Transfer from top bar to Lang

Re: Transfer from top bar to Lanf

I have mostly langs. But I play with a few TBH's for fun. I made my tbh's top bars the same length as my lang top bars. You should find out the length of the top bars that you can get? I usually drop top bars in my lang hives with starter strips and let the bees build combs. Then later with a card board template I cut the combs to fit in my TBH's. So if your top bars are the same length you could put them in the lang hive and flank it with frames and foundation. You might need to snip off the bottom of the top bar combs possibly. That's one way to do it if you are lucky. If the top bars are different lengths then I would shake bees off the bees lay the combs on a pine board and cut them to fit in a lang frame. Take a nail and poke 3-4 small holes in the comb and zip tie the combs to the top bar as new comb might not be strong enough to support itself with yarn or rubberbands. Then staple a piece of yard to the top bar and wrap around the comb a few times and staple the other end or just use rubber bands. This is to keep the comb straight in the frame and you won't have to worry about having the hive super level. Put in the lang box and shake in lots of bees. Probably feed them to get comb drawn. Next option would be to shake your own package of bees into an empty nuc box (or something). Install just like a package adding a new queen.

Re: Transfer from top bar to Lanf

Here is pic of 3 top bars placed into a strong lang single.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1289879967836959&set=pb.100004449036160.-2207520000..&type=3

Here is a comb that's drawn out, but not cut yet:

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=1289879917836964&set=pb.100004449036160.-2207520000..

Once the comb has capped brood. I hang them between to empty lang boxes. I use a push pin to hold a cardboard template that matches TBH's angle. Of course the comb is then cut to shape.

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1317643248393964&set=pb.100004449036160.-2207520000..&type=3

If you're thinking of going frameless as your "single deep" for the Lang system, there are a couple things to realize. First I think you'll only fit 9 maybe 8 Top bars in the hive, as the bees will need space to move up through the bars. That's not a deal-killer really, but the queen needs all 10 combs to be useful for worker brood so she has enough room to lay. you could just put a regular medium box above - together with the deep below that is enough room for her.

Second the "frames" that are top-bars will not be interchangeable with the actual frames in a second deep box above (should you go that route). This is a real loss of opportunity. Just as true if you do a deep and a medium as your brood chamber anyways though.

Look, it's not that bad to convert the combs from top bar to Lang. I shook the bees off the top bars (impressive how strong those combs are), then had a top-bar divider as a backing for doing "surgery" to put the combs in the Lang frame. I used the 3" rubber bands available for mailing, Wamart should have them. It's only 10 combs for you - I had 40 or so to do!!!

I only converted frames with brood. Frames with honey got harvested, in part because I knew I would be feeding a lot so those resources would be replaced.

Trust me, especially for a new beekeeper, so much easier to have the frames in the deep instead of the top bars. I really would say to innovate that kind of thing later in your beekeeping adventure!