Taking the Top bar plunge

[Papakeith]

The local Beekeeping club is having a field day at my farm this weekend, so I thought it was high time that I have a top bar hive for people to look at. Hopefully I'll have it populated by the time they get here on Saturday. Or, maybe I'll put together a package and hive it that day

[JUDELT]

very nice looking! This is on my wish list!

[blueblood]

How is this going Keith?

[Papakeith]

It is currently empty.  I threw a swarm in there  way too late last year.  I knew that they probably wouldn't make it, and they didn't.  what they did do is draw out a bunch of comb.  The next swarm or split that I make will be going in.
As an aside; the angle of the legs is not spread wide enough to keep the hive stable in high winds.  I will be using a dog run ground screw and a ratchet strap to give it the stability it needs.

[Lburou]

Very nice wood work Keith.  I enjoy my horizontal hives, a lot:  Less lifting.  I always thought that if I made a top bar hive I would cheat and put some partial foundation in the top bar to overcome the tendency of the comb to fall off the top bar.  But, then it would not be a pure top bar hive. 

[blueblood]

Right on! I ended up lag screwing two 4x4 treated posts to mine and burying using rocks vs. concrete.

[Papakeith]

As of this morning the TBH has new tenants. 

I've also anchored the hive body to the ground to keep it from tipping.
My nephew(he's not a beekeeper) actually caught the swarm for me yesterday.  I'll check on them later today to see if they are still there.