Homemade Hive Lifter Tongs (Online Plans)

These Homemade Hive Lifter Tongs are designed to grip the finger-pockets on the side of the hive boxes so they can be lifted with a crane (such as a pickup-bed-mounted crane) onto a truck bed or trailer either individually or as a group. (Full hives weigh up to 90 pounds and may be stacked five high.) The tongs, which reportedly work well with small cranes, can be fabricated in a beekeeper’s shop or by a local welding company. The website below includes the following: (1) a list of the materials and hardware needed and (2) step-by-step instructions (with accompanying photos).

Cost:

Impairment Category: Back, Lower extremity, Strength/endurance, Upper extremity