Elevated hive stands keep your bee hives well off the damp ground and provides better air circulation, which keeps the colony drier. The hive's elevation helps deter skunks and other pests from snacking on your bees and makes it easier for you to access. Use the following information to build your own.
![[Credit: Illustration by Felix Freudzon, Freudzon Design]](https://cdn.prod.website-files.com/6634a8f8dd9b2a63c9e6be83/669d65ecf1f0ebc7f34a92d8_357140.image0.jpeg)
Vital stats for elevated hive stands
Size: 24 inches x 24 inches x 13 inches.
Capacity: This stand holds one hive, so you need to build one for each hive in your apiary.
Universality: This design is ideal for the Warré hive, the British National hive, or the Langstroth eight- or ten-frame hive. You can also use it to hold a couple of five-frame nuc hives.
Degree of difficulty: This is a very easy design to build. It's really not much more involved than making a simple tabletop.
Cost: As with any hive parts, using scrap wood (if you can find some) would keep material costs minimal. But even if you purchase the recommended cedar and fasteners, you can likely build an elevated hive stand for less than $40.
Materials list for elevated hive stands
The following table lists what you'll use to build your elevated hive stand. In most cases, you can make substitutions as needed or desired.
| Lumber | Hardware | Fasteners |
|---|---|---|
| 2, 8' lengths of 1" x 6" cedar or knotty pine lumber | Optional: weatherproof wood glue | 30, #6 x 2-1/2" deck screws, galvanized, #2 Phillips drive, flat-head with coarse thread and sharp point |
| 1, 8' length of 4" x 4" cedar posts | Optional: a pint of exterior latex or oil paint, exterior polyurethane, or marine varnish |
Here are a few tips for purchasing materials for your elevated hive stand:
Use cedar for yoru hive stands because it holds up very well outside. It's a little more expensive than pine, but it lasts much longer. Another suitable choice is cypress (if it's available in your neck of the woods).
In the materials list, you have a few more deck screws than you'll need. It's better to have a few extras on hand and save another trip to the hardware store.
You need a stand for each hive you build, so if you plan on having a couple of hives, you need to double everything in the preceding table to build a couple of stands.
