How to make a beehive of polystyrene with your own hands: the features of the process

Bees are useful insects that require careful care. Naturally, they live in families in specially designated places - hives. The latter can be made of any materials. However, hives for bees made of expanded polystyrene have become very popular today. Naturally, they have their own peculiarities, pluses and minuses.

Advantages and disadvantages of the presented constructions

Among the advantages of such products are:

- Simplicity in manufacture, therefore even the most complex design you can make independently;

- light weight, thanks to which the hives are easily transported from place to place (in some cases it is necessary to cover the product with something heavy, so that a sudden burst of strong wind can not demolish it);

- low cost, which quickly pays off;

- possibility of quick repair;

- no need for additional insulation, as the material of manufacture has excellent thermal insulation properties.

However, a beehive of expanded polystyrene, the drawing of which can be done independently or searched in books, has some drawbacks:

- low level of strength;

- the need for additional protection from mice and rats (although, in principle, they do not eat polystyrene);

- if the product has weak points, then the bees can gently gnaw it.

What materials are needed for the job?

Before making a beehive of expanded polystyrene, it is advisable to assemble the entire instrument and select the right material. So, you will need:

1. Expanded polystyrene for hives (extrusive). And you can use even those materials that you have left after buying a large home appliances. You should buy painted in a certain shade of polystyrene, which is used for insulation of buildings. Usually it has a homogeneous structure. It costs much more than a regular styrofoam, since it has a higher strength. The thickness of the sheets should be about 3 cm.

2. Stationery knife or other sharp cutting tool.

3. Liquid nails or other glue of strong fixation. You can also use a mounting foam.

4. Emery cloth of fine fraction.

5. Sheet metal profile for the roof of the hive.

6. Ventilation grille.

7. Metal frames, on which, in fact, bees will be equipped.

In principle, such tools and materials are enough to make a box.

How to build a structure?

Naturally, in order to correctly make a beehive of expanded polystyrene, the drawing must first be drawn on paper. Of course, you can find a ready-made sketch, but in your own you have the opportunity to take into account all the necessary details. Now you can start making the product.

So, the hive made of expanded polystyrene is easy to build with your own hands. First you need to carefully prepare the sheets of material. Cut out the blanks of the required size. Pay attention to the edges of the slices: they should be even. If during work they turned out a little crooked, then this defect can be quickly removed with sandpaper.

Cut the workpieces first to try on each other, and then glue. To do this, you can apply either liquid nails, or some glue that fixes the elements well. If even after this there are cracks in your design, they can be fixed with a mounting foam. Excess parts, respectively, will need to be cut off so that the frame is neat.

It is desirable to leave the glued bodies away for 24 hours. During this time, all parts are well adhered to each other. After this, all parts of the frame, which will be installed one on top of another, should be rubbed from above and below. Further, making a beehive of styrofoam with your own hands is very simple. All the bodies are glued together, taking into account the fact that on the front and rear walls you need to build the folds for the frame shoulders. On them it is desirable to attach small wooden slats. It is on them that frames will be established.

The roof of the hive is built last. For this, you can use expanded polystyrene, plywood, metal profiles or other materials that do not destroy the frame by its weight. If the roof is too light, then on top of it you can put some weight.

Helpful Tips

In order for your product to last a long time, it is desirable that all styrofoam, which will be under constant exposure to sunlight, be painted with paint. Naturally, it should not have a strong smell, while choosing a product without toxic substances in the composition. The fact is that bees are very sensitive insects. Choose a water-based paint without the addition of acetone and other irritants.

Also, make sure that the joints of the housing do not have any slots. Otherwise, unnecessary noise will be delivered to the bees, additional light will leak. Such factors can seriously disrupt the microflora in the hive.

If you bought material for the manufacture of the product, then you should stock up on several extra plates.

Features of the operation of structures

The hive made from expanded polystyrene is not too difficult to make by yourself, it is much more difficult to use it later. Very important point is the ventilation of the structure. In spring and winter, the grate should not be closed too tightly, despite the fact that the styrofoam can "breathe". In summer, the ventilation duct should generally be somewhat open, especially in hot weather.

In principle, the product does not require additional insulation, as a last resort, conventional polyethylene film can be used.

It should also be taken into account that the presented construction has a high degree of brittleness, therefore it is necessary to lift it, loaded with honey very carefully. Naturally, take care that the material is not affected by negative atmospheric influences.

Features of cleaning the hive

Having erected a beehive of expanded polystyrene with your own hands, do not forget about regular cleaning and disinfection of the hull. It is quite easy to do this. You need to wipe the walls of the body with a cloth soaked in a detergent solution. If necessary, you can apply propolis alcoholic beverage for processing.

If an infection has occurred in the family, then a weak solution of caustic soda should be used . After treatment, the body should be well rinsed with clean water and dried in the sun.