Top Bar Hive Article by Anne Frye

o Oct/Nov2011

In recent years in the U.S. and Europe, there rectangular; the angled walls ofTBHs al­ Newbees, Bee-Ware has been a trend toward trying top bar hives low the bees to make that shape. Also, it is by Anne Frey, EAS Master Beekeeper (TBHs). This long, horizontal type of hive argued that allowing bees to build their own uses no frames, just parallel bars of wood comb lets them retrogress to a smaller, more placed at the top of the hive. This is in con­ natural bee-body size by creating smal1l:r trast to the Langstroth hive, which is used cells than what they make when drawinrT Though I have never used a top bar hive, b by most beekeepers and is made of stacked cells from foundation. I became intrigued with them a few years boxes, each containing 8 to 10 rectangular ago when my friend and fellow EAS JVlaster frames for wax comb. Secondly, the TB 1 is supposed to be less Beekeeper Erin MacGregor-Forbes started expensive. No wa.,x foundation is needed, running some in her bee yard, In addition The TBHs sold or made now all began and there are less hive parts in general­ to keeping track of Erin's TBH experi­ as copies of those originally used in less e.g. no bottom board, queen exduder, inner ences, I have consulted with vVendy Booth, industrialized countries, mainly in Africa. cover or outer cover. No honey extractor President of the New Hampshire Beekeep­ In equatorial Africa, some people were lucky or uncapping knife arc needed either, since ers Association; Tony Jadczak, .Maine State enough to have a bee tree, but others found harvesting is done by cutting the comb Apiarist; and Dan Kerwood, former Presi­ one in the forest, cut it down, and brought and using it as comb honey or crushing/ dent of the Southern Adirondack Beekeep­ the log home as a hive. Placing hollow logs straining it. ers Association. vVith their help and the near their home help of still others experienced wi th top bar would sometimes hives, this article was born. also lure a swarm. These log hives ."""."" .. , .. ,.~ were either kept on stands, or suspended in trees by ropes or wire, in a horizontal position, simply "Bees managed in top-har hives are allowed because it's easier to do what their natural instincts direct, not and safer to handle what we want them to do. Top-bar bees are a log horizon tally healthier and happier. " than vertically. Later, - from topbarbees.com enterprising bee­ keepers mimicked the log shape by Before you sigh contentedly and embrace building hives from the platitude above, thinkincr it would be b lumber. The shape a fine world if we could just let the bees do is a long horizontal box sometimes with It is said thatTBHs arc better for small­ their own thing and maybe all their troubles tapered walls, as in the Kenyan TBH (the scale beekeeping, since there is less distur­ would then fade away, consider the fol­ cross-section of the KTBH is a trapezoid). bance when working hives, and less honey lowing: Bees always do what their natural is created. Related to this, there is also no instincts direct. No beekeeper can tell honey heavy lifting of supers. bees what to do, and if you think you can, then you should continue keeping bees for TBH advocates say the comb is better a few more years and you'll learn otherwise. According to those who believe in TBHs, since there is no re-use of honeycomb, thus vVe beekeepers mold our actions to what we there are numerous reasons TBHs are reducing disease potential as well as chemi­ learn about and observe the bees doing, not better than Langstroth hives. Advocates cal buildup in comb. They also say that the other way around. Bees draw comb from say the TBH is a more natural shape for bees in TBHs are less prone to diseases and bars placed at the top of their colony, or a hive. The bees aren't forced into using a parasites, partly because the cells are macle within frames, or create free-hanging comb human-designed high-rise box. In TBH smaller (to discourage the otherwise syn­ even lacking any woodenware. They make enthusiast lingo, "vVhy do people force chronized brood cycle of the varroa mite). as much comb as they need, when they need these lovely creatures to conform to a design Lastly, they say that honey from clean, new it, providing they have room and p1l:nty of standardized by 'The Man?'" Normal wild comb is of higher quality. carbohydrates (nectar or sugar syrup). comb shape is rounded at the bottom, not :.... I THE BEE LI NENewsletter of the Maine State Beekeepers Association I mainebeekeepers.org ...... : ......

