Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => TOP BAR HIVES - WARRE HIVES - LONG HIVES => Topic started by: RuffTuffCreampuff on January 17, 2011, 01:05:02 pm
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After some research, I've decided to build two TBH. I have a bunch of old langstroth frames I acquired a few years ago along with a bunch of old hive bodies/supers. It seems to me that if I remove the side and bottom bars I have a top bar ready to go. Comments, critiques, and suggestions are more than welcome. In spite of my sn, I have a thick hide.
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Yes you can and If you want? You could make some $$ selling the old hive bodies/supers
Also putting you area in your Profile helps, this way if there is someone close they may be able to
give you more detailed answers from knowing you area
Tommyt
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Sure you can do that. You can use a small side guide, use standard top bar from frames, you can make a long or trench hive utilizing TBH comb methods with existing boxes, and so on.
here are two pages you might find useful....
http://www.bjornapiaries.com/uniquebeekeeping.html (http://www.bjornapiaries.com/uniquebeekeeping.html)
http://www.bjornapiaries.com/topbarbeekeeping.html (http://www.bjornapiaries.com/topbarbeekeeping.html)
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After some research, I've decided to build two TBH. I have a bunch of old langstroth frames I acquired a few years ago along with a bunch of old hive bodies/supers. It seems to me that if I remove the side and bottom bars I have a top bar ready to go. Comments, critiques, and suggestions are more than welcome. In spite of my sn, I have a thick hide.
I am new to beekeeping but may I suggest building a Tanzanian style TBH? Using Langstroth demensions, I've built my TBH to accomodate medium frames and the ability to add 2 side-by-side medium supers on top. Using a follower board in the TBH, I can then divide it into 2 seperate vertical hives.
I will be using medium frames without modification. Meaning, I will not disassemble the frames, however, I will not use any foundation - for now.
This set up, to me, seems to have the most options.
- I can use regular TBH style "Bars" or the med depth Langstroth complete frames.
-you can run one horizontal hive, or two horizontal nucs using a follower (divider) board.
-you can run one or two vertical hives by simply adding langstroth supers on top.
either way you'll need to make a weatherproof lid.
Dude
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Sam Comfort, one of my beekeeping role models, especially in the top bar arena, has made top bar hives using Langstroth top bars as his bars. He does this so that he can move brood from a hive box to a top bar, if need be. In those instances, he cuts the comb on the bar to fit the slant of the hive. He also does this so that he can get a hive started using old comb from a hive box. Again, he cuts the comb at an angle to fit the slant.
If you are doing a top bar hive, it would serve you well tovisit Sam's website (http://anarchyapiaries.org/) and to read the writings of Wyatt Mangum (http://beekeeperlinda.blogspot.com/2010/08/wyatt-mangum-on-top-bar-beekeeping.html).
Linda T in Atlanta