Am setting up my first flow hive and wondering the simplest support structure to use, and height that is most practical.
I use cinder blocks and landscaping timbers … VERY cheap…
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I use all sorts of stuff, but the best stand I have found is the humble pallet. I give them a lick of paint for waterproofing, in my opinion the lower your hive is to the ground the easier it is to work with… as your bees mature you may decide to add a second brood box for those in cold climates and then a couple of supers (including the Flow super).
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Hi @Rodderick, you don’t seem to worry about ants too much?
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I retired an old pair old saw horses which should keep the bees clear of snow drifts in the winter, and easier on my back when inspecting the hives and drawing off honey. May 28,2017
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Hey @Webclan, I do get the odd nest of ants up under the roof but never in the hive and nor are they an issue at any time.
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I get heavy rains so I observed the splash line on my fence and built the hive higher than that
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Me too what’s with that?
Hey @Martha, I think the ants are attracted to the warmth of the hive. I find thousands of them up there from time to time with loads of their eggs. Easy to fix, I just sweep them off.
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I fried som with my smoker testing to be sure it’s cool smoke! 
Thanks!
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I used cinder blocks and 4 x 4’s (treated). I have mine high off the ground because I live in the woods and have skunks, etc., in the area.
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I too get skunks and many other critters. It looks great! I’m not to happy with the roof situation, mine blows off and it was not real good at staying dry. I just gave my hive a makeover. 
1 year in the sun made mine look unattractive. Not that it’s actually a problem but I noticed the weathering shrunk some of the joints in mine and so I reworked the wood with glue and painted it. I really like how you did your cinder blocks. Are the wood shims for leveling so you can bucket feed in the top?
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The shims were for leveling the 4x4’s so the hive bases were level. The hives themselves actually lean a little to the back for draining the flow frames when the supers are on and full.
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Concrete hollow blocks and hardwood is a good start. If you are in Cane Toad country or where there is a chance of mice my advise would be to have the base of the hive at least a foot (25 cm’s) off the ground, any lower and the vermin will pick off the bees as they come in to land. There is a ‘mouse excluder’ available on EBay which is worth the cost and easily fitted over the entrance. Mice love honey. It also helps the hive protect itself if there is robbing happening. I have them on my hives and nuc’s.
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