Plans for Hinged Roof Model

Below are my plans for a horizontal bee hive with an insulated, hinged roof.  It can be made from a half sheet of 3/4" plywood and a half sheet of 1/2" plywood.

The body is very simple.  Note I dado the ends of the long sides to minimize exposure of end grain.  If you chose to use a butt joint, adjust the short sides as needed.

The roof has a ceiling and a roof with fiberglass insulation encapsulated in the "attic."  The roof has a slight pitch to shed rain.  The high side of the roof is attached to the front of the hive such that it is opened from the back side (away from the bee entrance).

The parts for the hive can be cut from two half sheets of plywood.  Note that the roof will overhang at the front and back by several inches when installed.

Here are some photos of a finished hive

Note that if you are going to let the bees draw their own comb, ie, use foundation-less frames, it is essential that the hive body be level, at least in the long dimension.