Any TBHivers in North Cal? I want to visit!

[palikaji]

I want to visit someone who's been doing TBH for at least a couple of years in the SF Bay area or near Monterey. I'm in Santa Cruz, but would even come up to Sonoma and Mendo county. Anyone here??

I'm convinced of the environmental integrity and ecological morality so to speak of TBH and I really want to change over. I have these 3 lang hives with swarms that came this spring and one is definitely africanized I think. I barely opened cover with smoke and about 6 guards flew out really intense and chased me emphatically (at a run mind you)100 feet to my door. Tried again and repeat. Maybe they'll die this winter.

I understand folks do different things on the underside of the top bars, which I'm not clear about - is their a groove, or a protusion? And why would bees just because they are shaken into a tbh begin to build comb on these top bars???

And there seems to be many different designs. So I'd like to see close up if someone would be cool with a visit. I've been working my bees in the lang hives for 4 summers now, so I'm comfortable around and in the hives. I've done suit and no suit, right now I'm into suit or long sleeves and pants with a net over head and face.

It would be really cool to visit someone who is using more than one style TBH for comparison.

Any takers? Thanks.

[Scot Mc Pherson]

I am not in california but I can answer some of these questions and provide some input.

You lang with the nasty bees doesn't necessarily have AHB, it could, but its not necessarily true. A TBH would certainly have a calming effect on them as you work through them if you are careful.

The top bars usually have a protrusion, the protrusion is to give the bees something defined to build comb on. If the topbars are all flat, they have essenstially a flat ceiling to build any direction they want, which will often not be what you want. Lets think of it this way in more human terms. You have a 10ftx10ft room, and yuo want to hang drapes through the room. You want to devide the room in 3. If the ceiling is flat it makes no mechanical difference where you hang the drapes. But if you have rafters which cross the room, not only is it easier to use the rafters, but its harder to NOT use the rafters. Same deal with the bees. The protrusion simply makes the choice of where to place the comb a bit weighted to your advantage. It's still no guarantee, they may choose the hard way, but you have a much better chance of comb being built where you want if you help the bees choose.

In the summer months, one tends to require more protection. For me that means I am more often than not wearing a veil, whereas in the spring I usually just carry it with me just in case.

[Tomas]

I'm not from California either but I'll give my two-cents worth also about the top bars.

The top bars need some sort of guide so the bees will begin to build the comb in the very center of it and so you won't get comb crossing from one bar to the next.

My top bars have a groove in it. It seems that many people like to put a strip of wax foundation in it.

I'm in a bit of different situation down here in Honduras becauses foundation is really expensive or time consuming if I make my own. I make my own starter strips using a piece of paper (scrap paper from the photocopier) cut into strips (about 5/8 or 1/2 of an inch wide) and dunked two times into melted wax. Then I just "glue" them into the groove with more melted wax. They work fine.

[bobobee]

Hi-

I'm in Marin County (Bolinas) & have three TBHs. You are welcome to visit sometime with plenty of advanced notice.

Alethea Patton