Wayacoyote has asked me to talk about my results. I have a couple of pictures of combs (and pictures of my TBHs) on my site:
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bush/bush_bees.htm
He asked about brace comb ect.
The KTBH did well. It did swarm once long before it was full and I think I should have managed it a bit more to keep the brood chamber opened up. Brace was not a problem. I already had two different sized bars, 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" wide. I started with the 1 1/2" wide when the bees started making thicker honey storage comb. No combs collapsed. This one is in partial (mostly) shade.
The long Medium hive is standard Lanstroth width and medium depth (7 1/2" deep from the top to the Screen on the bottom which is ropughly the same as a 6 5/8" box on a 3/4" bottom board). It is in full sun, except for whatever shade the hive to the south of it gives. One comb collapsed but did not take any other combs with it. I worked it quite a bit. Brace comb was almost non existant. Certainly not a problem. I had 1 1/4" bars, 1 3/8" bars and 1 1/2" bars. I also put in a 1/2" wide piece once where the comb was wide and I wanted to get back in the center of the next bar.
Both the KTBH and the TTBH did well and I'll probably start another of the long medium depth (TTBH) ones next spring.
I'm still trying to work out how best to manage them to prevent swarming and maximize their use of the whole hive.
http://incolor.inetnebr.com/bush/bush_bees.htm
He asked about brace comb ect.
The KTBH did well. It did swarm once long before it was full and I think I should have managed it a bit more to keep the brood chamber opened up. Brace was not a problem. I already had two different sized bars, 1 1/4" and 1 1/2" wide. I started with the 1 1/2" wide when the bees started making thicker honey storage comb. No combs collapsed. This one is in partial (mostly) shade.
The long Medium hive is standard Lanstroth width and medium depth (7 1/2" deep from the top to the Screen on the bottom which is ropughly the same as a 6 5/8" box on a 3/4" bottom board). It is in full sun, except for whatever shade the hive to the south of it gives. One comb collapsed but did not take any other combs with it. I worked it quite a bit. Brace comb was almost non existant. Certainly not a problem. I had 1 1/4" bars, 1 3/8" bars and 1 1/2" bars. I also put in a 1/2" wide piece once where the comb was wide and I wanted to get back in the center of the next bar.
Both the KTBH and the TTBH did well and I'll probably start another of the long medium depth (TTBH) ones next spring.
I'm still trying to work out how best to manage them to prevent swarming and maximize their use of the whole hive.