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Author Topic: New to top bar hives  (Read 2865 times)

Offline BC

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New to top bar hives
« on: January 14, 2010, 12:12:32 pm »
Hello. I had some friends at work build me a top bar hive from plans I got off the internet. The hive is 97 cm long and the top bars are 3.2 cm wide. I've noticed on this site that some of you have wider bars for brood and honey. Do I need to make changes ?
Thanks !

Offline GaryMinckler

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    • Honeybees and Beekeeping
Re: New to top bar hives
« Reply #1 on: January 26, 2010, 05:06:13 pm »
I'm very new to top bar hives and made all my bars 1 3/8 inches wide.  Don't see a problem yet and have bars of brood and bars of honey.  TBH's are cool!

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: New to top bar hives
« Reply #2 on: January 27, 2010, 02:25:46 am »
I'd just make up some 5mm or so spacers.  When the bees start making comb so thick it won't fit on  the bar and it starts spanning the next bar, put a spacer in and put them between the rest of the ones across.  Also, you can feed the 32mm bars back into the brood nest during the build up to get nice straight combs and to keep them from swarming.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Offline Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
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  • Posts: 19805
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    • bushfarms.com
Re: New to top bar hives
« Reply #3 on: January 27, 2010, 02:26:49 am »
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

 

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