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Lid heavy &off balanced

880 views 3 replies 3 participants last post by  Beesnme 
#1 ·
Could use some suggestions. I purchased a “Bee Thinking” top bar hive about 4 years ago and they are no longer in business. I have always had difficulty when I attempt to use this hive as the lid is very heavy and wider then my arms can reach. I can not just open and let go as it will pull the entire hive over. The stand is not part of the hive and no mater how I reinforce is a bit rickety. Si in order to properly inspect (which I headed for first inspection after installation) I would do best to completely remove the lid. Problem is its extremely hard to hold up this heavy lid and get it properly slid into the little slots. Anyone else knnow what I’m talking about?
 
#2 ·
I know exactly what you mean. I bought that same hive, it works well with the provided stand but not on a flat surface because it tends to make the whole hive flip. I realized that when I made three more with hinged roofs and forever worried that they could tip over when inspecting. I place a heavy stone on the top bars when inspecting those hives to counter the roof weight. After that I built much simpler hive tops as just galvanized steel screwed to a piece of wood attached to two inch polyisocyoanurate. Take the whole roof off during inspection and don't have to worry about tipping hives.
 
#3 ·
We manage one the same. Luckily the little nubbin pins broke off. So we now just lift it on and off. That unwieldy copper lid must weigh 30 pounds and unbalances the whole hive on that poorly designed stand. . The Bee Thinking/ Bee Built folks had a common problem in beekeeping. Their intellectualism of beekeeping was years ahead of their experience. Mine is set up as a bait hive this year next to 13 Langs, no takers yet. I got a free Golden Mean topbar that has a much lighter cover with an inner cover, much better.
 
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