Author Topic: Barrel Top Bar Hive  (Read 16691 times)

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Offline robo

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Barrel Top Bar Hive
« on: December 09, 2013, 12:57:36 pm »
Here is the original barrel top bar hive I built in 2007 that was featured in the Jan/Feb 2011 Backwoodsman Magazine.  You will find a few more recent "Instructables" out there of others who claim the idea,  but most have no indication of use.    Here is a link to my blog with a lot more pictures and discussion.  The page also has some interesting concrete hives from my friend Bryan Butler in Honduras.  
http://http://robo.bushkillfarms.com/beekeeping/barrel-top-bar-hive/


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Offline blueblood

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Re: Barrel Top Bar Hive
« Reply #1 on: December 09, 2013, 01:08:35 pm »
Thanks Robo for posting that.  I have read your blog before meeting ya here doing general internet searches.  My question kinda fits in the last blog entry talking about sunlight.  I was more concerned about the insulation factor of the plastic.  What is your experience with winter weather and the barrel top hive?

Offline G3farms

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Re: Barrel Top Bar Hive
« Reply #2 on: December 09, 2013, 02:00:42 pm »
Dave I would be concerned on the other end of the scale. Since a little further south was wondering about the heat and melting comb?
Bees are bees and do as they please!

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Offline robo

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Re: Barrel Top Bar Hive
« Reply #3 on: December 09, 2013, 02:57:19 pm »
Well Blue,  let me start out by saying I'm not a fan of TBHs.  The layout is not advantageous to the bees, especially in cold climates.   The natural tendency of bees is to move upward with the heat as the winter progresses.   In feral colonies they store the honey from the top down and drive the brood nest lower as the summer progresses.   When winter comes, they are at the lowest point with honey stores above.   As they consume honey during the winter, the cluster slowly progresses upward and the heat they create also rises and warms the honey they will consume next.   TBHs require the bees to move horizontal which is just not as efficient.   Now I know there are staunch TBH folks out there that have no problem with any of this and I'm glad it works for them.    My experience has been that TBHs will collect just so much nectar and slack off, while Langstroths in the same yard will continue to make honey.

As far as the plastic goes,  I believe light and heat are not an issue.  I have a piece of metal corrugated roofing covering the top bars and the corrugations create an air space.  I have never seen any heat issues with the barrel hives.  If anything I believe they may be slightly colder that a wooden hive,  but that too is marginal.   you want the highest insulated value at the top of your hive to prevent condensation dripping down on the bees.  The barrel hives have the same wooden top bars as any other TBH.  I have successfully overwintered both wood and barrel TBHs.   Supplemental heat  appears to help, but I can not be certain.

I guess I should clarify my original statement,  I'm not a fan of horizontal TBHs,  I have a Warre' that does quite well.  I have never extracted from it, but it is 5-6 boxes high and seems to give me at least one good swarm a year.   It is more of an experiment on my part as I don't open it, but just enjoy it from the outside  ;)

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Offline apisbees

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Re: Barrel Top Bar Hive
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2014, 03:48:17 am »
Hate to burst your bubble but John Corner who was head of the B.C. apiaries branch from 1950 to 1983 spent 9 months in Kenya Africa and has slides of the different methods and hives that were used to keep bees in. In one slide a beekeeper was using cut in halve 45 gallon drums.

John Corner Kenya

I had the privilege to have known John Corner, to here him speak, watch his slide show presentations, to work and talk with him, He was the head of the Provincial Apiary Branch Department of B.C.

He also did some extension work in 3rd world country's. In the early 1970's he took on a project of introducing managed beekeeping in Kenya as up till then most honey was retrieved by honey hunting and robbing the colonies. The task wasn't as simple as taking plans for a Langstroth hive and saying build this hive.

European and North American hive sit on the ground This set up of a hives would be to easy for predator to attack. The equipment needed to make all the various pieces of the Langstroth hive was not readily available to beekeepers in the small villages, or the power to run the equipment. The beekeepers didn't have the equipment to extract the frames of honey or the finances to perches extracting equipment. The top bar hive was selected as the hive that would best allow for managed beekeeping in the area.

The top bar hive could he hung from trees keeping the predators from getting to the hives. It allowed for hive manipulation for easy access for removing honey and moving brood to make more colonies. The design of the top bar hive allowed for the construction of the hive with only needing to cross cut the boards to length, a task that could be done easily with hand saws. The honey harvested with the wax, the wax being more valuable than the honey to the local villagers. They also took designs for veils, protective clothing, and the construction of smokers and hive tools. Once they had the tools to keep bees and become beekeepers rather than honey robbers. The new beekeepers had to be taught how to manage the colonies for honey production, for swarm prevention and to make increases in the number of colonies by splitting, and having colonies raise new queens. 

John had a picture of a news clipping of 2 nuns being caught and arrested while flying in from Europe, for trying to smuggle 2 packages of bees into the country under their dress. The Kenya agriculture branch were concerned that the introduction of European bees would compromise the native African bees ability to survive in the harsh environment with their predators.

While head of the Provincial Apiary Branch he put together a book on building Langstroth hives. It has been updated a little and published as PDF on the web but it is close to the same as was originally published.
Here is a link to it. http://www.agf.gov.bc.ca/apiculture/construction.pdf


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Offline robo

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Re: Barrel Top Bar Hive
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2014, 06:01:52 am »
Not bursting my bubble at all.   Never claimed to be the first to keep bees in a barrel........

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Offline Perry

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Re: Barrel Top Bar Hive
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2014, 07:16:06 am »

John had a picture of a news clipping of 2 nuns being caught and arrested while flying in from Europe, for trying to smuggle 2 packages of bees into the country under their dress.

 :o :o ;D
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Offline tbonekel

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Re: Barrel Top Bar Hive
« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2014, 07:54:38 am »
Uh......okay.  :goodone:

Offline Slowmodem

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Re: Barrel Top Bar Hive
« Reply #8 on: June 24, 2014, 08:27:49 pm »

John had a picture of a news clipping of 2 nuns being caught and arrested while flying in from Europe, for trying to smuggle 2 packages of bees into the country under their dress.

 :o :o ;D

Perhaps they should have gotten Sally Fields to do it for them!

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