" ~ 2 TBHs are less expensive. This is true, but less than 5 hives, and consider the bees with caveats. A typical TBH kit costs part of the family, like pets. That all sounds great, right? \Vell, yes, $495, or you can download plans to The arQ1.1I11el'lt that the bees are less kind of. That is, un till took a look at each build your own, possibly from lumber t:> disturbed when working a TBH is statement through the lens of everything you already have. This should not be confusing. When drawing comb, at first 1 know and have researched about honey hard, since the TBH can be made with the bees tend to stick it to the sloping bee behavior and how weather affects them. about 20 board feet of lumber, and that sides of the hive, so a comb often must Allow me to address each one of the TBH makes me wonder why a kit costs $495. be sliced offin order to pull one up and claims in turn: A typical Langstroth hive with supers, exami ne it. The bees also often build plus a small extractor, etc. will run about comb in curves, across more than one top 1 The TBH betterfollows the shape of $650. Of course, both styles of beekeep­ bar, which means the comb has to be cut a natural hive. Really, folks, the natural ing will need the usual bees, veil, gloves, off and the bar returned to the hive to be shape is a (standing) hollow tree. The hive tool, smoker, honey strainers, etc., re-started. After all, hives must have re­ Lanastroth hive mimics a hollow tree and these are not included in these cost 1:> movable combs in order to be inspected. better, since height is the largest dimen­ estimates. However, with the Langstroth \Nith Langstroth hives, beginners may sion. The reason it looks like a box is hive, you get more hive. The volume of also disturb the hive, but at least during simply that humans build with lumber. 2 deep brood chambers is 5,150 cubic a normal inspection they aren't undoil1g inches. The vol­ the work that was done by the bees. ume of 3 medium supers is 5,387 cu. It is true that TBHs have no heavy in., which makes supers to lift, and produce less honey. the total size for a The 60 - 75 lbs. of honey harvested summer Langstroth annually from a Langstroth hive may hive (2 deeps plus seem excessive to many when even a real 3 mediums) 10,537 honey-phile consumes only about 20 lbs. cu. in. Compare per year. that to the volume TBHs may be appropriate for someone of a 44-inch-long who only wants bees for pollination and KTBH: 5,670 cubic the sheer joy of beekeeping, and can inches. The TBH deal with re-stocking the hive each year. has only 54% of the It is truly rare for a colony to make it volume of a supered through a northern winter, and if it does Langstroth hive, and survive, the colony is often smaller than is only a bit over a baseball and must be saved by adding a the volume of 2 package of bees to it in the spring. Inside the Langstroth hive, the bees deeps. The size of a TBH is smaller than use whatever space they want to­ a Langstroth hive being run for comb 4 DiJCme and chemiwl buildup iJ Iwened. sometimes a stretched ovoid shape up honey, and beekeepers who produce "Disease buildup" refers to American the middle. Also, creation of natural comb honey know this comparatively Foul Brood, Chalkbrood, European Foul comb with varying cell sizes is possible small size encourages swarming. Brood, and Sacbrood. Current advice for with Langstroth hives, by using only all beekeepers is to use brood comb only a tiny strip of foundation-'-or none­ 3 TBHs are betterfor Jmall-Jcale beekeeping. 4 - 5 years, combined with close inspec­ on the top bar of each wooden frame. "Small-scale beekeeping" has a nice ring tion of every brood comb twice a year for Excessive drone comb can be moved to it, and seems to contrast itself favor­ all diseases to prevent any diseased comb up into supers to use for honey produc­ ably to the huge migratory operations from remaining in a hive. Varroa mite tion (free-formed comb includes a lot that we've learned are stressing their bees buildup may be lessened with smaller cell of drone-sized cells). As with any comb by moving them into monocultural farms size, which may come about with bees made without foundation, the hive that overuse fungicides and pesticides, drawing natural comb, though this is not must be perfectly level so combs are probably overusing hard chemical in-hive confirmed by science yet. made at a right angle down from treatments, and suffering the most from the top. CCD. In reality, almost all beekeepers are already small-scale beekeepers with ...CONTINUED ON PG IO e...... Oct/Nov 2011 :....:

