Natural Beekeeping

Top Bar ApiRevolution has begun! Lets make some inexpensive Top Bar Hives and let them be pesticide free on their own natural comb! Che Guebee is a rebel bee fighting for the survival of the Biodiversity we all depend on and which is seriously endangered by deforestation and mono-crop agriculture! What kind of teaching have you got if you exclude nature?

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Foundationless Frames mixed with Top Bars

I am to get 2 colonies from framed hives. Each colony will have 6 or 10 frames (I think I will go for 6 since they are cheeper). I will need to transport them and for that reason I've built a few "conventional boxses which can accomodate swedish hobby frames (39x36x22cm). I was thinking to split them into top bar hives and leave the rest in these boxses to run them as vertical hives and see how bees thrive in both, vertical and horizontal, systems.
My plan is to have movable top bars in them and to be able to access them (and have the ability to add conventional frames) I will use a few frames on both ends. In this photo one can see too many frames. I am planning to have 8 top bars in the middle and foundationelss frames on each end. The box will be overwintered as you see it. Supers will be added during nectar flow only. I will have top entrance in all my hives during winter time.
This set up shows how Im to add the newly purchased 6 frame colony. The entrance is on the right side (warm way). One honey comb will be placed in front of the entrance then 6 empty top bars and then the rest of the brood comb and framed honey comb at the end left. This will make the colony want to expand the brood nest closer towards the entrance.

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