tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post1328493176247690626..comments2024-03-26T12:17:40.771-04:00Comments on Linda's Bees: Beyond Frustrated with my Top Bar HiveUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-8824703468654869782017-10-27T22:14:08.045-04:002017-10-27T22:14:08.045-04:00Cross comb generally means that your top bars are ...Cross comb generally means that your top bars are not at the correct width. Either they are too narrow, so the bees build one comb across two bars. Or they may be too wide, and the combs are built off centre and again overlap on to another bar. That being said, with bars of correct width (32mm for brood and 38mm for honey) the bees can still build combs that are not straight. This genrally happens at start and you have to make sure that you straighten the comb. Then the bees will make every following comb straight. "One straight comb leads to another" being the mantra of the TBH. <br />In your case, as you had no comb guide on the bottom of your bars, by the sound of it, the bees have likely started their comb from the edge of each bar and not doen the centre line, therefore overlapping.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-32536357254785934992017-06-26T17:13:34.578-04:002017-06-26T17:13:34.578-04:00I have one top bar that is cross combed to the ext...I have one top bar that is cross combed to the extreme. I just leave it alone for now. Every year it puts off two or three swarms which I capture and put in langstroths. I would like to put these in another hive but it seems overwhelming. I have looked for a way to coax the bees out but I can't find a method to do this.sapaigumiyawuchashahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17890900298750334103noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-26226500997371005832017-05-09T06:51:50.605-04:002017-05-09T06:51:50.605-04:00That's only partially true. Bees will construc...That's only partially true. Bees will construct straight comb if they have adequate ventilation that they control and if they have a straight template to go off of, i.e., if you checkerboard blank bars between straight comb, they will build it out straight. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04319071940018058988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-85238408284884035312017-05-09T06:50:15.478-04:002017-05-09T06:50:15.478-04:00That's only partially true, bees will construc...That's only partially true, bees will construct straight comb if they have adequate ventilation they can control and they have a straight template to go off of.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04319071940018058988noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-37373831724489759752016-09-07T13:07:33.241-04:002016-09-07T13:07:33.241-04:00For those of you having problems with cross combs,...For those of you having problems with cross combs, check out this website on how to make "rescue frames". I've done this, and they work very well. <br />http://www.thegardenacademy.com/BK_-_Rescue_Frames.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-50009757300796455332016-09-01T19:11:26.221-04:002016-09-01T19:11:26.221-04:00This link has plans to build a horizontal hive, ha...This link has plans to build a horizontal hive, has the advantage of lang frames and the advantage of being horizontal like TBH. <br /><br />We made one and t is great. Plan to do another one this winter. <br />Suggest you don't do the screened bottom, that has caused us problems. <br />We put three regular inner covers on top and v then positioned the lid accordingly. <br /><br />http://www.horizontalhive.com/how-to-build/hive-frame-swarm-trap.shtmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-15909068443832721742016-05-11T12:44:29.882-04:002016-05-11T12:44:29.882-04:00I am interested in top bar hives. I cannot lift L...I am interested in top bar hives. I cannot lift Langstroths after a severe back injury. I have compromized and am doing horizontal hives or long hives. Mine are on legs so they are a good working height for me. www.horizontalhives.com has free instructions on building and good pictures to visualize it. I am using deep frames - foundationless - and so far, no worse than Langstroth burr comb. Hope this helps!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03964896141985689186noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-28083908637243890452016-04-27T13:55:28.436-04:002016-04-27T13:55:28.436-04:00We feel your pain. We installed 4 TBH this year 3 ...We feel your pain. We installed 4 TBH this year 3 of 4 are crosscombed! Tried to fix with ribbon etc, but it just cut through the comb and they fell to the floor and the bees swarmed! We caught them and put them back but ruined 6 combs! We haven't touched the other two yet!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07843854715144150053noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-49058932100763659852016-03-07T12:26:21.419-05:002016-03-07T12:26:21.419-05:00Hi Linda, I use les crowderxs top bar hive and I a...Hi Linda, I use les crowderxs top bar hive and I am based in Norfolk in the uk. Now this might sound crazy but I always align my top bars from north to south and I get very little cross comb.but I also check after about three days when I have put a new swarm to straighten any comb.