I am wondering, so far my top bar hives are of course attaching comb to the top but they are the sides as well. One is getting real close to the bottom, are they going to attach to the bottom as well? On my Langstroth hives, they of course attach on all four sides and then they build on the bottom of the frame to the top of the frame below them. So far, they have not built from the bottom of the bottom most frame to the bottom of the hive but all my Langstroth hives have a screened bottom board.
Jeremy
I love it when they attach on the top in a topbar hive! :-D Mine have attached small portions to the sides but never to the bottom. I think they need their "bee space" to maneuver around the hive. In my favorite hive, they have built beautiful combs exactly the shape of the hive, only a tad smaller for their moving-around space.
I have not actually seen inside a Langstroth, but my understanding is that the bees move up and down the frames, therefore not mattering a bit if they attach tops of frames to bottoms of others. In the topbar, their horizontal movement would seem to preclude this.
Isn't this all fascinating?
I have rarely seen attachments on the bottom. I have seen at least two combs that I can remember, attached somewhat on the bottom but I wonder if they didn't com loose or sag a bit...
I will have to ask the boss in the morning if she was with me at the time. But, it seems that I learned either in a video or on the tube or read that they will not attach to the BOTTOM of the hive. The frame yes, the hive floor no.
I have at least one bar attached to the bottom, sure is a pain.
One thing I have learned is that bees have a mind of their own. Cross comb is the perfect example.
Why build sideways or at an angle when a nice beekeeper has provided beautiful top bars in a straight row to go by?
nwgabeeman
Quote from: nwgabeeman on July 02, 2009, 08:41:53 AM
I have at least one bar attached to the bottom, sure is a pain.
One thing I have learned is that bees have a mind of their own. Cross comb is the perfect example.
Why build sideways or at an angle when a nice beekeeper has provided beautiful top bars in a straight row to go by?
nwgabeeman
Somebody once told me "Bees are like teenagers" and it that one statement all my questions were answered :-D