Topbar hive users.

Comment

Comment by Rhett Renoud on May 26, 2015 at 10:54pm

Great link.  Thanks for posting, Ivy. 

Comment by Ivy on May 26, 2015 at 4:20pm

http://www.greenmedinfo.com/blog/7-health-benefits-bee-propolis

Here is a some wonderful information about propolis.  Amazing stuff!

Comment by Carlos Aragon on May 7, 2015 at 1:16pm

Michal

I'll be bringing pieces of comb that you can attach to empty bars, if they don't work I may be able to pull some full bars out this weekend.

Comment by Michal Mudd on May 7, 2015 at 12:24pm

Hi Carlos,  that would be fantastic if you could.

Sorry, I made the mistake of replying the wrong way in my haste.

But I'll be there this eve.  Wearing a black baseball cap for recognition.

Comment by Carlos Aragon on May 4, 2015 at 8:22pm

I can bring some to the meeting Thursday.

Comment by Michal Mudd on May 4, 2015 at 4:41pm

I was going to get comb from some folks here but found I had one and another friend gave me one.  I thought I was on the right track.  It seems the girls rejected my comb though, taken it down, and have gone on their merry way building awry!  It is totally gone!, both of them.   Does anyone still have some comb, especially a larger piece, that I could buy off you?

We're going great guns but I have no hope of straightening out what they've done while I've been going nuts at work and been out of town unless I can get them to be happy with the addition.

Comment by Rhett Renoud on April 24, 2015 at 8:54am

Jefferson, I do not have a TBH hive.  Everyone that I know who has Top Bar Hives seem to have a lower success rate in keeping bees, which is why I've steered away from them.  I agree with Dorian, the build of the hive is probably critical.  In my opinion, there is less room for error in a Langstroth or Warre, but this is based on what I have read and observed through the eyes of other beekeepers.  I realize that Les Crowder uses TBH hives at a higher elevation, but I don't know what his overall success rate is.  Bees are highly resilient and can survive in many living conditions.  But surviving and thriving are very different.        

Comment by Dorian Folie on April 24, 2015 at 8:38am

I have seen top bar hives be VERY successful at high altitude and low temperatures.  I have a friend up in Taos and Santa Fe who have several of them. It just depends on the build I think. I like the CJ top bar build. I would research possible bacteria infections or look for pests among the clusters of bees Pete.  What happened to your bees is most likely not due to cold weather but some other event. They survived the coldest parts of the winter to be taken out by a March late freeze does not make sense. Next year though I will build a Langstroth hive and if I can convert it to a flow hive! 

Comment by Rhett Renoud on April 23, 2015 at 10:46pm

In my opinion, Top Bar Hives are not as successful in colder environments as vertical hives.  Bees are vertical builders, and in a vertical hive (Langstroth or Warre), the bees start at the bottom and move upward through their winter stores.  In a Top Bar Hive, the bees break cluster and become separated.  Even in a 10 frame Langstroth, bees can become separated as they move to the outer frames for food.  For this reason, many cold weather beekeepers prefer 8 frame Langstroth hives.  At 7,100 feet, I'm in a much colder environment compared to those in the ABQ area.  Even with a screened bottom board, my bees survive the winter with night temperatures dropping down to -15*F.  It seems that many TBH users have a much lower success rate.  Again, these are my opinions and should be taken as such.  I'm simply questioning the success rate of TBH hives compared to those who are use vertical hives in colder climates.         

Comment by Pete Stromberg on April 23, 2015 at 9:27pm

Mine were in clusters about 4 inches in diameter. Maybe four clusters with the rest of the bees on the bottom.

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