building one

[Got Honey?]

I recently picked up a hive in an old packing prate about 1'-6" wide 3' long and 1' deep, I was temped to just bring it home set it in it's spot and let it be, but figured that would probably just cause problems, but anyway, how should I go about making the bars? Should I try to modify the box in anyway that would make it easier to work? I have never even seen a top bar hive in person so I have no idea how you work them and go about this.

Thanks,
Joseph

[Michael Bush]

>I recently picked up a hive in an old packing prate about 1'-6" wide 3' long and 1' deep

You mean it IS a packing crate and it already HAS bees in it?

>I was temped to just bring it home set it in it's spot and let it be, but figured that would probably just cause problems, but anyway, how should I go about making the bars?

Is it open on the top? If bees are in it it must either be closed on four sides or have the open side down. I can't really picture the situation well enough to advise.

>Should I try to modify the box in anyway that would make it easier to work? I have never even seen a top bar hive in person so I have no idea how you work them and go about this.

Well, the idea is that you have a box of approximatly the dimensions you have with bars somewhere between 1 1/2" and 1 1/4" wide with 1 3/8" being the most common. These have some kind of centering device on them, either a starter strip of wax, an angle with a peak in the center or a strip of wood. The bees build the comb hanging from the bar and you CAREFULLY remove these to work it.

If you look through the archives there is a very long discussion of top bars with many links to other sites with pictures and plans.
http://www.beesource.com/ubb/Forum12/HTML/000012-3.html

[Got Honey?]

"Is it open on the top? If bees are in it it must either be closed on four sides or have the open side down. I can't really picture the situation well enough to advise."

It's a completley closed off on all sides with a lid on top, the swarm moved into it because the lid was not on all the way, and made a nice entrance.
thanks for your reply,

Joseph

[Michael Bush]

So how full is it with combs? You could make top bars to fit the end that is not filled yet (if there is one) and cut the lid back to there.

[Got Honey?]

they had just the begining of combs starting right in the middle of the lid, the swarm was fairly new.

[Michael Bush]

I think it's worth trying to put top bars on it. But the other option is just to cut out the combs and tie them into frames in a standard hive or make some frames for your top bar hive to tie them into.

[Got Honey?]

Yea I think I'll give it a shot, thanks for the input.

Joseph