The idea of an integrated arrangement of an apiary, in which several families can be conveniently placed and transported at once, sooner or later comes to every beekeeper's head. There is nothing original in it, and experienced beekeepers have long been implementing such designs. The classic pavilion for bees is in some ways comparable to a hostel or an apartment building, which also houses different families. But such facilities have one feature - they provide for the possibility of transportation from place to place.
General information about bee pavilions
It would be wrong to attribute such pavilions to specialized residential premises for honey plants. This is not entirely true, since the design is designed to a greater extent for the technical organization and maintenance of the houses themselves with letrooms. Moreover, the mobile pavilion for bees in the basic concept was calculated precisely as a means of improving the usability of apiaries. The benefits of this method of keeping bees get the owner rather than insects.
However, indirectly, bees also have certain benefits from such an organization of life. Firstly, the portable design saves the beekeeper from unnecessary manipulations with the houses, therefore, the honey carriers are less worried if they need to relocate their place of residence. Secondly, there is no need to arrange a separate place for wintering, which in itself is a serious problem in cold regions. A qualitatively insulated pavilion for bees provides optimal microclimate indicators at any time of the year. It turns out that this is beneficial to everyone.
Bee Pavilion Design
According to the technical arrangement, the pavilion is a metal-wooden base with several tiers, in which the running gear is given a special place. There are different approaches to its implementation. For example, large professional farms design structures with the possibility of their further installation on the chassis of a car or truck - depending on the size of the pavilion. The central part of the structure is a frame frame. The device of the bee pavilion, which is most advantageous from the point of view of mobile operation, involves the use of metal rolling profiles, to which the brackets of the rear and front springs are fixed. Under the roof on the frame are hives fastened to each other and connected with screws to the uprights. For the manufacture of the latter, traditional wood-plywood panels are already used, which allow the integration of store extensions. Some versions also provide for the installation of a veranda with a blind shutter.
Varieties of designs
Design models differ in a variety of criteria that determine the classification of pavilions. First of all, experts divide objects by the number of families. The minimum amount is 10. Such designs are usually used in large areas. They are easily relocated on the area and at the same time less disturb the bees during transportation. The traditional cassette pavilion for bees provides for the inclusion of a large number of beehives - up to 30. Such structures are more appropriate to use in small areas. There are classifications of pavilions, which are based on differences in the arrangement of the houses themselves. For example, windows of different designs and special ventilation systems can be installed on the walls. Differ and approaches to organizing the possibility of a spring flyby. Advanced projects are calculated on the device of bee removers.
Pavilion Dimensions
Typical medium-sized projects provide for a pavilion length of 6-7 m, a width of 2 to 3 m and a height of about 3 m. These dimensions meet the requirements of the traffic police, which is important when transporting pavilions on public roads. As for the indoor parameters, the height is usually about 2 m, and the aisles between the houses are 70-80 cm. When calculating the dimensions, it is important not to forget that not only the main material, but also the decoration in the form of insulation will affect the wall thickness. Usually the pavilion for bees is additionally provided with a foam-like layer, the thickness of which can reach 2 cm. Three-layer plywood is used as a finishing cladding that covers the insulation. If in the case of a foam insulation, the material parameters are calculated taking into account the requirements for the local climate, then the external finish should be as durable as possible. That is, three-layer plywood can be considered as the best option.
Tools and materials for the construction of the pavilion
In the manufacture of structures, much depends on the quality of the elemental base, so it is not worth saving on materials. The basic set of tools should be represented by carpentry and locksmith sets. It will also be useful to provide welding tools, a jack, measuring devices and paint brushes. Consumables require nails, coatings, hinges for windows and doors. Depending on the initial plan, the answer to the question of how to make a pavilion for bees with your own hands may provide for different approaches to the construction of the base structure. If you are counting on a small pavilion, you can focus on wood-shaving materials - in particular, give preference to fiberboard or chipboard panels. Massive structures, in contrast, are preferably performed using metal sheets. By the way, the frame base will also have to be made of stainless steel.
Installation work
In operations, you should build on the characteristics of the trailer selected as the platform for the pavilion. It should be leveled using a jack and leveling equipment. In the presence of sides and a floor they need to be dismantled. All parts that make up the basis of the design are made only of new materials. Work begins with the installation of a metal skeleton - a frame is formed from the prepared frames. Next to the technological holes are screwed wooden planks as a battens. It will be possible to qualitatively complete the pavilion for bees with your own hands only on condition that the fastening points were originally correctly placed. These are the points in the metal corners through which the elements of the crate are fixed to the metal with the help of self-tapping screws or screws. Wooden or metal panels are installed on the crate. At the final stage, it is necessary to provide the design with windows and doors.
Thermal insulation
Issues of creating an optimal microclimate for the life of bees are key in the arrangement of traditional beehives, and of course, are essential when building mobile apiaries. Since the content of bees in the pavilions is calculated for the winter period, the creation of appropriate thermal insulation is required. The function of the insulation can be performed primarily by environmental materials, which at the same time are suitable for installation in the structure under consideration. It can be cork, natural flax fiber or traditional mineral wool. From the point of view of installation, it is more advisable to use cork panels, since they are easily processed and easily attached to hardware. More complicated is the situation with fibrous and cotton insulators. They will have to be laid out on a vertical plane, while ensuring uniformity and the absence of voids. Further, you can apply the principle of the crate, the elements of which will press the material against the wall.
Pros and cons of pavilions for bees
The advantages of the cassette content of bee colonies are obvious and emphasized by many experts. First of all, the pavilion facilitates the care and maintenance of the farm for the owner himself. For example, feeding is simplified and families develop faster. Since the design of the pavilion for bees is being developed with the possibility of movement, then its advantages include increasing the efficiency of the pollination-honey process. Timely relocation of houses to the most profitable places of the beekeeping farm ultimately affects both the improvement of the quality of honey itself and the health of insects. If we talk about the minuses, then perhaps the only significant drawback of the pavilions will be the close proximity of the bee families to each other. But the problems of the internal organization of life depend on how much the construction and houses are initially suitable for the maintenance of specific families.
Conclusion
With all the advantages of mobile pavilions for bees, their use is not always justified. Most often, owners of large apiaries resort to such structures, which really make sense to move the hives. If we are talking about a modest economy, then the pavilion for bees may be redundant. In any case, the maintenance of several families in separate houses is in no way inferior to the cassette organization of the life of honey plants, if the processes of feeding and care are properly organized. Another thing is that the pavilions have obvious advantages in terms of comfortable maintenance of large bee farms that require increased attention.