... a ... It's ... communication above. i've also brought up whole comb from below. the whole comb works well but the bees will make extra comb on the sides of...
I could easily title this "How I went out to do something with the bees that ought to have taken 2 minutes and ended up taking an hour and a half instead" and...
Has anyone had experiences with keeping bees in a TBH made from a 55 gallon drum (ala Les Crowder) they could share? Are there any serious drawbacks to...
Hi Jacqueline - We learned a couple things the other day - when we had a local bee guy/friend retrieve the bee package/box that we abandoned in the TBH - when...
Any recommendations that csn be provided would be greatly appreciated. I checked my two TBh's yesterday and one had significant cross combs. 4 large combs,...
Hi Dave, I always install bees on a few frames of fountation befor giving them starter strips . Cut some 4.9 founddation to fit the hive & mount it on the top...
I would install bees on 4.9 foundation or comb from another hive to get them drawing correctly. When you take brood, make sure the queens not on it ( a very...
I have had this problem too, although usually in the honey storage area. I hope that I have fixed the problem now. I've built some bars of rough fir stock,...
Hello, I've been following this list for several months now... and just hived my first colony (Italians) 3 days ago into a TBH that we built. We are in the...
Perfectly normal. That cluster is how they keep warm at night. Make sure the queen has been released (if you didn't do a direct release) before you leave town....
Don't know if this is too late, and I am also a rank beginner so please take this for what it's worth. Have you seen the TBH "swarm catch frames"? They are...
The swarm catch frames sound interesting. I would be interested in the link. FWIW, my one hive with the cross comb decided they had had enough and swarmed....
They are the best invention for TBH's I've ever seen. We should stop calling them swarm catch frames since they're not frames, nor do swarms have comb- this...
I built mine exactly the same (based on your experience and the TxAshurst pictures) and yes, they are a lifesaver especially when working alone. Every TBH...
How can I tell if I have a hive of hot bees? I have a top bar hive that I installed a 3 lb package of GA bees (Italians) in about 3 weeks ago. I live in SE...
Dave, The bees in the package are not daughters of the queen in the same package. The way the packages are made up is the bee breeder shakes bees from one or...
Paul, First let me say that Les is a good friend and I have the highest regard for his abilities as a beekeeper. However, there are several points upon which...
Interesting article below, but we're preaching to the converted here, I'm sure. Still I am eager to bring these ideas into my local bee club so the backyard...
Dave, Marty is right, you have no idea what kind of bees you have until the population turns over and the bees in you hive are bees your queen mothered. ...
This isnt a top bar hive specific problem but I thought I'd link it here because so many of us seem to be urban/suburban hobbyist beekeepers- I have bees...
Hi Scott, I have read a lot of your posts in Organic Beekeepers and appreciate your knowledge and insight. I have two TBH's with package bees from the same...
... several ... a ... topbars ... have ... pvc ... make ... in ... a couple years ago i was able to attend a seminar by les crowder. the barrels he was talking...
Add a little vinegar to the water and/or some peat moss. I use at block of peat moss for the bees to land on in my watering buckets. Bees like a slightly...
Thanks for the vinegar suggestion, Illl try that too. Sadly the neighbors are the landlord of that location, so no American Way suing possible! Mark...
I too have tried using a smoker and found that it was worse (in a top- bar hive). When I help my friend who has a Lang, the smoker works well, because bees go...
... highest ... of ... a ... one ... would ... Stan, Thanks for the clarification. I should have known that Les wouldn't put bees in half of a metal 55 gal....
Marty, Thanks very much for your reply and your input on this. It is very helpful. I don't know that Les advocates the 55GD path. I just saw it in an article...
Yay! We're home from vacation and the bees are still in the hive! They have built comb up to the 6th bar, but in at least one place it spanned two bars, I...
55 gallons is enormous- the top bars would be 24" with a very steep wall angle. Not sure what the square footage of that would be. I've seen these done (I...
www.betterbee.com sells these in six colors $2.50 ea when you buy 10. I drilled a two in hole about 2/3 up on front end. May tape part of the hole this...
