Question
I'm thinking of getting into beekeeping. I don't know whether this question belongs on pets, because they're animals; garden & landscape, because they have to do with raising a food product involving plants; or maybe somewhere else completely, but I think pets is most appropriate, so I'll start here.
Most of the Langstroth hives (the kind I'm interested in) seem to be four sided boxes with not top of bottom and are smooth on those edges. I plant to build My own and want to know if there is a reason that no one routes a rabbit on the inside of the bottom of each box and one on the outside of the top of each box? Coupled with a round over on the outer edge of the top of the box, it seems like it would really help the stability of the boxes by locking them together, as well as helping keep rain out of the seam.
It could be pretty shallow, just a small lip that catches. The boxes I see in videos just appear to sit on top of each other with no latches or anything. I'd worry about a strong wind or animal knocking them over.
Answer
Langstroth bee hives are designed to be modular so you can expand the hive when need, and also so you can pull them apart if needed to remove honey or do other things such as adding food for your bees. Since bees add propolis bee glue, or bee caulk to any joints or gaps in the hive to help seal it, you don't need to worry about the rain getting in through those gaps. If you are worried about the exterior of the hive getting rained on, lay a large piece of plywood on the top of the hive so that it forms an overhanging roof that prevents rain from hitting the hive.
If you were to cut a rabbet joint into the top or bottom of a hive module where it fits into other parts of the hive and then the bees added propolis to that joint, it would become almost impossible to separate those hive modules without destroying the hive. If you do any woodworking you know that a joint and glue bond forms one of the strongest joints possible, which is good when making furniture but not so good when you need to open the hive.
Answered By - Mark Ripley
