# How to make a cheap bee hive from a barrel (Honey Cow)



## velacreations (Apr 2, 2011)

People keep bees in many different kinds of hives, but we will focus on a cheap and simple design, called the Honey Cow.

*MATERIALS:*
55 gallon plastic barrel, preferably food grade (makes two hives)
22 feet of 1âx2â nominal lumber
46 feet of 1Â½âx1â lumber 
2 X 8 foot of 2âx4â nominal lumber
A 3 feet by 4 feet piece of tin 
20 - 1Â½â wood screws 
10 - 2â wood screws
8 - Â½ â screws
Bungee Cord or tie wire
45 feet thin moulding OR natural fiber string and beeswax

*TOOLS*
circular or jig saw
drill
tin snips
tape measure and marker

*The Barrel*
Cut the barrel in half lengthwise, making sure that there is a bung hole in each half.

Clean it well. Choose a food-grade container to avoid potentially dangerous chemicals.

Lay the barrel down like a canoe, so that it would catch water. This is the position it will be in from now on.

On one end of the barrel (which used to be the top when it was whole) there is a rim of plastic that protrudes. Cut this away.

Rub the interior with beeswax. This will remove any foreign smell that remains and make it more attractive to a hive. A drop or two of lemongrass oil is good as well.

*The Frame*

Measure the length and width of your barrel and cut the 1âx2â lumber to make a frame. For example, if your barrel is 36â by 24â, cut 2 lengths of 25â and 2 lengths of 37â (the extra inch allows you to screw one piece into the next).

Glue and screw the frame together.

Screw the barrel inside the frame.

Cut the 2"X4" boards into 40" pieces.* These boards are now the legs.

Screw the legs into each side of the barrel. Make sure you screw the frame to the leg and put several screws from the barrel into the leg for a good, sturdy fix.

*The Top Bars*

Cut 23 X 24â lengths out of the 1 Â½âx1â lumber.

These are the bars to which the bees will attach their honeycomb. However, you need to provide a guide so that they make straight combs. 

Screw a thin piece of moulding, 20â in length, centered on each top bar, with at least an inch on the ends of the top bar. This moulding will face down, into the barrel, when the bar sits on the frame. Rub some bee's wax on the molding.

*The Roof*

Using the 1âx2â lumber, make a frame that fits around the barrel frame, with a Â¼â gap on all sides.

If you cut 2 lengths of 25â and 2 lengths of 37â for the barrel frame, cut 2 lengths of 27 Â½â and 2 lengths of 39 Â½â for the roof frame.

Take the piece of tin and screw it to the frame, leaving equal space on all sides. *

Bend the extra bits of tin down and screw to the sides of the frame.

Using the tin snips, cut any extra bits hanging below the frame.

Put the roof on top of the barrel frame.

Tie the roof down to the hive to prevent it from blowing off.

*Ready for the Bees*

You are now ready for the bees. You can buy a âpackageâ, a queen and bees, however the most satisfying way to get into bee keeping is to capture a swarm.

More information: http://velacreations.com/bees.html
More photos: http://www.flickr.com/photos/velacreations/sets/72157622528453587/


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