# First year TBH photos



## Elsa (Dec 31, 2007)

Hi all,

I decided to try a photo hosting site - photobucket - and put up some pictures of our KTBHs. I have more, but haven't transferred all of them from the old computer yet. These were taken with my Nikon D80 (it is so much fun!!) on which I so wisely "invested" some of my DVA back pay.  Anyhoo - the pictures are of the hives I built this spring. Only Hive 1 has bees, which will be remedied with my order of 4 packages and building of Hives 3, 4 & 5 this month and next.  These photos include my first disaster with the collapsed comb (sucky learning experience!). I haven't checked the girls in the last few days but did during our wonderful White Christmas (a foot of snow here in Knappa, just East of Astoria!) and was comforted by the steady hum from deep within the hive. I got some good "hives in the snow" pictures, though. 

Duh... before I forget (CRS can be a beeyach) here's the link:

http://s447.photobucket.com/albums/qq193/Elsa_n_Zack/

Feedback is welcome! Thanks and hope you're all having a great start to the New Year! 

~ Elsa

P.S. Disregard the "Deadwood" tags of the photos. I was downloading pictures taken this Summer after our road trip and accidentally "tagged" all of them as our trip through Deadwood. I didn't change them before uploading them to photobucket and, well, I'm just too darned lazy to rename them and upload them again.


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## BWrangler (Aug 14, 2002)

Hi Elsa,

Neat hive. Great photos. Thanks for sharing.

Regards
BWrangler


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## justgojumpit (Apr 9, 2004)

Nice pics! I like the windows. 

justgojumpit


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## throrope (Dec 18, 2008)

Very inspiring and nice pictures. Lots of work in those hives. Please let us know how they're doing this spring.


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## David LaFerney (Jan 14, 2009)

*Great TB pics*

Excellent, thanks for sharing. Apparently you are considering your use of TBHs to be successful enough to continue and add more hives. 

I see that you have a fair amount of comb connection to the sides. I know that you can cut it loose once you have one bar out, but how do you make sure that the first bar you pull isn't connected. What if they were all connected?

I love the whole minimalist idea of the TBHs - simple equipment that can be made with simple tools. Do you think that success (success as in a healthy growing colony) is any more or less likely compared to conventional hives?


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## HAB (May 17, 2008)

Nice Job!:applause::applause::applause:


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## Natalie (Jan 14, 2009)

Those are really really nice. Can you tell me what the drop door is in the front of the hive. I can see that you have an observation window on the side but was wondering what the other one is.
Thanks.


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

Natalie said:


> Those are really really nice. Can you tell me what the drop door is in the front of the hive. I can see that you have an observation window on the side but was wondering what the other one is.
> Thanks.


Natalie,

I believe the other door below the entrance of the hive is the door to access the screened bottom board. This allows for easier cleaning/maintenance without disturbing the bees.

Matt


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## Elsa (Dec 31, 2007)

Hi again,

Yes, the front door is a clean out door. I made mine a slider tray that has white board (or plastic, which I tried but it cracks so I'm going to replace it) on one side and the screen on the other stapled to a 1"x1" frame. Like the roof the trays are only half the length of the hive and there is a clean out door on each end. Most of my pictures are still sitting in the old computer and I haven't transferred them over to this one, but I do have one here during the building stage: 










I tried the little grip type cabinet closures on these doors, but used magnetic ones on Hive 2 and like them better. I can also just open that door if the bees seem to prefer that entrance. The other thing I did different with Hive 2 was put a window on each side. I'm going to do that with the rest of them too. 

Here's Hive 1 last Summer:










I sure do love this bee stuff! Other than a drifted colony and very crooked comb - I'm going to get in there and cut out some of it when the hive is strong and then put in a cut down queen excluder to see if they'll straighten it on the other side - I haven't had any problems... yet. I really like the Carniolan bees I have. They kept a cluster so tiny over the winter I thought I'd lost them, but they thumb their little bee noses as Puxatawny Phil - they seem to be convinced Spring is here and the colony is exploding! We've had up and down temperatures, so I am feeding them now. Hopefully that was the right decision. 

I just LOVE these bees! I thought ordering 4 more packages was a big leap, but if I built a colony for each of the folks who've recently asked me to put one on their property I could have tripled that order. Maybe, some day, when I'm ahead by empty hives and not just lumber in my shop I'll be so brave. 

~ Elsa


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## taipantoo (Nov 9, 2007)

David LaFerney said:


> I see that you have a fair amount of comb connection to the sides. I know that you can cut it loose once you have one bar out, but how do you make sure that the first bar you pull isn't connected. What if they were all connected?


Generally you would use follower boards at each end of the top bars to help maintain proper bee space between the brood and the ends of the hive.
Removing a follower board gives you the space to start removing top bars for inspection and/or harvest.


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

Elsa said:


> Hi again,
> I just LOVE these bees! I thought ordering 4 more packages was a big leap, but if I built a colony for each of the folks who've recently asked me to put one on their property I could have tripled that order. Maybe, some day, when I'm ahead by empty hives and not just lumber in my shop I'll be so brave.
> 
> ~ Elsa


Fantastic hives. Good work.

From where are you getting your bees? I've just built 9 top bar hives and I'm in the process of completing 10 Warres in Portland, OR. Let me know if you need anything!

(I'd never heard of Knappa, OR!)

Matt


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