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Author Topic: Downside to TBH???  (Read 2667 times)

Offline ktbearpaws

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Downside to TBH???
« on: March 05, 2007, 04:48:39 pm »
Are there any downsides to using TBH as opposed to useing a verticle style hive?

Offline Robo

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« Last Edit: March 05, 2007, 10:51:56 pm by Robo »
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Offline Jon McFadden

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Re: Downside to TBH???
« Reply #2 on: March 05, 2007, 06:42:59 pm »
My reason for doing the TBH is to avoid the heavy lifting of the Langstroth. There are several acquaintances who have given up beekeeping because of that. I was asked to put on a lecture on building them for the retirees at Fairfield Bay. Again, the attraction with them is that they were no longer able to perform the manipulations with even the medium Langstroth.
As far as the hive being cheaper to build, in my case, I had to go out and purchase lumber for mine. I can always find boards <= 22”. Not so 48” ones.
Jon
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Offline ktbearpaws

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Re: Downside to TBH???
« Reply #3 on: March 05, 2007, 06:49:51 pm »
I noticed on some of the TBH, that some of them are deeper than others.
While, I am sure that a hive that size can sustain a bigger colony of bees. Does the weight of the comb pose a probrem on the bars? I'd heard that it was fragile and easily broken off.

Offline Robo

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Re: Downside to TBH???
« Reply #4 on: March 05, 2007, 07:45:04 pm »
I Does the weight of the comb pose a probrem on the bars? I'd heard that it was fragile and easily broken off.

With some simple precautions it is not a problem.

I made these hives big enough to hold a Deep Langstroth frame hanging from the bars so that I could move nucs into them with them having to start from scratch and interrupt the brood cycle.  I think they are like 22" bars and the hive is like 15" deep.  Pretty good size combs.

I have never had a problem with comb failure on these hives.   Just never try and hold the bars in any position other than vertical.   This can be a hard habit to break if you are use to flipping langstroth frames over the inspect the back side.   The easiest thing to do is build a simple stand to hold the bars as shown in the next photo.

Although the barrel hive frames are about the same width as the other hives, they are only about 12" deep and rounded so they are a lot smaller than the others.

The only comb catastrophe I have had is with one of the barrel hives while moving it on a trailer.  The comb didn't break from the bars, but the bars slipped sideways and they feel into the hive.

Another thing is to be sensitive to the temperature when you work in the hive,  especially when the comb is new.  Don't go into the hive in the middle of a scorching day, do it in the morning or late afternoon.
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Offline bee crazy

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Re: Downside to TBH???
« Reply #5 on: March 05, 2007, 08:07:39 pm »
Hey Robo, are you over wintering those two TBH's this winter up in the Catskills?
How are they doing? How many do you over winter? How many years have you been doing this? Thanks for the info. :)
Steve

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Offline Robo

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Re: Downside to TBH???
« Reply #6 on: March 05, 2007, 08:20:34 pm »
Hey Robo, are you over wintering those two TBH's this winter up in the Catskills?
How are they doing? How many do you over winter? How many years have you been doing this? Thanks for the info. :)

Actually those pictures are from last winter when I wintered 2 nucs in each of the hives.   This Spring I took one nuc out of each and moved them into a barrel hive.  I had one of the wooden hives go queenless   last Fall, so I combined them into one.   As for the barrel hives,  I had comb collapse during a move and it set them back quite a bit,  so I merged them as well.   This will be my 3rd year with TBHs.  So far I've found them to be "less energetic" than my Langstroths, so I think I will only keep 1 or 2 going just to play with.   I'm from a beekeeping family, so I've been keeping bees for a "few" decades. :-P
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Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Downside to TBH???
« Reply #7 on: March 05, 2007, 11:01:22 pm »
>Are there any downsides to using TBH as opposed to useing a verticle style hive?

http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm

Look at the bottom for FAQs.
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
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Offline livetrappingbymatt

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Re: Downside to TBH???
« Reply #8 on: March 05, 2007, 11:21:49 pm »
gentlemen with the tbh has any one tried raising queens in these? are there any differances in these to reg hives in that respect?
bob

Offline Michael Bush

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Re: Downside to TBH???
« Reply #9 on: March 06, 2007, 07:33:57 am »
>gentlemen with the tbh has any one tried raising queens in these?

Yes.

>are there any differances in these to reg hives in that respect?

If you make cell bars to fit, no.

http://www2.gsu.edu/~biojdsx/qncelnb.htm
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
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Offline Jon McFadden

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Re: Downside to TBH???
« Reply #10 on: March 06, 2007, 06:15:38 pm »
ktbearpaws
You're question on depth?
Mine are based on two 1x12x48 boards for the sides and one 1x8x48 for the bottom. It is easy to bevel the 1x8's sides. No modification is needed for the 1x12s.
This is the design Scot McPherson uses on his TBHs.
Jon
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Offline livetrappingbymatt

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Re: Downside to TBH???
« Reply #11 on: March 07, 2007, 08:24:18 pm »
thank you mr bush.
bob

 

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