From: "Faith Arnold" <lvfrts@artnet.net>
Date: Sat Jan 31, 2004 2:59 am
To: BiologicalBeekeeping@egroups.com
Subject: Re: How long is too long for a side by side hive?

Hi Jeffery,

> My basic idea is that I would like to build a TBH, with 90 degree
> sides, and standard Langstroth frame width. The idea is that I could
> use either standard frames or TBs. With standard frames, it would be
> similar to the "Bee Condo" on BeeSource.com.

That's what I am doing...have part top bars and part regular frames right
now, and they are all mixed in together. I just have to be careful not to
crush bees between the bars, because the space is narrower than between
regular frame bars. I'm still doing it in Langstroth-sized boxes, though.
Sometimes the comb gets attached to the sides of the boxes, but it isn't
bad... I just cut out the torn edges when it happens. Mostly the natural
curved shape of the comb keeps it away from the sides. You do have to
develop a new habit for handling the top bar combs: remember to always keep
them oriented vertically: never turn a top bar comb horizontal...it will
break off very quickly. Instead of "flipping" them over, turn them so they
are standing on their "ends" first and rotate around the vertical axis. I
find it is good to get into the habit of handling ALL the frames/combs this
way, so I don't get careless and break the unsupported comb.

On the web somewhere I read about someone's experience with top bars...he
had 20 bar-long hives, but said if he made more he would make them 30. So
that is what I am going to make when I do some later this spring.

> My plan for now is to use the dimensions of 3 Lang deeps side-by-side
> so I can leave them 30 frames for brood and honey to overwinter on.
> This would mean I would need to add supers on top if I wanted to
> harvest anything. But I worry that 30 frames (or Top Bars) side-by-
> side may be too long.

Maybe some of the cold climate people have had some top bar experience by
now. (Any cold climate top bar people out there???) You will have more of a
challenge than the beekeepers in Africa where top bars got their start. You
may need to limit their horizontal space in the winter with a divider board
and go vertically with supers so the cluster can move upwards into the honey
stores.

Faith