Top bar hive

[GoodFriendMike]

Any bee keepers here? I really love the design of these and was thinking about making one or two.
Thoughts on them? Good or bad.

 

[SpiritFarmVa]

Any bee keepers here? I really love the design of these and was thinking about making one or two.
Thoughts on them? Good or bad.

We have built several but never used top bars only langstroths. The complaint most people have with top bars if the difficulty in honey extract. And if the hive is super prolific they run out of hive space and you can’t add more boxes.

 

[TorontoJoe]

Just looked them up. They're beautiful. I've never done it but always wanted to. Going to keep an eye on this thread.

Any idea how much one can extract from one of these in a season?

@SpiritFarmVa - Is building them especially difficult? I imagine it's not to tough to find plans out there.

I have no idea if it's true, but some time ago I was told that getting queens is very expensive.

 

[ktrain]

We have some friends that bee keep in Florida, We considered getting into it...haven't yet.
Not sure if I will or not but not counting it out.

 

[SpiritFarmVa]

Just looked them up. They're beautiful. I've never done it but always wanted to. Going to keep an eye on this thread.

Any idea how much one can extract from one of these in a season?

@SpiritFarmVa - Is building them especially difficult? I imagine it's not to tough to find plans out there.

I have no idea if it's true, but some time ago I was told that getting queens is very expensive.

Any body that is an ok woodworker can build them.

Good queens around here are 50$.

 

[GoodFriendMike]

We have built several but never used top bars only langstroths. The complaint most people have with top bars if the difficulty in honey extract. And if the hive is super prolific they run out of hive space and you can’t add more boxes.

I was thinking 6 foot long and keeping the top bars spaced 4 to 6 inches apart that way they don't combine the combs.
Which is a complaint I hear.

 

[SpiritFarmVa]

Any idea how much one can extract from one of these in a season?

It would depend on hive strength, nectar flow, and how actively you manage the hive.
You can pull bars out that are full of honey and put empty bars in to have the fill.
The down side is you can’t put back the comb, so they have to build new comb to fill and that takes time and energy from honey production.

 

[SpiritFarmVa]

I was thinking 6 foot long and keeping the top bars spaced 4 to 6 inches apart that way they don't combine the combs.
Which is a complaint I hear.

I don’t know enough about top bars to speak well on it, but usually it isn’t good to have too much space between the comb or they can build sideways comb.

 

[GoodFriendMike]

I don’t know enough about top bars to speak well on it, but usually it isn’t good to have too much space between the comb or they can build sideways comb.

I have read that as well. Trying to figure out everything before I build.
Wood red cedar. But angles and spacing seems to be what most can not agree on.
It may be trial and error for me. But will be fun either way.

 

[SpiritFarmVa]

I was thinking 6 foot long and keeping the top bars spaced 4 to 6 inches apart that way they don't combine the combs.
Which is a complaint I hear.

The size of the bars in the plans is meant to space them just right. Bees fill any empty space you leave them. They need that “ceiling” to hold in heat and keep the brood warm, during the winter that might be an issue.

 

[SpiritFarmVa]

I have read that as well. Trying to figure out everything before I build.
Wood red cedar. But angles and spacing seems to be what most can not agree on.
It may be trial and error for me. But will be fun either way.

They are pretty hives.
You can also make horizontal hives that use frames instead of bars.

 

[GoodFriendMike]

A nice build to base off.

 

[TorontoJoe]

A nice build to base off.

And save you a bundle

 

[GoodFriendMike]

And save you a bundle

I don't use a lot of honey. But do need a lot of bee's.
So I think a bee hive is a win win. It will help them and me.

 

[TorontoJoe]

@GoodFriendMike I haven't grown them in a few years but of every plant I've ever grown, no flower attracted more bees than artichoke. i don't know if you grow them but they're super low maintenance and for you should be perennial. I love eating them as well but then you don't get the flowers.

 

[GoodFriendMike]

And save you a bundle

I don't use a lot of honey. But do need a lot of bee's.
So I think a bee hive is a win win. It will help them and me.

@GoodFriendMike I haven't grown them in a few years but of every plant I've ever grown, no flower attracted more bees than artichoke. i don't know if you grow them but they're super low maintenance and for you should be perennial. I love eating them as well but then you don't get the flowers.

View attachment 5004View attachment 5005View attachment 5006View attachment 5007View attachment 5008

That is one thing I haven’t grown yet.
Pretty flowers.

 

[ktrain]

Dang now you have me considering another project. Lol

 

[SpiritFarmVa]

A nice build to base off.

I think those are the plans we used lol.

 

[TorontoJoe]

I don't use a lot of honey. But do need a lot of bee's.
So I think a bee hive is a win win. It will help them and me.

That is one thing I haven’t grown yet.
Pretty flowers.

I'd never really seen the flowers before that. They would usually get eaten when they were young and tender. I was away and came back to see how beautiful they were... and how much the bees loved them. From then on I left most of them to flower. I wish I could grow them as perennials here...

 

[GoodFriendMike]

I think those are the plans we used lol.

Good to hear. I am going to modify it some.
But looks like a great starting point.