Building A Top Bar Beehive

The top bar hive is designed for the bees to move side to side through the winter.

Building a top bar beehive. Top bar beehives may be one of the oldest forms of domestic beekeeping. Made from different materials that are often repurposed or recycled top bar hives can be observed around the world. The bees build their comb down from these bars naturally without the use of a 4 sided frame or foundation. Modern top bar hive plans do have instructions for measurements in their design.

This approach is very beekeeper friendly. Distinct in shape and size the top bar beehive commonly features a single rectangular or tub shaped hive body with parallel bars. The top bar hive is the oldest and most commonly used hive style in the world. For the hive body you will also need a dozen 2 1 2 brass or stainless steel wood screws.

Some would argue that this keeps the bees healthy and active due to the additional work but it does mean that you will get less honey from a top bar hive. For another 8 or so top bars. How the bars fit in the body of the hive. Cedar wood is relatively inexpensive and will last many years outside.

You can also print the complete design plans and parts list which is posted below to build your own hive. There was no need to order materials or build structures requiring exact measurements. The idea that the bees can draw a. Here are the plans and parts list you can drag to your desktop and open to print.

The plans break down each section so even those that are newest to beekeeping and carpentry work could probably figure out how to build these hives without much fuss. This contrasts strongly with the other two designs where beekeepers effectively inspect a box at a time. New beekeepers did not have to find and purchase special items. The top bar hive could be constructed with materials that were readily available.

The single box houses a number of top bars hence the name. How to build a top bar beehive free design plans. Mar 22 2015. Honeybees naturally move up throughout the winter to consume foods to survive.

The best type of wood to use is cedar. For top bar hives once you are ready to harvest the honey you have to scrape the entire comb from the bar requiring that the bees build the comb back up. The first written report observing these hives comes from the 1600s. Build this hive 13.

It features individual bars laid across the top of the hive cavity. Tbh and bee box is a type of beehive that you can build out of almost any type of wood. Top bar hive plans. Bees build comb directly down from each of these.

Generally the bars are a wooden wedge or strip with a guide to ensure combs hang straight. A top bar beehive aka. These are more plans for a top bar beehive.