NEWIIEES, BEE-WARE...CONT. FROM PC 9 isn't in contact with the feed. Boardman feeders only hold 1-2 quarts, baggies Concerning chemical buildup, the claims somewhat more, but still only enough for In 2010, the Kearsage Beekeepers Associa­ made for TBHs are partly false. We're 1-2 days offeeding if the bees can reach tion received funds from New Hampshire talking miticirles here, used to combat it. This is why many hives die even before Department ofAgriculture to test the Varroa mites. For TBH use, choice of summer is in full swing. Open feeding is efficacy of top bar bee hives in NH. Wendy miticide is limited to a strip form, so it's a possibility, if it is warm enough for fly­ Booth, who served as technical advisor to got to be Apistan or Checkmite, both ing. But barrel feeding spreads disease and the project, sh'lred the final grant report "hard chemical" choices, or the new causes bee deaths from fighting and possibly with me; the following are excerpts from MiteAway Qtick Strips (formic acid). rlrowning. I didn't find mention anywhere that report: Miticide strips arc inserted between top in TBH literature of the risk that inexpe­ bars and hang between combs. There is rienced beekeepers may actually harvest Cold, wet weather in the southern no way to use fuming miticides, which combs full of thick sugar syrup instead of states where bee packages and queens arc the "soft chemicals" such as Apiguard real honey; this will happen if the beekeeper are produced resulted in delays in the or ApiLife Var (thymol), and MiteAway succeeds in feeding the bees but didn't shipment of packages. When the pack­ II (formic acid, discontinued) because rearrange the combs so combs for later ages were received in mid-.i\1ay, many there is no space above the top bars, and harvest were sequestered behind a follower appeared weak and several absconded no space between them for the fumes to soon after being installed. In addition, sink down between combs. Any chemi­ the packages arrived too late to take cal buildup from Apistan or Checkmite advantage of the spring/summer nectar will occur in the brood nest area. Brood flow, the beSt source of nectar for most combs are reused and will have these of New Hampshire. chemicals build up even if strips arc used properly. Comb removed for human Spring was fi.>llowed by a dry, hot consumption should never have been in summer. The lack of rain resulted in a contact with miticides. TBH owners are dearth of nectar and pollen until Sep­ generally led to believe they never will tember or even October in some regions. need to, or shouldn't, use miticides, but Many queens stopped laying eggs by they are a valuable choice in Integrated July due to the lack of food resources Pest Management if mites arc building and did not resume until September. up. Varroa mites can transmit viruses On a few of the hotter days, some of the to bees, further weakening a colony. heavier wax combs, softened by the high Regarding the last part about the honey temperatures, began sagging and many being better, it's true. Honey from new, broke from the top bar. freshly made comb is of a higher quality than honey from older comb. board. As winter weather progresses, the Of the 36 top bar hives, 9 were report­ long narrow hive doesn't allow bees to find ed lost before winter due to absconding, ...... £9' honey easily since they instinctively rise up swarms, queen failure, or starvation. 26 as winter goes by. There arc only 2 inches of the remaining 27 colonies died dur­ The key problems with TBHs are hardly of honey above the brood cluster in the fall. ing the winter and early spring. Only 1 ever mentioned in sales pitches and on Bees in TBHs arc forced to move horizon­ out of36 colonies survived the winter. websites dedicated to them. The big issue tally or even down and around combs to That hive had been combined with a is the long horizontal shape of the hive. reach available honey stores. Michael Bush Russian hybrid nucleus colony back in A newly installed package needs to be fed of Bushfarms.com says you "need to have mid-August, because the original Ital­ protein and carbohydrates, since packages the cluster at om; end of the hive at the ian queen was observed to have stopped arrive when weather is still variable in the beginning of winter (at least in Northern laying eggs and did not resume after Northeast and flight or even blooms may climates) so they don't work their way feeding for several weeks. be unavailable. There is no good way to to one end and subsequently starve while feed inside the hive except on the hive leaving stores at the opposite cnd..."This Top bar hive beekeepers have often floor. Protein patties, dry sugar, syrup in is done by rearranging the combs in the claimed that they observe low levels Boardman or baggie feeders can be placed fall and may save some colonies. ofVarroa mites in their hives and do on the floor of the hive, but the cluster not have to treat the hives, but the TH EBEE LI NENewsletter of the Maine State Beekeepers Association I mainebeekeepers.org

