Results 1 to 10 of 71

Thread: Top bar hive seduction!

Hybrid View

Previous Post Previous Post   Next Post Next Post
  1. #1
    Banned Stromnessbees's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Orkney
    Posts
    456
    Blog Entries
    1

    Thumbs up

    Loved the story about the farting mongoose! Haven't heard about that before, despite having seen quite a bit of African beekeeping.

    I'll definitely get my KTB going this year, as soon as I can get hold of a swarm.

    One advantage of the KTB is that there is very little lifting involved. This makes it attractive for people who would have problems with the weight of full supers and who are not interested in a huge honey harvest.

    Actually, anybody with back problems might like working with KTBs as they can be set up at a very convenient working height, so no bending down for inspections!

    I think the bees, too, like the extra hight as it gets them away from the damper air near the ground.

    Pests like mice and rats find it more or less impossible to get to the entrance, especially if it's on the short side and doesn't have a landing board.
    That means a mouseguard should be superfluous.

    I'll let you know when I have the hive populated and how I get on with it.

  2. #2
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Exiled Scot, North of Stoke on Trent,
    Posts
    483

    Default

    I started last yera with 2 top bar hives. Both have insulated roofs: we are some 150metres above sealevel in Staffordshire Moorlands and winters are cold, wet and windy. We had -19C in 2009 and -18C in 2010 winter. I placed old carpet underlay (cloth type not rubber) on top of the topbars under the roof and both survived...

    It was so cols one hive had a frozen 4cm long icicle of condensate coming out of the hive - from the wall past the Mesh floor. I now have 3 plus 1 TBH nuc. The larger 4 ft one has a hinged roof which makes inspections MUCH easier and I will convert the others at some time over the winter.. All were varroa treated with Apiguard.. no oxalic acid.

    They are carnies so v good natured but swarmy.. so I am in process of requeening...

    I also have two warres as an experiment.. (more to come)

  3. #3
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Somerset
    Posts
    1,884
    Blog Entries
    35

    Default

    I've got a colony that's a Carnie cross and they're much grumpier than the italian crosses on the other apiary.

    How you getting on with the warrés (ooh, I like the new Mac way of sorting out accented characters, just hope I got it the right way) and are you leaving them be or doing any sort of swarm management?

  4. #4
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Jul 2011
    Location
    Exiled Scot, North of Stoke on Trent,
    Posts
    483

    Default

    Carnies? Well 2nd generation queens are v well behaved - so far. Next year might be fun..

    The Warres were home built - as were the TBHs- and my building leaves lot to be desired.. Gaffer tape to the rescue!

    No swarm control - so already one cast... I'll give them a year..and replace with TBHs.. if not a success.. I opened one up in hot weather and two combs collapsed... think I will go to semi frames to try to avoid that...

    I've gone from 1 hive in April 2010 to 6 now so the learning experience has been interesting... Our fruit this year has bumper crops- whether the weather or far better pollination I know not.

    Trying to find ley lines in garden... I obviously can't dowse or there are none :-)

    Like stromness above, the lack of lifting with TBHs is great.. Warres not so.. On the other hand, I used to weightlift when younger.. but that was decades ago.. Inuslated roofs. make a difference.. Knauf Insulation Board in roof- B&Q...
    Last edited by madasafish; 04-08-2011 at 08:34 AM.

  5. #5
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Somerset
    Posts
    1,884
    Blog Entries
    35

    Default

    I had Roger "do" our apiary, I keep an open mind but I will say it was an interesting experiment when it comes to ley lines.

    The nadiring aspect of warrés on top of the apparent difficulty undertaking swarm management (in an urban environment) are the two aspects that really put me off them, but always interested to hear how others get on with them.

  6. #6
    Senior Member
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Isle of Mull
    Posts
    799
    Blog Entries
    18

    Default

    What on earth do mythical ley lines have to do with keeping bees? Or are those antennae on their heads really dowsing rods?

  7. #7
    Administrator gavin's Avatar
    Join Date
    Feb 2010
    Location
    Tayside
    Posts
    4,464
    Blog Entries
    41

    Default

    They're all the rage in the senior echelons of the the BBKA apparently.


Tags for this Thread

Bookmarks

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •