Top Bar Hive

[dewolfe]

I've been wanting to try a tbh. I've finished making my extra wooden ware for my langs this winter and I'd like to try making a tbh now. I see many pictures of them and some plans, but I was looking for any advice some of you may have that keep tbh. Maybe something you did different when building that worked well or something that you'd change if you built another.

I live in Nova Scotia so we do have a longer winter than places further south. Does anyone have an idea of what they average for honey on one frame in a tbh for the dimension they built? Here we overwinter in 2 deep hive bodies pretty well full of honey so I was trying to figure what would have to be left in a tbh.

Any information and advice would be much appreciated!

[pokeyjeeper]

Great topic I've been looking at beekeeping and was looking at this style hive but I live in Michigan and we get cold winters here

[bk]

A topbar is nothing I have experience with, but they seem pretty interesting.  There is some good info on topbars and some overwintering advice @ www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm#winter

I do know a beehaver here in Northwest Wisconsin that has two topbars, home built, and has overwintered the last two winters.  Puts his behind a hay bale windbreak, but doesn't do anything else.  No inspections, no treatment, and doesn't harvest any honey.  Just has bees, so wouldn't be my go to source for topbar info.

Histopicker has a thread or two here on the Swamp on building topbars with some good pictures, one called building new topbar hive design. 

Keep us posted as you try your hand on toolbars.

[dewolfe]

Thanks for the link bk. I'm going to look into it more and I'll give a try at making the hive when my local source for pine here saws his next shipment. I'll get some pictures to post when I get it complete.

[pokeyjeeper]

From the research I've been doing I've found a lot of beekeeps using top bar hives in the northern range for honeybees looks like the only bad thing about them is you need to be careful how much honey stores you take from them so they have enough to get through the winter where your traditional hives you can take a whole super off if they filled one extra up for you kind of cool hive you got me wanting to build a few and some swarm traps now

[bk]

www.keepingbackyardbees.com/building-top-bar-hive/


Might be helpful, dewolfe.  Looking forward to seeing your tbh.

[pokeyjeeper]

Thanks for the link think I'm going to build two top bar swarm traps and see if I get any thing if a do I'll build a full hive and see what happens