12-frame Dadan

Today we will take a closer look at the dimensions of the Dadan hive for 12 frames and the drawing of this bee house, which is extremely popular among beekeepers. The topic itself is quite controversial, since many folk craftsmen are engaged in the production of this type of beehive, who have their own experience and valuable recommendations.

We will present a model made of moisture-resistant plywood with a thickness of 8-10 mm. The hive will be double-walled – suitable for wintering. The summer version is made in one wall of fiberboard.

The content of the article

  • 1 One or two walls – features
  • 2 Single-walled house
  • 3 Double-walled house
  • 4 Canvas or pad
  • 5 Double-skinned plywood model

One or two walls – features

To begin with, we recall that the history of the invention of the 10-frame Dadanov hive, as well as its design, we described separately.

The article can be found here: Dadanovsky hive – features, advantages, manufacturing

By design, they are distinguished:

  • single-walled;
  • and double-walled hives.

We are talking about buildings and shops, made in the classic version – from one layer of lumber, or with insulation using frame technology.

Standard equipment:

  • the housing in which the bee’s nest is located;
  • store extension, where marketable honey is stored during the main bribe period (with abundant honey collection, the installation of a second store is practiced);
  • bottom – detachable or one-piece floor shield with the house;
  • single slope lid with gables equipped with ventilation openings (optionally with a sub-roof).

Single-walled house

The single-walled structure is assembled from boards with a thickness of 35 to 45 mm. Particleboard is suitable as a summer option, but again, one should focus on the climatic conditions of a particular region.

The internal dimensions of the Dadan hive for 12 frames according to GOST are as follows (in mm):

  • 450 x 450 in length and width (square section) for hulls and extensions;
  • 320 high for enclosures;
  • 155-165 high for store extensions.

To install honeycomb frames, folds are selected along the upper edge of the case / magazine:

  • their width is 11;
  • and the depth is 20 mm.

The bee house is completed with a set of twelve nesting honeycomb frames and twelve half frames for an extension. In regions with abundant honey collection, there may be more half-frames, since up to 2-3 stores are installed.

The set also includes two diaphragms, assembled from thin planks with dowels and equipped with hangers for hanging. In the finished form, the boards have a thickness of 8 to 10 mm. Along the perimeter, they are upholstered with a seal for a tighter fit of the diaphragm to the walls – for this purpose, a dense oilcloth or leather tapes are used.

Standard outer dimensions of honeycomb frames (in mm):

  • 435 widths by 300 heights – for the nest (body);
  • 435 widths x 145 heights – for an extension.

The half-frames can also be made 143 or 160 mm high. The main thing is that there is a gap of 8-10 mm between the lower slats of the half-frames and the upper bars of the honeycomb frames of the nest, which will allow the bees to move freely and improve ventilation.

The design of the lid is very simple – it slips onto the house. More often it is made single-pitch, less often gable. Ventilation slots are cut along the side gables or several holes are drilled. Ventilation is taken away with a fine-mesh metal mesh.

The bottom of the Dadan hive for 12 frames should be detachable. For this, quarters are removed from the bottom of the housings. The floor shield is mounted from planks on which planks are stuffed on three sides. On the fourth side, a taphole is formed in the entire width of the house – its length is 450, and its height is 15 millimeters (equal to the underframe space and the height of the filled planks). It can be adjusted in length with special inserts.

For additional ventilation and convenience of the bee colony, a round tap hole with a diameter of 25-30 mm is sawn through the upper part of the buildings strictly along the midline of the front wall.

One-piece arrival board is a protrusion of the floor shield in the front of the house by 4-5 cm. If necessary, an additional folding board for arrival can be attached here by hanging it on the hinges. It will expand the living space for bees in the summer, when they have to constantly carry pollen and nectar.

In section, the drawing of a single-walled house looks like this:

Double-walled house

A double-walled or insulated hive with 12 frames is an ideal choice for the northern and central regions of our country.

This design is assembled using frame technology. A suitable natural insulation is poured between the walls of the buildings, for example, dry sawdust, moss or chopped straw mixed with needles.

Note: The internal dimensions of the cases and magazines remain standard! Moreover, shops do not need to be insulated – they are installed only in the summer.

Usually, for convenience, beekeepers make the floor solid. The detachable option involves the installation of bar caps in the lower part of the frame, which do not allow the insulation to spill out when the bottom is taken away.

The height of the lower tap hole of 20 mm is ensured by the height of the strips stuffed onto the floor shield. The upper tap hole is made exactly in the same place as for single-walled structures.

The main advantage of frame technology is a significant reduction in heat loss. For example, 35mm lumber loses up to 2,1 calories in one hour. And with frame technology, losses are reduced to 0,65. In the spring, the nests that live in such a warm house do not need to be cut!

The roof is gable, equipped with ventilation holes along the gables.

Additional insulation is provided by:

  • due to the outer walls – they are higher than the inner ones by 1,2-1,5 cm (a warming mattress is spread into the side obtained in this way);
  • due to the greater thickness of the inner walls, which prevents the insulation from getting wet from the formation of condensation in it.

Note: If we are talking about the manufacture of a 14-frame Dadanov hive, the internal dimensions are determined based on the width of the interframe space together with the honeycomb frame. It is equal to 37 millimeters. Accordingly, the length of the house will increase to 520 mm (52 ​​cm), while the width remains the standard – 450 mm.

Once again, we will clarify the dimensions and drawings of the honeycomb frames. For the nest, they look like this:

And for the store, they are made smaller in height:

Canvas or pad

The lap dimensions for a 12-frame hive depend on its internal dimensions. And since the classic design is square in cross-section, the lap will also be square – 50 by 50 or 60 by 60 centimeters.

When expanding the house to 14 honeycomb frames, the position is rectangular – 50 by 60 centimeters. Cut it out of a fairly dense material – linen, cotton fabric.

As practice shows, traditional burlap is poorly suited for this purpose. Due to too coarse weaving, insects crawl through the fabric, gnaw at the threads and litter on top of the frames.

Double-skinned plywood model

Beehive Dadan 12 frame dimensions and drawings (double-walled plywood construction with fiberboard extension):

12-frame magazine drawing:

Roof with liner:

Dimensions of galvanized iron or sheet metal for the cover:

Bottom and making a tap hole:

General drawing of the product for 12 cell frames:

All these drawings are given here as a vivid example of the work of folk craftsmen. To take them into service or not, it’s up to you.

In conclusion, we offer an interesting video review of the Dadanov hive from a practicing beekeeper, who shares his experience of using and assembling it.

Anna Evans

Author ✓ Farmer

View all posts by Anna Evans →
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