New to top bar hives

Started by BC, January 14, 2010, 12:12:32 PM

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BC

Hello. I had some friends at work build me a top bar hive from plans I got off the internet. The hive is 97 cm long and the top bars are 3.2 cm wide. I've noticed on this site that some of you have wider bars for brood and honey. Do I need to make changes ?
Thanks !

GaryMinckler

I'm very new to top bar hives and made all my bars 1 3/8 inches wide.  Don't see a problem yet and have bars of brood and bars of honey.  TBH's are cool!

Michael Bush

I'd just make up some 5mm or so spacers.  When the bees start making comb so thick it won't fit on  the bar and it starts spanning the next bar, put a spacer in and put them between the rest of the ones across.  Also, you can feed the 32mm bars back into the brood nest during the build up to get nice straight combs and to keep them from swarming.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
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"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

Michael Bush

My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin