On Thu, 21 Nov 1996, (Thomas) (Cornick) wrote:
 
> Ok   I am having some difficulty visualizing TBH's but when I put medium
> frames in a deep box so that I can cut some comb honey off the bottom of the
> frames I guess that is similar.
 
Similar, except with tb's you have a solid, big comb of honey with no
frame to get in the way.
 
> TBH'S are frameless with just a top bar?
 
Yes, with top bars.  Most of mine have 20 bars...30 might be better.
 
> Do the bee's go bannanas with brace comb?
 
No, not usually in my experience so far.  If you place an undrawn bar,
with about a half inch starter strip, between between two drawn, straight
combs, then you'll get a straight comb drawn during a honeyflow.  Besides,
if you do get brace comb there is no problem.  Just cut it out and throw
it into the wax melter.  Honey stored in brace comb is just as good.  If
it's in the surplus comb area, just harvest it along with the rest.
 
I have one colony that I'm keeping in tbh made from an old desk drawer.
It's a bit narrower and not quite as deep as a "standard" brood chamber.
For some reason, that colony seems to have a lot of cross comb
construction.  An earlier thread suggested that some colonies have a
predisposition for this.  I'll try another queen next year after first
putting the colony on some straight combs.
 
> Is there any difficult with hive(brood) inspection?
 
No.  It's easier than a Langstroth type hive.  Take off the tin or
cardboard or whatever you're using to cover the frames.  Start at the back
if you have entrance holes in one end or start at either end if you have
holes along both sides.  Remove a bar next to the end.  It shouldn't be a
full, capped bar.  If it is you need to harvest your honey.  If bees are
working on that bar, put it to rest on something.  I've made a cradle to
hold such bars.  My tbh's also rest on a stand so that I can work them at
a comfortable height.  The spacing of the 2x4 that the hives sit on is
such that I can put a drawn bar between them.  I also use a 5-bar nuc box
or 5-bar "super" for the same purpose.
 
Work toward the cluster by shifting each bar.  If there is any significant
comb attachment to the sides, it will usually be in the first couple of
inches down.  Use your hive tool to free the sides.
 
You will find that the bees are disturbed very little by this inspection
is you work smoothly and carefully; moreover, you can see all of the
inside of the hive chamber...no hidden recesses.  When you take a bar out,
just hold it by either end and, keeping the bar level, move your hands so
that you can see the other side.  Or hold the bar below waist level and
bend forward and look at the other side.  Or rotate the bar in the plane
of the comb so that the bar is verticle, then swing the comb around in the
long axis of the bar.  Just *DON"T* hold the bar level and try to rotate
the bar around its long axis and turn the comb upside down.  A "young"
comb will break off and you'll have bees, honey, brood, etc on your shoes.
I wouldn't even try this rotation with an old, tough comb.
 
Soon you will have finished your inspection, seen everything, and not
lifted a super off the brood chamber.  Yeah!
 
Hope this helps.
 
Cordially yours,
 
Jim
 
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  |  James D. Satterfield        |  E-Mail: [log in to unmask]       |
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