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Change over to Langstroth

1K views 6 replies 6 participants last post by  enus75 
#1 ·
Hey Berkshire I started out with top bar hives I have 4 boxes would like to change over to Langstroth hive Any ideas on how you guys would switch over
 
#2 ·
Use a langstroth frame top bar or make your own strip the same length, and screw these to the top of the tbh top bar, you might have to trim the bottom of the comb a little, place them in the langstroth. When you add a super pull the converted top bars up out of the middle and into the sides of the super. As your converted bars are filled with honey harvest them and replace with langstroth frames.
 
#3 ·
The other option is to cut the comb off the topbars and rubber band it into the Lang frames. Do a shaken swarm with the bees from each hive into the new Lang hive, that is set in the same location. I'd recommend putting the queen in a cage or queen clip during the manipulations so she doesn't get harmed in the process. With the nectar flow just starting, they will have the combs attached to the frames in a couple of weeks or less.
 
#4 ·
The time honored way first suggested by Langstroth. Do a cutout.

"Transferring Bees from the Common Hive to the Movable Comb Hive,

“The construction of my hive is such, as to permit me to transfer bees from the common hives, during all the season that the weather is warm enough to permit them to fly ; and yet to be able to guarantee that they will receive no serious damage by the change.

"On the 1Oth of November, 1852, in the latitude of Northern Massachusetts, I transferred a colony which wintered in good health, and which now, May, 1853, promises to make an excellent stock. The day was warm, but after the operation was completed, the weather suddenly became cold, and as the bees were not able to leave the hive in order to obtain the water necessary for repairing their comb, they were supplied with that indispensable article. They went to work very busily, and in a short time mended up their combs and attached them firmly to the frames.

"The transfer may be made of any healthy colony, and if they are strong in numbers, and the hive is well provisioned, and the weather is not too cool when the operation is attempted, they will scarcely feel the change. If the weather should be too chilly, it will be found almost impossible to make a colony leave its old hive, and if the combs are cut out, and the bees removed upon them, large numbers of them will take wing, and becoming chilled, will be unable to join their companions, and. so will perish.

"The process of transferring bees to my hives, is performed as follows. Let the old hive be shut up and well drummed and the bees, if possible, be driven into an upper box. If they will not leave the hive of their own accord, they will fill themselves, and when it is ascertained that they are determined, if they can help it, not to be tenants at will, the upper box must be removed, and the bees gently sprinkled, so that they may all be sure to have nothing done to them on an empty stomach. If possible, an end of the old box parallel with the combs, must be pried off, so that they may be easily cut out. An old hive or box should stand upon a sheet, in place of the removed stock, and as fast as a comb is cut out, the bees should be shaken from it, upon the sheet; a wing or anything soft, will often be of service in brushing off the bees. Remember that they must not be hurt. If the weather is so pleasant that many bees from other hives, are on the wing, great care must be taken to prevent them from robbing. As fast therefore as the bees are shaken from the combs, these should be put into an empty hive or box, and covered with a cloth, or set in some place where they will not be disturbed. As soon as all the combs have been removed, the Apiarian should proceed to select and arrange them for his new hive. If the transfer is made late in the season, care must be taken, of course, to give the bees combs containing a generous allowance of honey for their winter supplies ; together with such combs as have brood, or are best fitted for the rearing of workers. All coarse combs except such as contain the honey which they need, should be rejected. Lay a frame upon a piece of comb, and mark it so as to be able to cut it a trifle larger, so that it will just crowd into the frame, to remain in its place until the bees have time to attach it. If the size of the combs is such, that some of them cannot be cut so as to fit, then cut them to the best advantage, and after putting them into the frames, wind some thread around the upper and lower slats of the frame, so as to hold the combs in their place, until the bees can fasten them. If however, any of the combs which do not fit, have no honey in them, they may be fattened very easily, by dipping their upper edges into melted rosin. When the requisite number of combs are put into the frames, they should be placed in the new hive, and slightly fastened on the rabbets with a mere touch of paste, so as to hold them firmly in their places; this will be the more necessary if the transfer is made so late in the season that the bees cannot obtain the propolis necessary to fasten them, themselves.

"As soon as the hive is thus prepared, let the temporary box into which the bees have been driven, be removed, and their new home put in its place. Shake out now the bees from the box, upon a sheet in front of this hive, and the work is done; bees, brood, honey, bee-bread, empty combs and all, have been nicely moved, and without any more serious loss than is often incurred by any other moving family, which has to mourn over some broken crockery, or other damage done in the necessary work of establishing themselves in a new home! If this operation is performed at a season of the year when there is much brood in the hive, and when the weather is cool, care must be taken not to expose the brood, so that it may become fatally chilled."—L.L. Langstroth, The Hive and the Honey Bee, Chapter XIII
 
#5 ·
I cut mine out into medium frames and then put deeps on top of them. Best decision I've made so far was to get rid of the TBHs. Cutting them out isn't too bad. I'd suggest doing them earlier rather than waiting because those things sure like to swarm early and OFTEN. So try to beat that urge.
 
#6 ·
What I did for one guy who wanted to change over was put the lang where the TBH was. Put 2 lang frames of brood in the lang hive and filled the rest with foundation. Found the queen in the TBH and shook her with some bees into the lang onto the brood combs. Bees quickly started nasanov fanning at the lang entrance. Shook the rest of the bees from the TBH out front of the lang with a platform so they could walk in. Brood from the TBH was discarded and honey dumped into buckets for crush and strain.

A few days later bees settled and building new comb, job done.
 
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