Top Bar Hive

cidersabuzzin · January 27, 2010, 05:46:19 PM

Hello everyone
Any top bar keepers out there?
cider

slaphead · January 27, 2010, 09:51:36 PM

Oh yes, there are several here.

SH

Michael Bush · January 28, 2010, 12:30:26 PM

Yes.

http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm

trapperbob · February 01, 2010, 06:17:39 PM

YEP

suprstakr · February 20, 2010, 11:13:55 PM

Me too

im0rtel · September 04, 2013, 06:25:27 AM

i am very interested into building a top bar hive and keeping a hive. :)

Oblio13 · September 04, 2013, 07:13:02 AM

I have just one.

TenshiB · September 05, 2013, 02:02:08 AM

I had three. Lost one, learned from it and will re-populate that particular hive when I get the chance. Now I have two, one doing great and the other has bees from a cut out and a bought queen from a man who sells them about an hour from where I live.. She is laying and I'm very glad that I tied a lot of the cut-out comb to some of the top bars.. Are currently feeding that hive a 1:1 sugar water mix with 2 tsp of Pro Health (experiment).

Top Bar hives are easy to love and I recommend checking out Michael Bush's website and just use his plans for the Kenyan Top Bar.. Doesn't get much simpler than that. [=

-John B

mdax · September 05, 2013, 01:41:08 PM

I'd wanted to play around with a top bar hive next year but can't find exactly what I'd like...which would be a modified kenyan tbh using medium foundationless frames and a double screened bottom board with door I could slide cookie sheets with oil on them to kill SHB's.

I could use the medium frames in my other hives, and kill SHB's and not lift supers...it'd be pretty cool.

Beeninja · September 09, 2013, 11:49:09 AM

I am going into my first winter with a top bar and love it. Do not know much about the other type of hives but my TB was low maintenance. Those bees sure know what they are doing.

TenshiB · September 09, 2013, 09:02:25 PM

I agree with BeeNinja. If the bees could talk they'd say "alright, we'll take it from here!" once ya plop them in a top bar hive.

Michael Bush · September 10, 2013, 03:04:02 PM

>which would be a modified kenyan tbh using medium foundationless frames and a double screened bottom board

That's this one, except it has a single screened bottom board and no tray for the SHB:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeshorizontalhives.htm
http://www.bushfarms.com/images/TTBHOpen.JPG

You can put medium frames in it or just top bars...

ryan H · September 12, 2013, 09:14:48 PM

first timer here. learned a lot this season. maybe ill call myself a beekeeper next year...joking, of coarse but it as been an eye opener.