Building Beehives For Dummies
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Fasteners are the screws, nails, and staples you use to assemble your beehives and equipment. There are gazillions of different screws and nails in the marketplace. If you plan to build a number of different things, you can stock up on fasteners and take advantage of some quantity discounts (the unit price of nails in a big box is far less expensive than the unit price of nails in a small convenience pack).

For fasteners that will be exposed to the exterior elements, most plans specify a galvanized product because these won’t rust out or stain your woodenware. Epoxy-coated fasteners are also okay and seem to be gaining popularity. Alternatively, you can use stainless steel fasteners, but this option is way more expensive.

The types of screws most commonly used in beehives include the following:

  • a. #6 x 5/8 inch wood screws, #2 Phillips drive, flat-head

  • b. #8 x 1/2 inch lath screws, galvanized, #2 Phillips drive, flat-head with sharp point

  • c. #6 x 13/8 inch deck screws, galvanized, #2 Phillips drive, flat-head with coarse thread and sharp point

  • d. #6 x 2 1/2 inch deck screws, galvanized, #2 Phillips drive, flat-head with coarse thread and sharp point

The types of nails most commonly used in beehives include the following:

  • e. 6d x 2 inch galvanized nails

  • f. 5/32 inch x 1 1/8 inch flat-head diamond-point wire nails

  • g. 5/8 inch finish brad nails

  • h. 3/8 inch staples for use in a heavy-duty staple gun

The only other fastener you might use is foundation pins (i) for making frames, which are available from any of the major beekeeping supply houses.

Although drywall screws look really similar to deck screws and are much less expensive, don’t be tempted to use them for your beehives. They are weaker and aren’t treated to hold up to exposure to the elements. They’ll rust and corrode in no time flat.

Different fastener types typically used for beehive designs.
Different fastener types typically used for beehive designs.

About This Article

This article is from the book:

About the book author:

C. Marina Marchese is an author, beekeeper, and honey sensory expert. She is also the founder of the American Honey Tasting Society and the Red Bee ® brand.

Howland Blackiston is the bestselling author of Beekeeping For Dummies and Building Beehives For Dummies, and founding board member and past president of Con­necticut’s Back Yard Beekeepers Association.

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