In May of 2021 I received a bee package that originally was to go to my daughter.
Originally my thoughts were to convert my 12 x 24 Amish garage into a bee house, but I did not have enough time.
As an interim, I started working on this little bee house. In two weeks I had it built and ready for the bees.
You can see a little more detail on that build here:
Rest in Peace
In October of 2021, I lost the queen and the bees died off due to attrition. This hit me pretty hard as I had a lot of time and money invested. I did learn a lot and decided to give it a go on my own terms this time.
The Design
Amish Garage
This original 12’ x 24’ Amish garage that was purchased about six years prior to its conversion to a bee house.
A picture from the inside of the garage. Notice the screened frame I am working on. This is for a chicken coop runner that I built. Finished panels are leaning against the rail fence in the above photo.
A photo from the front. This shows the overhead garage door opening.
The actual use of the garage as changed several times before its conversion. Here is a metal roofed shelter I placed in the front of the garage to give me some shelter while doing certain garden tasks. In addition, the garage has been insulated and has both heating and cooling.
This is the inside of the garage, looking toward the main door. At this point the garage is being used primarily as a garden nursery and storage.
The Design
The original thought was to actually remove the main garage door and frame in the front for the beehives.
What I decided to do was to build an insulated structure in front of the garage. This would hold up to 5, 36 frame hives.
The area on the top and bottom of the structure would be covered and insulated as well.
From the inside of the garage, I can open the door and have full (and comfortable) access to hives.
Keep in mind that shown here is the preliminary design. I am sure I will have to tweak things as I proceed.