the top bar must include 1 cm on each side to install the frame in the hive (it will be held on these “ears”).

Scheme and marking of the future structure

The width of the side strips and the top bar is standardly 25 mm, the dimensions of the top bar in height are 20 mm, the width of the side bars is 10 mm. The bottom bar should be 10 mm in height and from 10 to 25 mm in width. Next, we will tell you what materials you will need to make this design yourself.

Tools and materials

Materials for the frame: dry wooden slats, sanded and prepared for hammering, as well as a coil of thin wire (can be purchased at a beekeeping store or at construction market). Tools for making: awl, hammer, pliers or strong wire cutters, shoe nails (thin and small). The workpiece is done on a convenient surface - a table or machine, so that all the elements are in sight and at hand. You can also use line clamps to secure it on both sides when pulling.

Step by step instructions

Properly making a frame for hives involves not only knocking together slats, but also stretching wire onto its frame.

You can see the exact dimensions in the figure at the beginning of the article; for greater clarity, the precise marking each frame part. So, what sequence of actions will need to be performed in order to correctly manufacture the hive frame?

1. Using shoe nails, all wooden parts are carefully nailed together. This is how you can make a frame. The next step is the holes.
2. Holes for pulling wire through are made in the side edges at an equal distance from each other. There should be four holes in total, the topmost and bottommost puncture should be double so that the wire can be secured.
3. A wire is threaded through the top or bottom hole on the side bar and stretched to the opposite bar.
4. The wire should be stretched symmetrically, like a “snake”, so that an even, symmetrical tension is formed.
5. After it is threaded into the last hole, you need to make a loop and twist it in a spiral, as in the figure below.
6. The frame needs to be tensioned well, but this must be done in such a way that the tree does not sag. You should have a total of four wire lines stretched evenly, which means your toiler frame will be ready for waxing.

In the same way, store preparations are carried out. bee frames, only there the number of wire rows is two. Next, we invite you to watch a video in which an amateur beekeeper will talk about his own process of making frames. As you can see, it is quite possible to make them quickly and easily, without much financial expenditure.

Langstroth-Ruta

The wooden structure of this hive is similar to the Dadan-Blatt design; it is also removed through the top of the hive, but the dimensions are slightly different. Standard norms such a frame base: height of the side slats - 232 mm, width - 35, top bar 9 in height, 470 in length (taking into account the width of the hive 450 plus 10 mm on each side).

The bottom bar is 8 high, 19 wide, 450 long. In fact, the design is very similar to the Dadan frame form; you can easily make it yourself using the above diagram (also using wire).

Drawing of a frame for Langstroth-Root bees

Video “Correctly stretching the wire onto the frame”

The key to a thriving apiary is a comfortable and convenient bee house. By taking care of the winged helpers and applying all his skills to making a comfortable hive, the beekeeper will receive a fragrant healthy honey, propolis, pollen and many other wonderful bee products.

Before the invention of the frame hive in the mid-19th century, beekeepers fumigated the hive while pumping out honey. As a result of this procedure, the bee colony completely died. Modern frame hives allow you to control the development of the bee colony and regulate the intensity of honey collection.

Making hive frames with your own hands

Having decided to take up beekeeping, a beekeeper, in addition to the ability to breed and keep bees, has to understand the timing of germination and flowering of crops, be able to prevent diseases, and, if necessary, treat the bee colony, make the home comfortable for his charges, repair or replace broken parts. An experienced beekeeper is a livestock specialist, a veterinarian, an agronomist, and a carpenter.

All details are evidence are definitely important. Each element plays its role in. Bee frames are the main design element that allows you to extract honey without harming the bee family. A high-quality frame can last for ten years. After each remelting of old honeycombs, it is cleaned and disinfected. Sometimes loose and warped structures require repair of sagging sidewalls or complete replacement.

Varieties of bee frames

Today modern technologies , of course, provide everything necessary for setting up an apiary. Buying a ready-made hive or its individual components on the construction market is not difficult. However, experienced beekeepers advise making bee houses with your own hands. And it’s a pleasure for an experienced beekeeper to repair or make a new frame for a hive.

The interior of the hives, filled with frames, intended for the production of honey by bees. Therefore, it is extremely important that the design is comfortable for winged workers.

Beekeepers' observations of the life of insects in nature made it possible to create a hive that is as comfortable as possible for breeding bee colonies and their honey production. The designs of bee houses and the sizes of hive frames used today were approved 100 years ago, in 1918 in Kyiv at the USSR Beekeepers' Congress.

