Amish Country
Well-known member
Kenya Top Bar hives
This is an alternative to the standard "Langstroth hives" that are commercially used by many beekeepers today. These hives appear to be something I could put together with time, nails, enough scrap lumber, a compass (for angles), hammer and saw.
http://www2.gsu.edu/~biojdsx/paul.htm
"Beekeeping in hives with movable combs rather than frames. Equipment can made from recycled, scrap wood. An inexpensive way to keep bees ..."
snip...
"The greatest disadvantage of top-bars vis-a-vis frames is that the combs are not reinforced with wires, foundation sheets etc. For this reason, it is difficult to move such a hive, especially in a vehicle. It is also virtually impossible to use a centrifugal extractor to extract the honey. You will also have to be careful, when handling combs, that the comb remains in a vertical orientation. It will otherwise break off the top-bar."
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Here is another site with more information including pros and cons of using KTBH.
http://www.outdoorplace.org/beekeeping/kenya.htm
This is an alternative to the standard "Langstroth hives" that are commercially used by many beekeepers today. These hives appear to be something I could put together with time, nails, enough scrap lumber, a compass (for angles), hammer and saw.
http://www2.gsu.edu/~biojdsx/paul.htm
"Beekeeping in hives with movable combs rather than frames. Equipment can made from recycled, scrap wood. An inexpensive way to keep bees ..."
snip...
"The greatest disadvantage of top-bars vis-a-vis frames is that the combs are not reinforced with wires, foundation sheets etc. For this reason, it is difficult to move such a hive, especially in a vehicle. It is also virtually impossible to use a centrifugal extractor to extract the honey. You will also have to be careful, when handling combs, that the comb remains in a vertical orientation. It will otherwise break off the top-bar."
############
Here is another site with more information including pros and cons of using KTBH.
http://www.outdoorplace.org/beekeeping/kenya.htm