Top Bar Hive
We normally only build top bar hives for our yearly rental customer but sometimes have extra ones for sale if you wish to start your own journey. Contact us for more information.
If you are local, we can also provide nucleus colonies for our Top Bar as well as Langstroth hives. If you are starting out, you will also need a hat & veil, hive tool, AFB yellow book, gloves, white overalls and to register your hive when it has bees. http://www.afb.org.nz/new-to-beekeeping-apiary-registration-form |
We have modified typical plans of top bar hive (TBH) for NZ conditions. Basically, making the hives bigger, 1.2m long, and Langstroth compatible. We put an inspection window along one side. We use entrances at the end board and our favorite form of legs is a single round pine fence post, 1.2m long; 600mm into the ground and 600mm above ground. The hive goes on top and is secured with a brace at 45 degrees.
From a theft and installation point of view it is relatively secure, hard to steal and easy to put in. If you do need to move the hive, you need to gain access to the coach bolt in the hive and if you are suited up it is actually pretty easy. But we try to avoid moving hives, we like to consider them semi-permanent. The top bars are all 483mm / 19" long. This makes them the same length as Langstroth frames, but a very unattractive proposition to commercial beekeeper hive thieves trying to populate Langstroth hives.
From a theft and installation point of view it is relatively secure, hard to steal and easy to put in. If you do need to move the hive, you need to gain access to the coach bolt in the hive and if you are suited up it is actually pretty easy. But we try to avoid moving hives, we like to consider them semi-permanent. The top bars are all 483mm / 19" long. This makes them the same length as Langstroth frames, but a very unattractive proposition to commercial beekeeper hive thieves trying to populate Langstroth hives.
Top Bar Hives Versus Langstroth, Why?
We manage both of these hive styles, they each have advantages.
For the urban garden we prefer Top Bars first, because we believe they are a beautiful feature added to your garden, the inspection window gives anyone the the possibility to see what they are doing. Secondly, for a management reason, we never open the whole hive up when we perform our checks, it is less invasive moving just one comb at a time. This keeps the bees calm and we rarely need to use our smoker. We can add bars and give them as much or little extra space they need. Our Top Bar hive sits at a very nice height and no lifting boxes is needed as well as bees don't get squashed as much. The bees will draw their comb from the top and no foundation is needed. It is easy to cycle out the oldest waxed frames. They manage their own amounts of drone brood and no queen excluder is needed. It is easy to get cut honey comb but the honey harvest might be smaller than with Langstroth hives as they need it to produce beeswax and draw their frames. Some have written there is 20% less honey and 100% more beeswax harvest. If so, we're comfortable with that. |