Got my first TBH home last night...

1951 Views 10 Replies 4 Participants Last post by JakeDatc, Jun 21, 2014

WBVC

Discussion Starter · Jun 20, 2014

I have had Langs for a year now and wanted to try a TBH for comparison. I have had the hive for a few weeks but no bees in it. Took it to a fellow who installed a nuc in it. Picked it up in the pouring rain last night. He said it was OK to put it in the Pasat..no need for the truck he says

He shows me the hive...it is now dark and puts it in the back of the car. He takes the roof off the hive to make it easier to move. I notice one of the empty bars back of the follower bar is ajar. I mention this but not worry as no bees in that part of the hive...only 4 bars fully drawn and the 5th just started. I head home..about a 30 min drive. Drive is uneventful.

I get home, get out and pop the hatch to see the hive. The bars have shifted and bees are all over the back of the car!

I put a Lang inner cover them and get the smoker...so much for the Febreeze air freshened in the car.

I got most of the bees back in...along with several stings and moved them to the hive yard.

When I get home from work I will place them properly on the stand.

I hope they stay put and don't take off like Glock's TBH bees did initially.

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Ennui

· #2 · Jun 20, 2014

If I ever had to move one of my TBH in the back of a car I'd take off the inner cover, lay a 2x4 across the top of the bars and clamp down to prevent bars from shifting. And I'd shove a sponge in the entrance too of course.

"Hey honey, the truck's acting funny. Can I borrow the mini-van to drop some stuff off?"

For some reason, I see that going wrong on so many levels. heh.

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WBVC

Discussion Starter · #3 · Jun 20, 2014

Checked the TBH. There was no follower board on the wall end of the hive and the comb from that bar was firmly stuck to the end. I cut it back with a bread knife, placed a follower board and attached the cut off comb to a top board. They have 4 bars drawn and are working on the fifth. The have about 5 empty frames before the end follower board.

Hope they do OK. Am wondering if I should feed them...if so how do folks feed them syrup...I have no entrance board...just round holes foe entrance egress.

Also for winter Langs get dry sugar, fondant etc as an over winter supplement. Just put it on top of the frames. In the TBH the bars form a solid roof. How do you give them extra supplies?

Thanks.

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Sovek

· #4 · Jun 20, 2014

Bottom or back of the hive. I have a pint jar placed upside down past the brood nest, bees take it and place it in the combs.

Congrats on a new TBH though, and if it has a screen bottom I suggest you close that off ASAP. That can cause bees to decide not to stay. A couple of tips for you though, Light smoke at either end when doing inspections, and be careful with comb, especially new and if its 90+ outside, dont even think about it if its 100 or more. Your bread knife will also be your hive tool, along with a 1/8" rod (any material, so long as its straight) for closing it up. To close up without crushing the curious bees, bring the bar together close enough so that there is room for a single bee to get through, place rod in the gap, move bar up to the rod, remove rod and push bar to the next bar. I do this and never crush bees.

not my video, It was pointed to me earlier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVhgzzsnH8M

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JakeDatc

· #5 · Jun 20, 2014

a quart size chicken waterer will also fit inside most top bar hives. we don't restrict them with any follower board so they have the whole space to get to a feeder with stones, marbles etc to keep from drowning. you could put it at the bottom inside your follower board but you'd have to keep an eye on it so they don't build comb into it.

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WBVC

Discussion Starter · #6 · Jun 20, 2014

Sovek said:
Bottom or back of the hive. I have a pint jar placed upside down past the brood nest, bees take it and place it in the combs.

Congrats on a new TBH though, and if it has a screen bottom I suggest you close that off ASAP. That can cause bees to decide not to stay. A couple of tips for you though, Light smoke at either end when doing inspections, and be careful with comb, especially new and if its 90+ outside, dont even think about it if its 100 or more. Your bread knife will also be your hive tool, along with a 1/8" rod (any material, so long as its straight) for closing it up. To close up without crushing the curious bees, bring the bar together close enough so that there is room for a single bee to get through, place rod in the gap, move bar up to the rod, remove rod and push bar to the next bar. I do this and never crush bees.

not my video, It was pointed to me earlier
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NVhgzzsnH8M

Thanks for the tips. The sbb is closed. We never get to 90 here

For winter do you not get dead bees on the bottom? If you do don't the make a mess with the mountain camp sugar on the bottom? Also there doesn't seem to be much room between the bottom of the combs and the hive bottom...same with the sides. How to keep 5-10 lb of sugar in there?

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WBVC

Discussion Starter · #7 · Jun 20, 2014

JakeDatc said:
a quart size chicken waterer will also fit inside most top bar hives. we don't restrict them with any follower board so they have the whole space to get to a feeder with stones, marbles etc to keep from drowning. you could put it at the bottom inside your follower board but you'd have to keep an eye on it so they don't build comb into it.

If you put a syrup feeder in with the bees they don't build crazy comb all over it? Also if they have access to the full length they simply draw organized comb from one end towards the other?

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JakeDatc

· #8 · Jun 21, 2014

sometimes they put comb on it .. some times they don't.. I had one inside the top of my lang for a few weeks and they didn't.

They start at the end with the entrance and move their way backwards they'll get partially done with a bar and start the next one.

not my photo.

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Sovek

· #9 · Jun 21, 2014

WBVC said:
Thanks for the tips. The sbb is closed. We never get to 90 here
For winter do you not get dead bees on the bottom? If you do don't the make a mess with the mountain camp sugar on the bottom? Also there doesn't seem to be much room between the bottom of the combs and the hive bottom...same with the sides. How to keep 5-10 lb of sugar in there?

Its my first year as a beek, but they keep dead bees out, drag them out and dispose of them even with a top entrance. It may not hurt to leave a gap between two bars and then place a small, well insulated box on top of the gap and put the sugar in the box. You may want to take it off if it looks like it wants to rain.

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WBVC

Discussion Starter · #10 · Jun 21, 2014

JakeDatc said:
sometimes they put comb on it .. some times they don't.. I had one inside the top of my lang for a few weeks and they didn't.

They start at the end with the entrance and move their way backwards they'll get partially done with a bar and start the next one.

not my photo.

Thanks for the photo. What type of tbh is that ? You got a great photo. I have an observation window but there us a lot more reflection than I thought there would be.

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JakeDatc

· #11 · Jun 21, 2014

Not my picture.. google found that one. i picked a good shot showing the different layers of building up as they go down the row and start new comb.

I made my GF a hive following the Bio Bees plans.

this was when we hived a swarm (and added a small comb from her other hive(since dismantled) )

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