# Dream Honey House????



## Queen Bee

I have been keeping bees for 12yrs. And during that time, I have been extracting/storing/working in a room that is in a tiny house that is used for storage, on our property... AND every time, I get ready to do something, I have to straighten, moving, clean and work for an entire day--just to get to my equipment, work tables.. I have part of my equipment in my pantry, part in the little house! This yr, I found several of my honey buckets had been used (by my husband) for minnow buckets, to store shop rags in etc.....Last yr I found someone had shoved my extractor into a file cabinet and broke the 'gate'!! It's been something every yr... 

SO, I have decided I need my own space.... and would love to hear what you would include if you were building your "Dream Honey House"!!! This would be for storage, extraction, work station... EVERYTHING BEEKEEPING only.... Thanks for joining in....QB


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## alleyyooper

First thing you need to do is figure out how much room you need and then double that size to get the room you need and extra if you expand.
then you need to figure out the type building you aqre going to build, pole barn style stick on a slab, stick with foundation and wood floor, or cement block. 
Running water, electric for lights over head and to power extractors and honey pump, hot knife. Running water at least cold and a nice sink double bowl or three bowl.
A huge pad lock with only one key holder or your going to end up with stuff that over flowed other peoples storage area.
windows for ventilation and light with screens.

Enough room you can build a hot box, place to heat honey supers before extracting. enough room you can store empty honey supers and other bee keeping equipment.

Room to have settleing tanks and a bottleing station.

I even have a mirco wave oven where I can warm up left overs or do a pre made dinner when extracting late. I also have a freezer so I can freeze frames I suppect of having wax moth eggs.

Big doors even those used by persons. I like our 8 x9 sliding door because I can back the truck into the honey house if need be to unload honey supers. the 38" people doors are also nice if you want to carry out a honey super that way of nuc boxes.

 Al


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## alleyyooper

Ours is pole barn style with a cement floor.
not totally finished in these pictures.
there are five windows in it, two on the east side where we do most of the work, two at the rear also in a major work area and one to the west mostly in the unloading and storage area.



















Lots of light from two overheads that use 4 T8 bulbs, spend the money for eltronic starters so they work when it is hot and humid. the white celing helps a bunch too. Still installed a smaller two bulb light in front of the capping tank far left uper corner of the picture.










the extractor sets on a 6' x 6' x 8' platform that I wish I had made taller to help the honey flow out and the pump not have to work so hard. It is a 3d hand 72 frame W.T. Kelley extractor, fill it, set it and go have dinner while it changes speed automatiac and shuts its self off at the end of the high speed run. I can do 3 loads before I have to pump honey out.










 Al


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## galee

Wow! That's a beauty of a honey house. Here in FL the state tells us what we need to have in order to be able to sell our honey. My dream(and DH promises that it will happen eventually) is to have an "all purpose" building in which to extract/bottle honey, make our wine, do canning, give classes in assorted farm skills, make candles, make soap....and anything else that requires space, storage or a certified kitchen. If I design it well, I should be able to get by with a 20x20 building. That's the size of my kitchen and I do those things there now--my equipment is just stored all over the place. Dreaming is a good thing.


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## Queen Bee

Wow, Your set up is a beauty... Great ideas.. thanks.. I don't think I will ever get to that professional level. I have 6 to 8 hives, 9 frame extractor.. I don't really sell my honey-- I use it for gifts/presents and have only sold small amounts.. We don't have a problem w/ the honey being too cold to extract.. It usually around 95* during extracting times. I do love you Honey house.. How far is it from your bee yard?


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## alleyyooper

:gaptooth: the closest bee yard is in our front yard about 35 yards away from the building.
:banana: the farthest one away is about 30 miles although I have never noted the milage to it.
We have reduced from 12 yards in 3 counties to 9 yards in only two counties.

Our building is 24 X 24 I still have to store honey supers in or pole barn as well as the extra brood boxes and the dead outs till I need them. wish I had about 15 feet longer honey house to store that stuff.

 Al


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## alleyyooper

:gaptooth: the closest bee yard is in our front yard about 35 yards away from the building.
:banana: the farthest one away is about 30 miles although I have never noted the milage to it.
We have reduced from 12 yards in 3 counties to 9 yards in only two counties.

Our building is 24 X 24 I still have to store honey supers in or pole barn as well as the extra brood boxes and the dead outs till I need them. wish I had about 15 feet longer honey house to store that stuff.
In our state to sell honey any place except you door step you have to be licenced. To get it you have to have washable walls, hot and cold water and a 3 bowl sink, sealed floors, covered lighting and a approved septic system. there are other little odds and ends to. 
A lot depends on who does the inspections if you pass. One bee keeper has a floor sump and passed another had PVC plumbing to move his honey and failed.



 Al


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## sashay

wow what a great facility you have. Gorgeous and functional too. Lucky you!


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