What are the advantages of a top bar hive?
Better Overwintering. Because the top bar hive is horizontal, it holds heat much better than the Langstroth hive, and this makes it easier for the bees to overwinter. During cold weather, bees have to actively work to keep the hive warm. To provide the energy to do so, they consume honey.
Are top bar hives better?
Top bar hives allow bees to build comb in a natural way. This will help reduce the likelihood of wax moths overwintering in your hives. The bees inside a top bar beehive overwinter better than bees inside a Langstroth hive. In order to stay warm, bees need to exert energy, in order to do that they need to eat honey.
How does a top bar bee hive work?
The top bar hive is the oldest and most commonly used hive style in the world. It features individual bars laid across the top of the hive cavity. The bees build their comb down from these bars naturally, without the use of a 4 sided frame or foundation.
How much honey does a top bar hive produce?
In 2016 established top bar colonies produced about the same, 62 lbs (28.1 kg), on average. However, if the top bar hive was empty enough (had plenty of storage room), some colonies gained 80 – 90 lbs (36.3 – 40.8 kgs), provided the colony was ready for honey production.
How much does a top bar hive cost?
Top Bar Hive
- ww-269 Top Bar Hive Kit – Unassembled $299.95.
- ww-167 Top Bar Only (Top Bar Hives) 28 Count $59.95.
- ww-268 Follower Board for Economy Top Bar Hive $21.95.
Do you need a queen excluder in a top bar hive?
Sometimes however, it becomes necessary to use a queen excluder in a top bar hive. Your decision must be made based on your own objectives and the products you want to harvest from the beehive. A queen excluder in a top bar hive is shaped like a beehive frame.
How long should a top bar hive be?
The depth of the bar and the length of the bar can be whatever the beekeeper wants, but usually between 17″ and 20″. The depth of the top bar hive should be 12″ or less. If deeper, the weight of the comb filled with honey tends to cause it to fall off the bar into the bottom of the hive.
Do top bar hives have queen excluders?
A queen excluder is not typically part of a top bar hive, because they are operated under totally different principals compared to typical box hives (langstroth, national etc…). In a Langstroth: The beekeeper harvests whole boxes of frames at once.