more experienced participants in this In conclusion, the project results are methods in Langstroth hives before project found these claims questionable. not necessarily a condemnation of top attempting beekeeping in top bar hives. Higher mite levels were observed in bar hive beekeeping in New Hampshire, some of the stronger colonies that were but rather an indication ofjust how Add to this the experience ofTony Jadczak, able to build up to larger populations. challenging it can be to keep honey Maine's State Apiarist: Although many reported low mite bee colonies alive through a year of levels, this was most likely due to the New Englane! weather. Attempting to I am aware of a couple KTBHs that fact that these weak colonies had raised overcome these challenges in an alter­ actually made it through last winter, but very little brood during the dearth in native beekeeping system such as the the vast m'ljority didn't to my knovvlcdge. the summer. top bar hive adds one more unnecessary The same goes for the previous winter. complication. Although we foune! in Although top bar hives were touted this trial that over-wintering colonies as requiring very low input from the in these top bar hives was more difficult beekeeper, the more experienced than in Langstroth hives and [that] Even TBH enthusiasts admit there are beekeepers in this project recognized there are several design issues that need difficulties connected with the hive. that the dry, hot weather might result to be fixed, this project may not have The list below, "TBH Problems to Overcome," in a shortage of food resources, and the been an adequate evaluation of the is taken from topbarbees.com. j\!Iy comments follow after each point.

1 Challenging to Jtartfrom a nllc orpackage baJ. Make that "impossible" with a nul' and "risky" with a package, since you can't feed the bees copiously and easily.

2 1I1ore care needed with overwintering. The TBH is meant for warm climates, where bees can move constantly through the entire length of the hive cavity. They typically starve or freeze in TBHs in the Northeast.

3 1I1ore management needed to pre·vent J·warming. This is because the hive is too small. Swarms arc the number-one cause of anti-beekeeping ordinances in urbani suburban areas. Swarms arc often fright­ new colonies would not be able to draw hives due to the encountered problems ening to the general public, leading to enough comb, rear enough bees, and unrelated to hive design. The project complaints-and TI3H are significantly gather enough food during the short resulted in over 97% loss of colonies, more prone to throwing swarms due to season. These beekeepers continued to but many of those losses stemmed from brood nest congestion. In addition, unlike feed the bees sugar syrup and/or pollen weak packages and. queens, unt~lVorable a Langstroth setup where the beekeeper from the time the bees were hived in weather, and lack of beekeeper experi­ will likely have extra supers, etc., to retrieve May, until late fall in November. Even ence. The same beekeepers that lost a swarm in, the new TBH beekeeper then, some reported that they did not colonies because they did not continue generally has no extra hive and leaves think the bees had stored enough honey feeding likely would have lost new the swarm to find its own cavity. "The to make it through the entire winter. packages installed mid-Nlay on founda­ increased swarming tendency is enough Ei ther due to lack of experience or tion in Langstroth hives as well. of a reason that all but the most experi­ infrequent inspections, most partici­ enced urban and suburban beekeepers pants did not continue to feed beyond What can be inferred from this project should not usc TBH," says EAS Master the first month after installing the bees. is that the top bar hives arc likely Beekeeper Eri n MaeGregor-Forbes. lVIany of the hives died between January not for beginning beekeepers. These and March. beekeepers would be more successfi.ll learning to keep bees using traditional ...CONTINUED ON PG 12 • Oct/Nov2011

