Welcome, Guest

Author Topic: Pre Beek question... TBH and winter in Southern Oregon  (Read 3619 times)

Offline dadcubed

  • Brood
  • Posts: 2
Pre Beek question... TBH and winter in Southern Oregon
« on: July 17, 2016, 06:33:42 pm »
Well I guess I got the Bees fever. I fell in love when a bunch of girls hung on me, resting and preening while the apiary was being worked. I kind of pushed myself by not wearing any of the appropriate gear. I figured that if I did get stung it would be mostly my fault anyway. But I digress.

So being a bit disabled, I've been researching alternatives to Lang boxes and really like the TBH design. I'm interested in seeing what beek vets have learned about

1.  Over-winter survival rates in the NW US (SW Oregon)

2. Challenges experienced with TBH that aren't readily apparent.

Thanks,
Rob

Offline divemaster1963

  • Heavenly Beekeeper
  • Queen Bee
  • ********
  • Posts: 1354
  • Gender: Male
  • God Protect and watch over our sons and daughters.
Re: Pre Beek question... TBH and winter in Southern Oregon
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2016, 12:53:45 am »
Not trying to pry but what limitations do you have?
ie: lifting distance?
    Weight restrictions?
   Mobility?
With topbar which I was in process of building does allow you to add external insulation and raised cover roof to help reduce condensation plus you can cut legs to make the working height any height.
The only drawback it does require the use of both hands to remove bars and cut burr comb loose.let us know . there are a ton of us shade tree engineers on here and we can come with wild,crazy and, great ideas.

John

Offline dadcubed

  • Brood
  • Posts: 2
Re: Pre Beek question... TBH and winter in Southern Oregon
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2016, 03:20:30 am »
Pry away. Lol I lost my leg below the knee a few years ago and have chronic shoulder issues as well so lots of heavy lifting is a prob... I mean challenge. When I first learned that a 10d comes in at 50 - +80lb MY cogs started coming up with a scissor lift table and gantry to hook onto the super and deposit it on the table, then wheel it all to the honey shack...

That was before I found the TBH design. Put the honey bucket in a wheelbarrow and I'd be off to that same shack after cutting comb. I had already figured on a pitched roof for whatever design. No reason to gamble with snow/ice anyway.

I've also been considering installing temp and humidity sensors to give me an idea of the inner workings without cracking it open... I can picture La Queen popping her head out and shouting in bee-eze, "WTH were you born in a barn?!?" I've not wintered over myself here, so I may be overanalyzing tho.
If you can't tell I'm in just the research phase anyway. My hope is to be ready for spring with a new hive.

Rob

Offline little john

  • Super Bee
  • *****
  • Posts: 1537
Re: Pre Beek question... TBH and winter in Southern Oregon
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2016, 09:23:44 am »
Rob - I'm a fair few thousand miles away from you, but here's some general purpose info to help get your research underway.

Now a lot of people associate Top Bar Hives with Horizontal Hives, and the Kenyan Top Bar Hive in particular - but this isn't the full story - as Top Bar Hives can be vertical, and Horizontal Hives can be framed.

Ok. A Horizontal Framed Hive - such as a Langstroth Long Hive - gives the same advantage regarding the lifting of combs one-at-a-time (rather than a box-full at a time), and yet it allows easy interchange with (say) the frames of neighbouring beekeepers if events should ever go pear-shaped.  Assuming you use compatible frames, of course.

Then - rather than using a honey-bucket (and fighting off a cloud of angry bees), you could use a nuc box in your wheelbarrow instead.  Fill that box one frame at a time - no honey is then exposed at the hive - and thus no clouds of bees.  It's another possibility worth considering.
 
I'm getting on in years, and use both Horizontal and Vertical Framed Beehives - with each format having it's own advantages and disadvantages.  With regard to the Vertical Hives, I'm adopting two strategies. The first is to convert my existing brood boxes to a deeper format. Now, although at first sight this may seem counter-intuitive - these boxes then become static (in the same way as a Long Hive is usually static) and no lifting whatsoever of that box is then required.
The second strategy is to convert to half-width those boxes which may require lifting from time to time, and simply use them in pairs.  There are many ways of skinning the proverbial cat ...
LJ

BTW - you may want to re-think your pitched roof design.  Generally speaking, although visually attractive, they're not very desirable.  I have one ... only one.

A Heretics Guide to Beekeeping - http://heretics-guide.atwebpages.com

Offline jimineycricket

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 160
  • Gender: Male
Re: Pre Beek question... TBH and winter in Southern Oregon
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2016, 11:48:05 am »
Rob,     I'm curious.    Southwest Oregon can be either wet or dry, depending upon which side of the Cascade Range you are located.   Please be a little more specific.  Also, what is your elevation?    Here in southwest Idaho a two hour drive makes a huge difference in climate.   
jimmy

Offline divemaster1963

  • Heavenly Beekeeper
  • Queen Bee
  • ********
  • Posts: 1354
  • Gender: Male
  • God Protect and watch over our sons and daughters.
Re: Pre Beek question... TBH and winter in Southern Oregon
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2016, 12:37:46 pm »
ditto on that. we are everywhere! (look behind You)  you may be able to get with one or some of us to help you figure things out. we also have a once a year get together at buds. don't know if  one for next year is set or not. I'm hoping to be able to go to  one oneday.

john

Online Michael Bush

  • Universal Bee
  • *******
  • Posts: 19832
  • Gender: Male
    • bushfarms.com
Re: Pre Beek question... TBH and winter in Southern Oregon
« Reply #6 on: July 18, 2016, 01:46:20 pm »
Horizontal hives:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beeshorizontalhives.htm
Top bar hives:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm

My top bar hive and horizontal hive losses are the same as my vertical Langstroth hive losses.  Both do well most of the time.
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

Offline crmauch

  • House Bee
  • **
  • Posts: 59
  • Gender: Male
Re: Pre Beek question... TBH and winter in Southern Oregon
« Reply #7 on: July 22, 2016, 12:33:59 pm »
Well I guess I got the Bees fever. I fell in love when a bunch of girls hung on me, resting and preening while the apiary was being worked. I kind of pushed myself by not wearing any of the appropriate gear. I figured that if I did get stung it would be mostly my fault anyway. But I digress.

So being a bit disabled, I've been researching alternatives to Lang boxes and really like the TBH design. I'm interested in seeing what beek vets have learned about

1.  Over-winter survival rates in the NW US (SW Oregon)

2. Challenges experienced with TBH that aren't readily apparent.

Thanks,
Rob

So it sounds like you already have some Lang boxes now??

As far as I've been able to determine winter survival for TBH run the same as Langs.

One thing about top bars is that they must remain vertical at all times (new comb is particularly unforgiving).  They can be rotated and flipped, but with the vertical plane remaining constant.

If you already have Langs, I think that a long Lang would be a better choice for you (compatibility of hardware).

The idea someone mentioned about a nuc to carry frames sounds like an idea worth exploring.
Chris

 

anything