One week after top bar install

**whalers** · 04-21-2012, 03:57 PM

A week ago friday I installed a package of Carniolans in my top bar hive. Its my first use of a top bar. Yesterday, one week after install, I made a close inspection. I had hung a piece of foundation with drawn comb on one side and honey on the other and located it on bar 5. After a week bars 4 and 6 are nearly fully drawn. Bar 7 is about half as is bar 3, however, bar three had a piece of comb exactly perpendicular to the straight comb they had drawn. It was located where the two lobes would come together. I removed it and layed it in the bottom of the hive so they could retrive the nectar in it. Not having used a top bar before I found it strange that all the comb has been perfectly straight, yet there was this one weird piece of comb turned 180 degrees opposite the straight comb on each side.

I'm curious if anyone has seen something like this before and also, just any comments in general about how you think these girls are doing after one week. I'm in Oregon and its just now gotten warm for a few days.

**Rader Sidetrack** · 04-21-2012, 05:03 PM

What kind of comb guide do the bars have? (This is in reference to the bars that you did not put foundation or comb on.)

**Bush_84** · 04-21-2012, 07:01 PM

I also wonder what kind of comb guide you have. I have not seen this before, but bees don't read our books or go by our past experience either. If the comb is not big you could reattach it by simply pressing it back on, if its larger then you could use a hair clip or yarn.

**whalers** · 04-21-2012, 08:18 PM

The bars came with a piece of wood much like a paint stick you would get at a hardware store. It was set in a grove in the top bar. I did not measure how far it extends below the bar, but appeared to be plenty to attach to. I'm hoping the comb is just a fluke. It occured wehre the two lobes come together and only took up about an inch at the attachment. It is a fairly large piece of comb and if I had turned it the other way to re-attach it would have jammed with the lobes of comb on each side. All the other bars have nice, straight beautiful comb.