Hi all
I just don't get the attraction of the top bar hive. To my way of looking the concessions one must make to operate them far outweigh any benefit. Conversely, with a few concessions, using a standard hive can be made much easier. 

1) Low hive stands. Tall hive stands add too much height and are not needed. I put the hives on a couple of 2x2s which raises them about an inch and a half off the ground.

2) Don't super up. Most beekeepers, myself included, super up on the assumption that the bees need lots of room. The A-Z hive has two chambers, one for honey and one for brood. 

If you use an excluder, you can confine the queen to one deep box and put two or three mediums over it, and the hive will not be above waist height. (I don't do this, I don't use excluders at all). Or run the bees in three deeps.

3) Remove honey often. Most beekeepers, myself included, let the honey pile up and harvest a bunch of boxes at once. You don't have to do it this way, honey can be removed on a weekly basis. This system allows for keeping the varieties separate and requires less equipment.

4) Use helpers. People like to help

PLB

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