There are currently 4 types of frames with standard sizes:

• Dadana-Blatta (43.5 x 30 cm);
• Langstroth-Rue (43.5 x 23 cm);
• half-frame for the store (43.5 x 14.5 cm);
• Ukrainian or reverse (30 x 43.5 cm).

Of course, each standard can have reasonable deviations and be thoughtfully changed depending on the individual needs and characteristics of the apiary. When deviating from the standard size, it is necessary to take into account requirements for internal proportions:

• distance from the hive wall to the side bar (7 mm);
• frame thickness (25 mm);
• the gap between the bottom bar and the bottom of the hive (15-20 mm);
• the distance between the upper bars, that is, the area of ​​the honeycomb (12 mm).

It is also important to remember that foundation has standard sizes. When installed in a non-standard design, it will remain consumables, increasing material costs.

Improper design and cramped internal space leads to disruption of the development of the bee colony and insufficient activity of bees during honey production. It is also difficult beekeeper maintenance of the hive.

Based on their functional significance, frames are divided into two groups:

1. nesting, intended for reproduction of a bee colony;
2. store-bought for collecting honey.

Wood or plastic?

Traditionally all the details of the bee house made of wood, well-dried boards of pine or cedar; aspen, willow, and linden are also allowed. But today there are also lightweight plastic frames. The main requirement for parts is high quality smooth surface and strong joints.

Of course, an advantage wooden frames is their environmental friendliness and bioenergy. Wood, having no chemical components, does not have a negative impact on living organisms. It is also well ventilated and retains heat. If necessary, any wooden part, bent or cracked plank can be easily repaired with your own hands or completely replaced. However, wood can be affected environment: at high humidity it swells and rots, and in the heat it dries out and cracks. Heavy structures create difficulties during transportation. IN wooden slats Bugs often appear and literally eat the wood part, destroying the structure and damaging the honeycomb.

Having light weight and high strength, plastic frames used in any honey extractor, even when collecting heavy heather honey. During transportation, the rigid structure prevents the foundation from breaking. High-quality plastic structures last for at least half a century. They are not subject to destructive natural influences and do not absorb honey. But plastic is more brittle material and if it cracks, it cannot be repaired; the entire frame will have to be replaced. For plastic frame No foundation is needed, melted wax is applied to its base, and then the bees will work on their own.

Experienced beekeepers note that on foundation in wooden frame insects work more actively.

Assembling a frame for bees with your own hands step by step

The number of frames inside the hive can vary from 8 to 24. Usually in the spring, 8 pieces are enough. Gradually, in parallel with the development of the bee colony, their number increases to 10-12. Huge hives with 24 frames are suitable for very large family. They are heavy and clumsy.

Regardless of the quantity, all frames of one hive have the same dimensions.

The most popular among beekeepers are Dadan-Blatt framework. It is not recommended to deviate from the dimensions by more than 1-2 mm, since finished product with inappropriate dimensions either will not fit into the grooves or will fall inside. Any frame consists of an upper and lower slats and two sidewalls.

Regardless of the type of frame, nested or magazine, sequence of actions does not change:

• Planks are cut out of wood according to the drawing and processed with sandpaper. The surface should be smooth, without splinters. It is not recommended to use bars with large knots, since the knotty base will quickly crack and collapse at the most inopportune moment;
• The planks are assembled into a solid structure using small shoe nails;
• in the sides of the frame, holes are made with an awl at a distance of 6 cm. A wire is pulled through these holes like a “snake”. When tensioning, the sidewalls should not bend, do not overtighten! The wire end is secured with a twisted loop. Instead of wire, some beekeepers use nylon thread(0.5 mm thick), which is fixed on the rail with a nail;
• Experienced beekeepers recommend antiseptic treatment of frames with propolis tincture. You can easily make it yourself by mixing a 10% propolis solution with alcohol or moonshine of 70-90% strength. After the alcohol has evaporated wooden surface is formed protective film, preventing the formation of rot and mold. And so to the bees natural processing will not cause harm;
• Waxing of finished frames is recommended after 1-2 days.

Wax moths are capable of destroying honeycombs and completely destroying foundation. Having discovered its larvae, it is necessary to urgently treat the honeycombs with vinegar. The smell of orange and mint repels moths. Orange peels and bunches of mint can be placed on frames and in honeycomb storage.

Ants can destroy a swarm of bees. Having penetrated the hive, these insects destroy the queens and bees. Lime or other viscous substance spread on the legs of the house will help protect against ants getting inside.

