Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

I am determined to at least try a foundationless experience and the question I have is this:

What is the rational for using a complete frame with a starter strip when it seems to me that just the top bar (a la top bar hive) with a starter strip would do?   Is there any benefit to having the side and bottom bars in place?

Thanks for any advice,

Chuck

there are a couple of problems with using just the top bar portion of a frame.  First they will attach the comb they are drawing in the second hive body to the top of the topbar in the bottom hive body.  I guess you could slide a wire between the two hive bodies to cut them apart every time you wanted to do an inspection, but that doesn't appeal to me.  Second the spacing between the frames comes from the end bars sticking out beyond the sides of the top bars, so you'd have to makes some spacers of your own to keep the frames the correct distance apart.

+ if you are more than one super deep, the comb would be very hard to remove.  they would attach it to the sides of the 2nd box and you'd have to break it to get it out.  checking 2 boxes would require moving all the comb out first and putting it where?

i have been doing the starter strips for 2 going on 3 years now.  it works well, but i suggest one full sheet of foundation in the middle.  some hives will draw wonderful comb with only starter strips as guides.  some make a mess of it and it's really hard, if not impossible, to straighten out.

Thanks for the great replies.  I sometimes need a little help getting my thinking right. :oops:  I just figured that top bar hives can do it but then again they are not stacked on top of each other.  I also have them connecting stacked frames with burr comb which I am now just leaving in place.  Even if I scrape it off it just gets rebuilt.  Stubborn females! ;)  At least I am only breaking apart the burr comb and not a comb full of brood or stores, etc..

In a standard box it gives better support for the frame and it keeps them from attaching the comb between the boxes so much.

But some people do use just top bars.