It’s isn’t hard to build your own DIY beehive! The bees are SERIOUSLY the bees knees! Not only do they provide “nature’s currency” or rather, honey, but their pollination abilities are what keep our flowers looking lush and our gardens producing tasty treats. If you are worried about the bee colony in your area, or simply want to increase your garden yield, I recommend starting your own DIY beehive. Scroll to the end of the article for tips on beekeeping, and more! Here is everything you need to know about beehive building!
Keep your bees off the ground if you have little ones. This hanging planter is stylish enough to be seen from anywhere in your landscaping. This hive isn’t for honeybees…rather for mason bees (these bees do not produce honey) they are known as the pollination powerhouses of the insect world. You can buy a mason bee hive like this at Amazon (it’s cheating…I know…but I figured I had to share!)
If you have a few sheets of scrap plywood and a mason jar or two (I know all of us have at least one! 😉 ) you can easily make your own backyard beehive. You will have to purchase a beehive kit (found on Amazon) as this is what allows the bees to enter and exit. Use a hole saw (via Hardware World) to give the jars a structure to “sit” in.
Keep things simple and out of the way with a homemade beehive rack. This YouTuber built his own beehive and developed quite the colony. They have great advice for new beekeepers, too!
If you only have a limited amount of space to work with, many would suggest building a nuclear hive! These hives are smaller than the traditional hive, and only holds 3-6 “frames” or “broods” this is where the bees live. This blogger suggests using lemongrass essential oil to attract bees to this hive. Something tells me it just might work!
This is another average 12-16 frame beehive. The tin can hanging on the outside is the “super” or where the hive will store their honey. The slit just above the ledge is how the bees will enter their new home!
Looking for the DIY beehive projects? Click the images in the slides or follow these links for the beehive building projects:
2. Amazon/Hardware World/ Remove and Replace
These links will also help beginner beekeepers get started.
For beginner beekeepers. No experience is needed.
How does one keep wasps from invading the hives? We have wasps that love to build their nests in our eaves. We had nasty black ones that built heart-shaped hives in a rhododendron at another house we lived in. The wasps seem to be more prevalent than the bees and I don’t want them killing off a beautiful bee garden I have in our new home.
There are a variety of things you can do! One thing I’ve read is to make the opening to the hive smaller so the wasps can’t enter. It’s also easier for the bees to “defend” a smaller opening. You can also install a “fake” wasp hive. Wasps don’t like to come near one another’s colonies, so this will deter them. PLace near your beehive. Here’s a link to the product: http://www.thecottagegardenfarmer.co.uk/2010/08/wasps-and-waspinator.html
How do bees do in the snow? We are on the snow line and though we don’t get a lot of snow like Tahoe, it does get very cold.
You will need to care for your bees in the snow, but with a well-built hive, it’s easy to keep them alive. I’ve used this article when it comes to winterizing my hives, and it’s been super helpful: http://www.dummies.com/home-garden/hobby-farming/beekeeping/how-to-keep-a-beehive-in-the-winter/ Bees will eat the honey they have stored throughout the winter, so you may have to make sure that they have enough to eat! If not, you will have to provide some kind of food for your bees.