Newbee Question

[MooreHoney]

So I put my packaged bees into my very first top bar hive. I checked on them a week later was I was very excited to see that they are working very well. I used the KTBH design on Michael Bush's website. My concern is they are building 2/3's of the way to the back of the hive on the larger bars. So my question is should I move them from the back to the front and should I move the comb from the larger bars (which I thought was usually used for honey storage) to the smaller bars. Thanks for any incite or help.

On a side note I was really excited to work with the TBH it was very different from my other hives.

Justin

[Aram]

If the comb is straight and they are not building more than one comb per bar I would leave them alone. You can move the narrower brood bars next to the drawn bars if you are worried.

[Michael Bush]

I would leave them where they are, but you can feed the narrow bars in and around the cluster. Just pull the large ones at the edge and put them at the other end and put the narrow ones in their place. Then insert some between the other ones that have comb on them and pull the ones without comb on them out. You can do this a little at a time or all at once.

[REWERT]

Justin, I installed 2 new packages this spring and they both did the exact same thing. They started building immediately on the larger (honey) bars towards the back. Initially I was worried and wanted to intervean because they didn't do "what they're supposed to do". But the more I thought about it maybe they know what they are doing after all. My guess is that they built towards the back because the weather has been cool/rainy and the backside (away from the entrance) was more protected from the elements. I am guessing they will continue building towards the front and as the weather improves and the earlier brood hatches, they will begin converting the back bars to honey storage "like they are supposed to do". I guess my thoughts are to leave things alone and see what happens; it will be a great learning experience for me regardless of what they do. Part of the appeal of TBH beekeeping is a more hands off approach.

[gmcharlie]

I rubber band the queen cage up front on the brood bars and this seems to solve the issue. they seem to like to start near the caged queen.

[LenInNorCal]

I rubber band the queen cage up front on the brood bars and this seems to solve the issue. they seem to like to start near the caged queen.
I too like to start near the queen, but remember to remove the cage ASAP, as long as she's out of it. If not, release her into the hive. If she ain't out they will build a messy comb around her AND she can't lay brood from inside that cage.
Then the hard part, can't open up for a week at least!

[gmcharlie]

I too like to start near the queen, but remember to remove the cage ASAP, as long as she's out of it. If not, release her into the hive. If she ain't out they will build a messy comb around her AND she can't lay brood from inside that cage.
Then the hard part, can't open up for a week at least!



Good Point, I usually leave it in a day or two... it does also seem that the queens proximity for a day leaves that area saturated in phermones. and keeps them there....