I got some thin surplus to make some starter strips. Would it be better to melt the wax and paint it on to wooden starters or just cut and wax/glue them in and they are?
Hi Dan,
I made a topbar hive this year and what I plan on doing is painting wax on the wedges on the topbars. My goal is to have the bees create a "natural cell size". I've never seen natural cells so I'm hoping to bring this about. It may take a couple of "bee generation" to make it happed but I'm willing to be patient and learn from it. Micheal Bush has alot of good info on TBH Here http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm (http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm) and small cell size here http://www.bushfarms.com/beesnaturalcell.htm on his site.
Check it out.
Scott Derrick
The bees won't care. I like the wooden triangular strips. I don't wax them because the bees will attach the comb more solidly than I can attach the wax. The wood lasts. The strips are easily bent and on a hot day they will sometimes fall out.
There is a bar on the end of this hive with the triangle on it (it's upside down):
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/KTBH4.JPG
If you look closely at this upside down comb you can see the triangle as well:
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/KTBHComb.JPG
For my starter strips, I had sawed out a 1/4 inch deep line in the center of each top bar. Into that I slipped in a strip of foundation and just dribbled in melted wax to hold it in. It worked fine for me.
I have had good luck with just cutting out a 1/4 wide slot about 3/8 deep and inserting a 1" strip of coroplast and then stapling thru the sides of the bar with an air stapler to hold the coroplast. I find this gives a little more support where the wax and wood meet. Sort of like a 'T' instead of a flat joint. It is quicker that melting wax and cheaper too.
what about cutting straight 2 mm wide wood (fir) strips and glueing them onto the top bar-would it work?
>what about cutting straight 2 mm wide wood (fir) strips and glueing them onto the top bar-would it work?
I assume you mean 2mm thick and 10mm or so wide. Yes, it will work great.
yes, Michael, I meant 2 mm of thickness-thank you for info
BTW, I think it is largely due to so many TBH-related posts here (much of them are yours) that I decided to go into a TBH hobby
I was keeping bees 8-9 years ago in langs, (which are rather rare where I live-Slovenia), but gave up due to varroa and the lack of time, but last year the temptation was too big, so I decided to go back in businessthis year-thank you
sounds like a good idea "triangle"
kirk-o