A regular thumbtack helps prevent the wire from cutting through the strip. You need to insert the buttons so that their holes coincide with the hole of the awl.

Frames last longer, assembled with self-tapping screws and glued with wood glue.

Based on the size of a standard frame for a Dadan-Blatt hive, experienced beekeepers increase the strength of the structure by expanding the upper part of the side bar to 50 mm.

Still, I found a place where I can put a woodworking machine in winter and combine useful things with even more useful things. This place is at a construction site. Three days later I am guarding an entire nine-story building (unfinished). In one of the entrances I decided to equip myself with a temporary workshop and master the production of frames for hives.

Just ssssssssssssssssssssssssaway from the rapist. In winter, no one appears here at all, you can plan not only the frames, but also the hives themselves until spring, if only there was enough material. So, don't give me up...

This simple household machine was kindly given to me for temporary use by a good friend.

My father also has a machine in the village, but it is homemade, heavy and terribly impractical. If I continue to keep bees, I definitely need to buy my own, but for now we proceed from the fact that a novice beekeeper has nothing of his own.

I rented the premises illegally, begged for the machine, but where can I find the material? Buying dry industrial wood will be expensive. In the basement of the house where I live, I raked out all the pieces of wood that could be used: door frames, some bars, frames and other “garbage” that I would not have paid any attention to before. Pine, poplar, alder - old wood, dry and light - what you need. Almost half of the trailer was assembled.

I went through this trash again, took out the nails, hinges, and cleaned as best I could of the paint (it quickly dulls saws and knives). Manufacturing can begin. The drawing of the frame has been in my head for a long time, here it is assembled:

One case requires 10 frames. Here are the components and their dimensions:

Everything seems to be simple and clear. I cut the blanks. This is for the top bars – 470 mm long:

For the lower and side strips - 415 and 220 mm long, respectively. Each piece was planed on both sides.

I make the top bars. I placed a side stop on the saw at a distance of 25 mm.

Pressing the planed planes against the table and the stop, I unravel the workpieces. I keep my fingers away from the saw, using a wooden pusher.

You can’t rush and yawn here - you could lose a finger, or even several at once. In general, if you are in a hurry, there is nothing to do at the machine. Extraneous thoughts during such work should not distract, not to mention the fact that not a single drop of alcohol should cloud the mind. The cost of a mistake is too high. A second - and you won’t get anything back. No matter how much you want, no matter how much money you pay... You can’t sew your finger back, you can’t restore the functionality of your hand. Unfortunately, there is bitter experience. Several operations and a year of rehabilitation...

Now I set the side stop to a size of 20 mm and cut the strips on the other side.

These are the top bars for the hive frames.

I try to ensure that the planks come out without knots. Small ones like this will work:

And those that are closer to the edges are already a marriage. I throw away a block with large knots without regret. It is heavy, releases resin, then bends on knots, and when hammering nails during assembly, it splits. And the most unpleasant thing that can happen is that the frame on the knot may simply break just when I am taking it out of the hive, full of honey or brood. The law of meanness...

And boards for the side slats.

That's not all. You need to cut out hangers in the upper bars. I make one cut:

And then another.

Well, the final stage of production is assembly. Those who have put the process on stream use powerful pneumatic staplers with a long staple for this. I, a beginner, used a regular hammer and nails. I like the nails for this job, 1.6x32 mm - they are long enough and the planks don’t split.

Having nailed the second side with one nail, I check whether the “horns” are in the same plane; if necessary, I correct it by turning the bar.

While on one nail, this can be done, when on two - no longer. If you don’t check, the frames can turn out to be a “propeller” and will interfere with each other in the hive.

I nail the bottom block on one side with two nails so that it does not turn, on the other, one is enough.

That's it. It would seem that making frames for hives is not such a complicated process, everything is quick on paper. But I had to work hard, stand in the cold, and strain my brains somewhere. And run around with the camera from the trailer - in the cold the batteries quickly discharge and the focusing mechanism freezes.

And I like this kind of work... With wood, and with my own hands. Well, if you don’t have the machine and the material, there’s only one way out – buy frames in the store. And the prices there... For example, we have one assembled frame costs 6 hryvnia, which is approximately 70-80 American cents or 24 rubles. In online stores you can find it much cheaper, for example, 3.5-4 hryvnia in disassembled form. But you will have to pay for delivery. Here's the foundation, but more on that another time.

All the best and see you again!

PS I made the 145 mm frames using a different technology, with locks, thin upper and lower bars. Details. And then I made a dozen frames at once.

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