NEWllEES, BEE-WARE...CONT. FROM PC II Dr. Tom Sedey of Cornell did many nents on top of the hive, which gives studies of feral hives in trees and found it a more vertical shape. Sound t~\l11iliar~ 4 Burr comb and cross-bar comb more difficult that they always had ab jut 17%) drone to manage. This can be overcome with comb. Even with the current IPM ...... & expenence. practice in Langstroth hives of having two drone comhs in the brood chamber I h.ope the reader benefits from my research 5 Comb attachment to sides ofhi·ve. Occurs to catch Varroa mites, that's only 10% thus far, and will consider doing their own with new comb, and can be overcome drone comb. \Ale aren't used to seeing research as well before choosing to use a with experience. 17% drone comb, so it seems excessive. top bar hiv(' in a cold climate. Ifyou do Drone brood does attract more Varroa choose this style hive, please learn all you 6 Comb breakage; need to handle top-bars mites than worker brood, and acts as can about bees first, and don't just wish the curefuI0!. Again, this can be overcome an incuhator for more mites. vVithout bees and the weather would act like humans with experience, though points 4,5 and regulady removing the drone brood to want them to act. Learn from experienced 6 may cause a beginner to just give up, kill mites, the hive may become overrun beekeepers, observe your colonies, take and then the hive won't have removable by midsummer and crash. notes, and collect the data. It can mean life combs at all. or death for the bees, after all. • 9 Bees prefer to mO'lie through a hi'ue 'ver­ 7 LO'wer honey production. That is because tiwlly rather than hor;zontally. YES! Anne Frey has had bees since 1989, bUI has the hive will almost certainly swarm each That's the key factor against TBHs in on01 comidered herselfa beekeeper .I'ince summer and have to be re-started after it the Northeast. I'm very glad the author 1994. She workedfor a commercial beekee/Jer dies that winter of freezing or starvation. included this point, though it is next-to from 2000 to 2003, bewme an E'AS J11aster last on the list. Beekeeper in 2002, alzdji-otn 2003 10 2007 8 IWore drone brood/Ji'odud;on t!.Jrlt! ],ang­ 'was president o/SABA (Southern Adirondac/.:. stroth. That's true, but bees generally 10 More expn'imentatiol1 needed 10 achic'lie Beekeepers Association). She wrrent01 rUlls raise the proper amount of drones for optimlllll results. True. For example, to 20 hi'ves in New York stale. the colony's size no matter what style successfully overwinter th('ir bees, some hive, if they are not given foundation. TBH users have begun to add compo-

Simple Recipe: 4 : I Strategy: cut-orf two-thir'ds of the lid of a Open-Feeding "Pollen Substitute" Soybean Flour: Brewer's Yeast 5-gallon bucket; snap the r-emainder oflhe lid back onto the bucket. Put "poller]" into by Erin MacGregor-forbes, Master Beekeeper Deluxe Recipe: 3 c Soybean Flour bucket: set out In yard on Its side <;0 thE' I Y2 c Brewers Yeast lid acts a.> a gate (so the bee's wing action 2 tsp Sea Salt i"lany years, we have a warm spell after the won't blow the "pollen" out of the bucket). I tsp Vitamin C Powder flr'St fmst and the bees (an fly, but lind nothing 6 Tbsp Dry Milk Powder The flr)[ day, bail the bucket with a drizzle in the "fleld." In the absence of nectar and of honey on the rim. Th bees are J tracted pollen, our bees start foraglOg for altemative Sift the rnixtur'e together and put about 2 cups by the honey smf>1I