How long should a top bar hive be?
40” LONG HIVE BODY Most available top bar hives are too small to allow a strong colony to thrive. In our experience, colonies outgrow horizontal hives shorter than 36”.
Are top bar hives better?
The bees inside a top bar beehive overwinter better than bees inside a Langstroth hive. In order to stay warm, bees need to exert energy, in order to do that they need to eat honey. Since heat rises it will go to the top of the vertical hive while the bees are more likely to be hanging out at the bottom.
Can I have the measurements of the top bar beehive?
Vital stats for the Kenya top-bar hive Size: 38 inches x 24 inches x 31-1/4 inches. Capacity: You can’t add supers or additional hive bodies. The space is fixed and thus limited. Type of frame: This design uses a top bar, not a frame.
How do you harvest honey from a top bar hive?
Take a knife or hive tool and cut the comb attachments from both sides so that the bars can be removed. At this point you can remove a couple bars at a time, cut the combs off and crush them up in the jar as described before.
Do you need a queen excluder in a top bar hive?
The presence of brood among honey storage comb is an indication that the colony wants to get bigger or needs more drone bees. Sometimes however, it becomes necessary to use a queen excluder in a top bar hive. Your decision must be made based on your own objectives and the products you want to harvest from the beehive.
How many bars do you need to start a top bar hive?
8-12 bars
When you get your bees you should install them at one end of the hive with the follower boards spaced so that 8-12 bars are accessible to the colony. Upon installing bees in the spring, most beekeepers feed their colony a syrup made of sugar water to promote building comb for their new home.
How much honey can you get from a top bar hive?
As mentioned above, a three-foot long top bar hive with my cross-section size, has a maximum hive weight packed full of honey of about 150 pounds (68 kg). Hive number 10 is about at its maximum weight. I can use its extra honey to feed other colonies.
How wide should top bars be?
The main bar top surface should be at least 16” wide and can be as wide as 20” or more depending on the space available but enough space should be provided for a dinner plate, pan of pizza and some drinks.
Should I put sugar water out for bees?
Sugar water is full of empty carbohydrates whereas nectar contains amino acids, vitamins and other trace elements. Bees also need pollen as this provides the protein element of their diet. Sugar water is basically “junk” food for any insect. Just like us, good in an emergency, but not good as a long term diet.