This is our first season with the TBH.
I have been helping a friend who started a TBH this season and everything has been going along very well, except the last inspection we found wax moth larvae hiding in between the top bars and also on the bottom board (this is a removable bottom board with a tiny amount of space between it and the SBB) We scraped it all off. I am worried now about protecting this hive from wax moths. I know what I am doing with the Lang's, but this TBH is different for me.
I started to think that as we are bringing the hive down in size for the winter, there will be less bees to patrol and protect the frames. Are we supposed to bring the follower boards in closer and remove any frames that are empty??
Can someone explain the whole procedure for getting the TBH ready for winter.
I appreciate the help you can give me.
Annette
I just realized I posted in the wrong place. Can someone please move this topic to the TBH's section?? I might get more answers over there.
Thanks
my plan for this winter is to take any empty comb out and condense the hive with all the brood as it is starting near the entrance and all the honey combs immediately following toward the FB.
no empty bars left between the honey and brood so it is a continuous path from brood comb to honey comb.
With a strong hive, they should be able to patrol for pests best in a condensed area.
even a weaker hive will be better able to defend a smaller area with un-necessary combs/bars taken out.
Big Bear
OK this is what I thought, but after you remove those bars with wax combs, how do you store them??
I know this is a strange question to ask since I have been doing this for so many years with the langs, but the top bars don't fit into any sort of super. Just curious how you store them
Thanks
Annette
I have an extra tbh I built that I use to collect honey bars in. during winter, I will place empty bars in that hive in either my shed or basement. There is no entrance cut into this box, so once top bars, fb and lid are in place it "should" keep any unwanted visitors out.
Big Bear
OK, but the wax moths will still get into that, right??
Spray them with bt or use paramoth or store them in a moth free area, or that box with no hole in it for the moths to get in.
QuoteOK, but the wax moths will still get into that, right??
Not in my basement they won't.
Besides that. I don't keep wax comb over the winter much. I melt it down. I am just talking storing the top bars.
Big Bear
OK thanks for the help dear people
I like the idea of the BT. I will pass all this info along to my friend.
Sincerely
Annette
I heard Wyatt Mangum (writes regularly for ABJ) speak on TBHs at EAS. He keeps extra drawn comb top bars hanging from a bar on the outside of his workshop. This keeps the wax moths from being able to survive. He keeps them out in the air, exposed to light. He uses no poisons or treatments of any kind in his hives or outside of them!
Truly I wish I could spend some time with him in his bee yard, just like I'd like to follow Michael Bush around for a day.
Linda T in Atlanta
OH yes this is good info Linda. I will pass this along to my friend as well.
http://bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm#management (http://bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm#management)
Yes thank you Michael, very good info.