Top Bar Hive Inspection and Difficulty

I decided to look into my top bar hive for the first time in a year. Wasn't a very successful inspection, so I decided to check on another hive nearby. Thanks for joining me in my 2020 beekeeping season as I share how I maintain my beehives from winter through the following fall. My videos are not meant to be 'How To' videos, but simply me sharing my experiences in beekeeping as I learned it from my mentors, teachers, and studies.

[holzsmsf]

Hey buddy, I have Top Bars and love them. Cross comb is avoided by having bar no less than 38cm in width and also giving the girls a starter strip straight across under the top bar to build on. You also have to inspect them the same as all the other types and if you do that, you can starighten any comb that is not straight. Simply, as you said it. you should have inspected it and corrected it... Its not the fault of the design... I love them.

[joelwhite]

I have a top bar. The bees all left back in April. Not a swarm but a "let's pack up and move" moment. Not a live bee left in it. When I opened it up I mashed 12 wax moths going through it. One big worm in the honeycomb.
They are too much trouble.

[dcm]

It’s very important to inspect a top bar hive regularly to avoid this type of situation

[treenester]

I started with top bar hives in 2008, and last year was my first year with langstroth equipment. I caught swarms from my top bar hives and installed into foundationless 8 frame mediums. Lost all hives last year but one of the 8 frames, so I'm building back up this year in all langstroth equipment. The top bar hive design I used for here in Central Alabama was Les Crowder's plan, and it worked fine, really simple and no starter strips or comb guides, just place emptys between two straight ones and they'll build it straight. I changed to langstroth mostly because if I get into selling nucs and such, people will want standard stuff. I really enjoy the vids.

[donbearden]

Mike, do you have fall flow in that part of the country? I scared the lady in the single deep is going to run out of a place to lay and swarm. I’m not telling you how to run your show but if it was min I would add another deep with 5 or 6 frames of drawn comb and put 3 of those on the bottom and move 3 full frames up. Then the little lady could lay and might not pack her bags. With no flow maybe you wouldn’t be so honey bound. You need a machete to run down between the bars on the top bar hive, cut the crazy comb. Just a thought,

[JakeBeesos]

I agree with you on the harvesting part. Taking all the combo they can't build it back till the next year.

[petermurphy]

Hi Mike, I see so many of those top bar hives and your right they make crazy cone seems to much trouble for me and if I was a beginner beekeeper I would t start with one I’m with you either langstroth or British standard for me saying that I wouldn’t mind a tree log hive to just play with . Thank you Mike cool vlog mate.

[DavidWilliams-wrwb]

This is a great bee hive, it’s not a great people hive and they definitely aren’t beginner hives, there is just more that can go wrong in my opinion over a tried but true langstroth, my opinion, to far south you have to be careful in the heat, and too cold in the north, this would be suited better for a place like central California, again, my opinion 😜

[jessabeebees]

Thank you, you just saved me 250$. I have already had problems with cross combing in my langstroth hive. I finally got the bees to draw it right.

[BugFarmerBees]

I am happy just watching your bees. You will get a thumbs up and a full watch from me. I love your videos buddy. I may even get a top bar next year.

[KellyNsGrotto]

I like Mr Ed's "top bar". As I recall, it uses the regular langstrom bars on a long box. It makes it so you dont have to lift boxes, but I am not sure he has an excluder.

[suzanneguiho]

Can’t manage a horizontal hive in the same way as a vertical hive. That is the main problem of most people who « try » a horizontal hive.

[strugglingbeekeepermarkcot]

I wouldn’t mind having a top bar hive but that is down the road. Thanks for sharing I appreciate it hope you have a great evening.

[matthewmccormick]

What i like and is easy on the back is the Horizontal hive made to use deep frames like in a normal nuke. Also can put tray on bottom and a screen and like one i have still has wood bottom under trays. Works good unlike a top bar. Can swap frames between the Horizontal and regular box always for the win. Cheers Mike Sir have a great weekend

[bruceturek]

yea mike let that be your swarm hive. speaking for myself to much time and materials for me to even build it and takes up to much room but im glad you opened it up for us. and as always another good video
thanks for sharing

[tammybarrett]

I'm convinced when I finally get to get me some bees I'm going with the standard boxes.

[julieenslow]

Always a pleasure to see what you and your bees are up to! Thank you Mike!

[josephrawls]

Looks like the top bar is going to be a March 2021 project.

[FernvalleyFarm]

Well thats different havent seen a hive like that

[BeeBeeBailey]

Thanks for the video! What did you use to check for eggs? Some kind of lighted magnifying glass?