<br />Hope this helps cliveAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03651574236456226264noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-36476911935726849342016-01-01T21:33:51.342-05:002016-01-01T21:33:51.342-05:00Linda, If you would like an easy way to repair bro...Linda, If you would like an easy way to repair broken comb, see my website at http://www.thegardenacademy.com/BK_-_Rescue_Frames.html<br /><br />It's soooooo easy! AngelaUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09575234143780511878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-8942546323447497702016-01-01T21:33:20.131-05:002016-01-01T21:33:20.131-05:00Linda, If you would like an easy way to repair bro...Linda, If you would like an easy way to repair broken comb, see my website at http://www.thegardenacademy.com/BK_-_Rescue_Frames.html<br /><br />It's soooooo easy! AngelaUnknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09575234143780511878noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-18161110439038910342015-04-04T17:05:24.523-04:002015-04-04T17:05:24.523-04:00Phil Chandler is the guru of the tbh. Has good in...Phil Chandler is the guru of the tbh. Has good info on utube as how to build and correctly use that method of bee keeping. Look him up on the web.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-6973523025053365022015-04-04T00:06:21.520-04:002015-04-04T00:06:21.520-04:00I have an observation window in the side of my tbh...I have an observation window in the side of my tbh, can see where the bees have attached to the side walls if any have. I also have a 1/4 inch strip in the center of the topbar coated with bee's wax. Have not had crooked or non aligned comb. Just been involved caring for bees a year. What an interesting insect!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-50650622266158288022015-04-03T23:58:40.317-04:002015-04-03T23:58:40.317-04:00I use a fillet knife to free the comb from the sid...I use a fillet knife to free the comb from the side of the TBH. Also made frames that fit the shape of the TBH.. They are one method of support if the hive is not in the shade or there is a prolonged heat wave that could cause wax to release from the weight of the honey or brood. Leave an inch or more between the frame and the bottom of the hive for Bee space. Good luck. LOVE the TBH!!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-16527449927584032252013-06-08T15:36:25.099-04:002013-06-08T15:36:25.099-04:00So, please give us an update. My first experience...So, please give us an update. My first experience in the TB was exactly the same. I walked away after ripping a few combs from their bars! And, looking from the back forward through, all I saw was wobbly comb, cross comb. Do I 'begin' from the front and start to 'manage' and clean up the hive, or do I put the queen excluder in 2/3 of the way down, and hope that they will create some 'straight' comb for me to harvest...and let them have the rest of the hive however they want to? Thanks. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-419147826960856492012-06-08T20:03:27.390-04:002012-06-08T20:03:27.390-04:00This is late but you can buy chamfer molding at a ...This is late but you can buy chamfer molding at a concrete supply store. It's a triangle shaped molding that you can nail to your bars as a guide. Check out Michael Bush.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-77870386431556045972012-05-21T20:22:14.122-04:002012-05-21T20:22:14.122-04:00You may want to consider changing to a wedge style...You may want to consider changing to a wedge style bar. Most of the people using the wedge style bar seem to have fewer problems with cross comb. I can't tell for sure, but I think you are using flat bars, maybe with a groove or string attached. If that is the case you can attach a piece of cove molding to give you the "V" shape that seems to work the best.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-22006434741036743052012-02-28T21:28:28.379-05:002012-02-28T21:28:28.379-05:00Bread knife option, cool. Putting new undrawn bars...Bread knife option, cool. Putting new undrawn bars between two drawn bars will also encourage straight comb without brace comb.Blokeinaucklandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10344972736871887238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-66923298533954227082012-02-28T21:25:47.833-05:002012-02-28T21:25:47.833-05:00I have a topbar and get frustrated with it. I have...I have a topbar and get frustrated with it. I have a breadknife which I slide up against the sides to cut any comb adherences between the drawn comb and the side. Then I lift the topbar. I move along the hive in this way gradually checking each bar.<br /><br />I have also cut plastic frames to the TBH profile, leaving beespace, and attached the modified frames to the top bars. That gives full confidence the comb will not break off in the hive or when rotating the frame to check it. I haven't yet done this for all topbars but might. Here in New Zealand there is a regulatory drive to ensure all hives have bees on moveable frames and there is debate as to whether a topbar constitutes a moveable frame.Blokeinaucklandhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10344972736871887238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-3434002169408831882011-10-04T02:47:47.744-04:002011-10-04T02:47:47.744-04:00Hi there,
