Kevin, and others who are reading this thread, Joel made a good response
to this posting.  I'll add a few comments of my own for anyone who may be
interested.
 
On Wed, 20 Nov 1996, Palm, Kevin R. (LLP) wrote:
 
>
> All this discussion about Top Bar Hives has me fascinated and wanting to
> try one next year just for fun.  I don't recall seeing it on the list,
> or maybe I'm just not observant, but how does one get a colony started
> in a TBH??  Can you start with a package and put them in the same way as
> with a Langstroth, or make a split from an existing Langstroth colony,
> or is there a special way of doing it??
 
You can brush the bees off the frames of brood comb from an established
hive, cut the combs out of the frame, and tie them to top bars.  You need
to put some paper, window screening, or something at the bottom of the
comb to prevent the cord from cutting into the combs.  In the tropics or
elsewhere, leaves have been used to prevent cutting.  Bees will anchor the
comb to the bar in a week.  If you are removing bees and comb from a tree
or a building, then those combs can be tied to bars also.
 
You might like to simply turn a super upside down, put top bars on it, and
let the bees draw out some comb which can then be transferred to a tbh.
This makes hiving a swarm or starting package bees much easier for they
will have comb surface area to spread out on.  Gives them a jump start.
 
I have mixed top bars and standard frames in a conventional brood chamber
and gotten comb drawn...BUT...that requires a tb to be shorter than I
like, and it results in the bar falling inside the hive body occasionally.
That can be frustrating.  So...I make my tb's long enough to come out even
with the sides of a super or brood chamber.  You can still use regular
frames during transition.  Just turn your brood chamber upside down, put
your frames back in with the frames resting on the edge along with tb's.
Try interspersing tb's and you'll get good combs drawn during a good
honeyflow.  Gaps at the top between tb's and frames?  Cover with duct
tape, cardboard and tape, cloth, or whatever you have at hand.  I'll bet
that banana leaves would be good.  After the combs are drawn out on the
tb's, there may be some attachment to the sides, especially near the top.
No problem.  Tilt the brood chamber on end so that the combs are in the
vertical plane, and use the hive tool to break the attachments loose...set
the brood chamber down, and lever the tb's off.  Since they aren't down in
a rebate, they don't have to be pried up and out.
 
After you have your bees established in your tbh, you may find it
desirable to feed them.  All you need to do is take some jars of any type
that will fit down inside the hive...I use quart jars or old instant
coffee jars...punch holes in the lid, fill with syrup, and invert on two
small pieces of wood thick enough to let the bees get under to the holes.
Baggie feeders can be laid on the floor of the hive.
 
All of the principles of beekeeping that you are presently using will
apply to your tbh...it isn't anything astonishing or new...just imagine
three conventional brood chamber nailed together horizontally with the
partitioning walls separating them removed.  Rather than frames, 30 bars
resting on top, half inch of foundation on each bar for a start.  Holes in
one end--I have around 7 one-inch holes-- or along the sides.  A bottom
nailed on.  Some type of cover to shield the bars from rain and heat.
 
That's it.  That's all it is... A tbh is nothing but a long box made from
whatever you can get your hands on.  The bees don't care.  I wouldn't use
treated lumber.
 
Now the problem is to manage the colony for best production.
You may have to watch for the colony becoming honeybound, may need to
spread the brood to get a better build...but watch for queens who
naturally work laterally and select those in your queen rearing.  Get a
capped comb in place at the beginning of your surplus area in the hive so
that you have a honey barrier to help stop the queen.  But if the queen
gets into your surplus area and lays brood, no problem...just cut that
section out when you get ready to harvest your honey.
 
Kevin, I hope that my comments are helpful.  These are some of my
experiences, but I'm far from being an authority on any aspect of
beekeeping.  I just enjoy tbh's.  Bet you will too.
 
Cordially yours,
 
Jim
 
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