Top bar hives

[The Drone Ranger]

I've moved your quote here to 'altnerantive beekeeping', Madasafish, away form Maud bees.

I've often heard those last two criticisms about TBHs, but I don't understand why they should either produce less honey or be more labour-intensive. Can you, or somebody else, please explain (before I turn a stack of wood I have waiting into two TBHs).

Kitta

I have seen plans where the top bars had a wire coathanger loop to encourage the bees to build a comb supported all the way round
The rest of the hive seemed to just be the usual Abbe Warre style
Perhaps the idea is to stop the boxes being joined together?

I have the plans for a Long Deep Hive somewhere but never got round to attempting one because the cutting needs to be pretty accurate and the ply sheets are pretty big and heavy so the hive would be the same
I could dig them out for you if thats the type of thing you have in mind

I haven't been exactly sold on ply as a hive material certainly the DIY stuff usually warps and doesn't last

What kind of wood have you been stacking Kitta ?