I'm sorry to hear how frustrated you...Hi there,<br />I'm sorry to hear how frustrated you are Linda - it's so upsetting to feel like you are making a mess every time you open the hive. Please don't give up - you are just missing some knowledge that will make a real difference. Here are some tips that may help. I've been keeping a thriving tbh here in New Zealand. I and several tbh beekeepers here use strips of triangular wood glued to each bar to act as a comb guide. I rub the pointy edge of the triangular strip (which will hang down lowest) with beeswax to give them the idea. If your bars are the correct width to maintain bee space (33 to 35mm) the bees will usually build straight comb on each bar. Do not give them too much space as this will lead to crooked or crossed comb. Just one or two empty bars at a time. They will attach some of the comb to the walls at first. Slide a thin bladed bread knife UP (not down) the walls on either side of each comb before removing them. After you do this a few times, they will stop attaching those particular combs. Add new bars BETWEEN existing straight combs. This forces the bees to build straight comb in order to maintain bee space. It's sad to hear these horror stories about tb hives as I find them a delight to work with. They just require different techniques.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-5938117814382828392011-08-28T21:39:44.210-04:002011-08-28T21:39:44.210-04:00I use a 9 inch bread knife and cause is to flex al...I use a 9 inch bread knife and cause is to flex along side of the walls an cut very slowly, it will not usually be a problem after you cut it a couple of times. as far as the queen goes if you use your smoke and work slowly and methodically she will continue to move toward the front of the hive if you start at the back. My hives are crossing the combs across the top bars making it impossible to remove individual bars without making a mess. What I have learned is my first two hives I used string guides and wax to try and help them. My third hive has a small piece of triangular trim stapled to it that is making a better guide. I also believe we gave them too much space initially when we put them in the hive. they have utilized the space toward the back better leaving only two empty bars at a time. Hope this helps, let me know what works or doesn't. :)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-90522305996878301052011-05-23T08:22:44.118-04:002011-05-23T08:22:44.118-04:00Hi Linda. Thanks for the congratulations (another...Hi Linda. Thanks for the congratulations (another thread here), and I am very sorry you are having a difficult time with the TBH. You already have mastered Langsroth hives and are comfortable with them, and the bees are doing well in them also, not insignificant at all. But on the Natural Beekeeping Network Forum (http://www.biobees.com/forum/index.php?sid=ca0698ffa16961bee23053b70a427e48) there are many people worldwide who do OK with them. I can't that I have done all that well, but any troubles I have had are not due to the hive design, I'd say. However, one persistent problem is the cross combing you describe, both personally and across the board with TBH users. I think I am going to try a mediium Langsroth myself, for comparison, but I will be able to build the woodenware myself, cost being one great attraction for beginners with TBH. It is correct to say that the "leave them alone" style of management is a great advantage for TBH, but that can also be a plus for Langstroths, if the beek can be restrained in management practices. For now I'll also keep my TBHs, both Kenyan and Warre style. <br /><br />BillBill Behrendnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-81266927500426057142011-05-11T16:56:16.228-04:002011-05-11T16:56:16.228-04:00Linda, I have the backyardhive.com tool and it wor...Linda, I have the backyardhive.com tool and it works great. But you can save yourself the $30+ and just use something you probably already have in your kitchen: a bread knife. What ever you use, try to cut the brace comb free in an upward motion. Cutting downward, particularly with new comb, can pull it off the top bar. As for the cross comb issue, it's important to manage new TBHs frequently to nip it in the bud. Hopefully the reduction in comb breakage will enable you to monitor the bees' progress so they don't get too creative. Keeping the follower board close to the last comb will encourage them to stay straight/on one bar. Again, monitor. Make sure they're not bracing to the follower. If they're that close, it's time to add a new top bar. It's slow going at first, but once the hive is built out, you can step back and quit monkeying with it for a while. You can even super the hive if you want to REALLY stop monkeying with it. That's what I did, and not one bee was killed in the harvest.HBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00457255992295971802noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-55287907246838439172011-05-02T07:43:57.663-04:002011-05-02T07:43:57.663-04:00Having made a mess of crossing comb, in one of my ...Having made a mess of crossing comb, in one of my hives last year, where i used starterstrips.<br />I have this season made, blank foundation boards so that the bees can use thiese, as a guide and every other frame is one of thiese "large starterstrips"<br />the rest is regular starter strips, and so far <br />it is working great and the bees work them just<br />as fast as a regular embossed sheet. (in my opinion anyway :-))<br />And havent made any crossings ..yet<br />The boads/sheets are made by dipping a watersoaked piece of plywood in melted wax 3 times and then cool it of in cold water a couple<br />of seconds peel of and voilá you have 2 sheets.Boxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27329001.post-44690005394983805682011-05-01T13:24:31.931-04:002011-05-01T13:24:31.931-04:00This is the sort of thing that puts me off top bar...This is the sort of thing that puts me off top bar hives... A carpenter friend of mine with a tbh custom made himself hollow frames for his hive, with a wooden boundary which left the correct bee space between the hive walls and the frame boundaries, so that they didn't stick comb to the hive walls. They just built comb within the frame boundaries. But then he has a wood workshop and the skills to do that, not everyone has the facilities to do that sort of thing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com