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Author Topic: my top-bar hive pictures!!  (Read 9513 times)

Offline justgojumpit

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my top-bar hive pictures!!
« on: June 21, 2004, 11:56:25 pm »
hello everyone, i thought you might be interested in seeing some pictures of my top-bar hive.  so here is the link: http://www.homesteadingtoday.com/vb/showthread.php?t=49545
Also, please feel free to post on the forum of the link above, as it could definitely use the extra traffic.  i hope you enjoy the pics,

justgojumpit
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Offline Beth Kirkley

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my top-bar hive pictures!!
« Reply #1 on: June 22, 2004, 12:48:43 am »
That looks really great! I'm a big top bar hive fan too. :)

Beth

Offline Bupalos

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my top-bar hive pictures!!
« Reply #2 on: June 22, 2004, 12:57:58 am »
good work. I am thinking of running a top bar myself. My only concern is wintering. I am in NE Ohio and from what I understand, tbh are not very advantageous for wintering. Have you had success?
“And as when Plato did i’ the cradle thrive,
Bees to his lips brought honey from their hive.”

Offline justgojumpit

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« Reply #3 on: June 22, 2004, 01:43:53 pm »
bupalos, i can't say i've had success... yet!  this is my first year with my tbh, so i will have to see how it survives the winter.  i don't see why it would have any problems, though.
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Offline Bupalos

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« Reply #4 on: June 22, 2004, 02:03:44 pm »
What I am given to understand is that vertically oriented hives are better for wintering because the bees in cluster can move up and down frames much more easily than across frames. Also there is the suggestion that the heat is better utilized through a chimney effect in the vertical hives. I think some TBH people stack hives in the winter to help with heat. But this is just what I have been told, I have no experience with it.
“And as when Plato did i’ the cradle thrive,
Bees to his lips brought honey from their hive.”

Offline Beth Kirkley

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my top-bar hive pictures!!
« Reply #5 on: June 22, 2004, 02:51:09 pm »
I've also heard this. They actually call this type of set-up (where frames or comb is parallel to the entrance) the "warm way". I guess for two reasons - when the frames (or comb) is parallel to the entrance, it cuts down on air flow in the winter (breeziness). But it doesn't seem to cut it so bad that a hive would get over hot in the summer. Many people use screened bottom boards in the winter anyway for good air flow. The other reason I think they call it the warm way is that if the frames are parallel to the entrance the queen will lay all her eggs up front, and honey will go in the back. So in the winter apparently instead of having the honey stores on either side of the brood - it's all in one place. So in the winter instead of going to EITHER side of the brood to get honey stores, they move together as a cluster for food - so no split cluster, they stay warmer, less death while searching out food.

Good luck with that top bar hive. I'll have mine going next year. :)
Beth

Offline Agility Mom

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my top-bar hive pictures!!
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2004, 10:59:49 pm »
When they have built all the comb and filled it, what do you do?
Judy

Offline justgojumpit

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my top-bar hive pictures!!
« Reply #7 on: June 26, 2004, 12:34:53 am »
you take your share and leave the rest for the bees!
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Offline Agility Mom

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« Reply #8 on: June 26, 2004, 08:34:02 am »
Then their hive never becomes larger than the one level?
Judy

Offline Robo

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my top-bar hive pictures!!
« Reply #9 on: June 26, 2004, 02:17:49 pm »
Judy,

That is one disadvantage of TBH,  you can't extract the honey,  you have to remove the comb and honey and press it to get the honey out. What a mess.  The advantages of extracting is that once the bees draw out the foundation, it can be used year after year without the bees having to make new comb.  Making comb is very nectar and time intensive.

Most TBH are around 30 frames long, and the comb area is larger than a Langstroth frame,  so they can still get quite large.  But once you remove the full frames they have to start from scratch building wax.

On my todo/wishlist is build a TBH that would take Langstroth honey supers on top.  Thus way I could benefit from the TBH brood chamber and still get extractable honey.  We'll see, maybe next year.
"Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work." - Thomas Edison



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my top-bar hive pictures!!
« Reply #10 on: June 26, 2004, 08:19:17 pm »
Quote from: Robo

On my todo/wishlist is build a TBH that would take Langstroth honey supers on top.  Thus way I could benefit from the TBH brood chamber and still get extractable honey.  We'll see, maybe next year.


I like thatt idea Robo!

RM

Offline Agility Mom

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my top-bar hive pictures!!
« Reply #11 on: June 26, 2004, 09:23:48 pm »
That does sound like a good idea. Most TBH hives I had seen pictured were with slanted sides but I have read on the website that Beth mentioned where the person doing it uses a regular box of some kind and so you could even use a regular hive body as long as you get the top bars the right width (35mm for Italians) (as Beth has done only hers are in a super, I think). Seems like a great idea for using it for the brood chamber.
Judy

Offline eivindm

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my top-bar hive pictures!!
« Reply #12 on: June 28, 2004, 09:04:27 am »
The Kenyan style has slanted sides, while the Tanzanian has vertical sides.  I think I read somewhere that the Kenyan TBH has less wild comb, so the reason for using the Tanzanian version is mainly ease of building.

eivindm

 

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