Here is a slide show of my Progress on the TBH
Feb 2008, I got the paint from the Oops shelf at Home Depot. $5.00 for the gallon. I didn't realize how good it match the shed until I stood back. I hate the color, Looking for my can of yellow paint. Also, notice I did away with the peak roof and decided to keep it simple and flat. The split ont he roof made it hard to seal for rain.I previously have written a little on Top Bar Hives. TBH’s is just another subject in which I have no personal experience at all. I’m well read in the subject and have enough knowledge to really not know anything. With that said, here are my plans for my TBH, and below are some of the progress and some steps on how I’m building it. First I should give credit where credit is due. The base for my plans came from http://www.biobees.com/ - Check them out, great site “about sustainable, chemical-free, small-scale, 'organic' beekeeping, using simple equipment that almost anyone can make at home.” Hey!!!!!! They are right; I am building it myself at home. Also, check out http://www.bwrangler.com/bee/index.html for information that leads me to my conclusions about what I think might work for me. Finally, to Mike for his constructions tips, and discussions on the subject… It helps to solve problems and make improvements when you discuss things with someone interested in the subject. What I have concluded is:
- Florida beekeepers keep one deep brood in Florida - So a smaller TBH should work better here. I’m building the smaller 36” version and I’ve modified the trapezoid dimensions to give me a volume slightly larger than a deep box hive.
- Hot and humid weather means more ventilation required – building a screen bottom and adding vent holes to roof
- Extra help required to deal with Small Hive Beetles - Building inspection drawer/ trap drawer
- How to provide support - Roof will be split to allow me to place a medium supper or place a NUC above it to provide drawn out frames of pollen, honey, or brood from my Lang
- Use it to support my Langs. The measurements of the Top bars will allow the top bars to be placed in standard Deep body hives.
2 comments:
We are both building top bar hives at the same time! Thanks for sharing.
HUGE KUDOS FOR YOUR EFFORTS...I just watched a PBS special on the CCDisease affecting bee hives; seems this is a pandemic that the world should know about - it's going to impact the future of fruits, nuts, and veges... it's already affecting China and the hills of pears they grow - imagine pollenating by hand (true - PBS showed it)! Oh what the future will soon bring without those marvelous wonderful bees! So I thank you for keeping Bees; and wonder one thing...Is it like against some residential law or something to become a bee keeper in a neighborhood??? (And, do you know if wasps have any correlation to honeybees - pos/neg?) (PS also costal E ctral Brevard cty)!!! Keep it sweet Honey!!! (PS: Lavender is France seems to account for some of the most prized flavored honey! (PBS, again)!
PJZ
Post a Comment