# 2 Mostly Bush Farms Style Top Bar Hives w/ Photos



## mrnewberry (Feb 13, 2012)

I've just about got two Kenyan Top Bar Hives finished up. Just have to add a few screws for long term durability.





We went off of the Bush Farms instructions except that I added some holes and my Dad who is the wood worker between the two of us insisted we bevel the two angled boards to make them fit up tighter.





That is my son putting in the top bars. Now I am planing on putting up on cinder blocks and moving them a bit into the tree line to hide them from view.


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## Delta Bay (Dec 4, 2009)

Nice!
I can't tell from the pic and if you don't have a 1/4" spacer at the entrance end of the hive you should in my opinion. The main reason is to be able to pop the spacer out for a little wiggle room to get the first comb out for quick inspection and management reasons. It will make it easier than needing to go through 20 or so combs to get into the core brood nest nearer the front of the hive. There will be times when it will be necessary.


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## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

You may already plan on this but I would put about 3 2x2 riser boards on top of your top bars and under your cover board to prevent moisture problems.


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## Nantom670 (Jul 29, 2011)

Nice looking TBH but I am wondering if you are through with your outer cover? Of course you may have it backed off this one side. If not, what is going to keep the rain out? Looks like you have a nice helper who is eager to learn.


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## mrnewberry (Feb 13, 2012)

Delta Bay said:


> Nice!
> I can't tell from the pic and if you don't have a 1/4" spacer at the entrance end of the hive you should in my opinion. The main reason is to be able to pop the spacer out for a little wiggle room to get the first comb out for quick inspection and management reasons. It will make it easier than needing to go through 20 or so combs to get into the core brood nest nearer the front of the hive. There will be times when it will be necessary.


Sounds like a good idea to me.


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## mrnewberry (Feb 13, 2012)

Nantom670 said:


> Nice looking TBH but I am wondering if you are through with your outer cover? Of course you may have it backed off this one side. If not, what is going to keep the rain out? Looks like you have a nice helper who is eager to learn.


This is the cover. It is a little off to the other side and top bars aren't all centered. (That's how it goes when a three year old puts them on.) But, it is about the width of the top bars.


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## mrnewberry (Feb 13, 2012)

rtoney said:


> You may already plan on this but I would put about 3 2x2 riser boards on top of your top bars and under your cover board to prevent moisture problems.


I haven't heard of that. I'll have to look into it.


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## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

Also you want to make sure your hive is level level not Ozark level (personal experence)


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## mrnewberry (Feb 13, 2012)

rtoney said:


> Also you want to make sure your hive is level level not Ozark level (personal experence)


My place definitely has a lean to it as well.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I don't know why I can't talk people out of drilling holes in their equipment...


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## mrnewberry (Feb 13, 2012)

Michael Bush said:


> I don't know why I can't talk people out of drilling holes in their equipment...


I was/am undecided on going with the holes (Which I did place towards the top.) or leaving a gap. Since I had help and it was time to build I figured I could cork the holes if I decided to go that route easier than I could add holes once they were in place. That being said I have quite enjoyed your site. Thanks for all the effort it must have taken to create!


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

When it gets wet the bars will swell. Then you'll have to take the spacer out or push the end off. Then they will shrink and you will have a gap either way.


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## Baldursson (Nov 22, 2011)

Michael Bush said:


> I don't know why I can't talk people out of drilling holes in their equipment...


You have succeeded in talking me out of drilling holes. I am finishing mine up soon and will post pics. I am leaving a .5 inch gap between the end and where I start the first top bar. I am going to use a couple nails to hold the lid up as well as give a consistent place to park the first bar. Will I need to manufacture an entrance reducer for that gap? Also the bees will basicall leave the space above the top bars alone?


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Will I need to manufacture an entrance reducer for that gap? Also the bees will basicall leave the space above the top bars alone? 

I don't have an entrance reducer for it. I suppose I could lay a board half way across... no need to manufacture anything, but I haven't needed one. The gap is only a foot wide or so and up high enough that mice can't get in and the skunks leave you alone.


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

Michael Bush said:


> When it gets wet the bars will swell. Then you'll have to take the spacer out or push the end off. Then they will shrink and you will have a gap either way.


I've never had this problem, as I find there is always a little space after the follower. I never build the boxes with a "perfect fit" for a number of bars, but always with a bit of play allowance at the end. If the bars swell, there's room to move. I think a common mistake when people build their first tbh is to make things too tight (for example comb guides which are cut to perfectly meet the side walls, etc.) Then in use, with moisture, wax and propolis, you find things don't fit anymore. 

Plus, if you build more than one hive, and you don't have any play in the design, things don't fit from one hive to the next.

Adam


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## Delta Bay (Dec 4, 2009)

If you put an awning just above your drilled upper entrance it will give the bees a place to beard when they do and mostly keep them from doing so on the underside of the roof. Not that it is all that important just that they can remain undisturbed if you need to do an inspection at the same time. Not a necessity but more important to do with a telescoping cover.

The follower board is a very handy piece of equipment and well worth taking the time to make and use one.


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## SteveBee (Jul 15, 2010)

That's nice looking hive, but I thought the main purpose of using Michael Bush's design was to use the top entrance, and as he says, not drill holes in the sides or ends. I went way overboard building mine with the attic-style roof, but I was copying one I bought. Any more we build will have the spacer at the end of the bars for a top entrance and a flat roof with no spacers. But it is a nice hive.

SORRY ABOUT THAT,,,I POSTED MY COMMENT WITHOUT READING THE 2ND PAGE.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I've never had this problem, as I find there is always a little space after the follower.

I never got around to making a follower...


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## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

I just left space at the top of the hive and it works good.


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## Heartspark (Mar 18, 2011)

Michael Bush said:


> I don't know why I can't talk people out of drilling holes in their equipment...


You mean you did not know bees have power drills and do it in the wild themselves?


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## mrnewberry (Feb 13, 2012)

I figured I would give an update. I have corked the holes and left a gap for a top entrance. They have been leveled and set up for about a week. I went and took a look at them this morning and noticed that the gap for an entrance had closed. I guess the bars had expanded from the recent rains. Should I be leaving a tiny bit of space between bars to allow for expansion? Or should my entrance gap be a little bit bigger to allow for it?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

mrnewberry said:


> I went and took a look at them this morning and noticed that the gap for an entrance had closed. .... Or should my entrance gap be a little bit bigger to allow for it?


You could adapt Baldursson's technique and add 2 nails or screws to the side rails to hold the gap at the top entrance:



Baldursson said:


> I am leaving a .5 inch gap between the end and where I start the first top bar. I am going to use a couple nails to hold the lid up as well as give a consistent place to park the first bar.


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## Delta Bay (Dec 4, 2009)

You can use something like a couple of nails or small blocks of wood to keep the bars from expanding toward the entrance wall but make sure there is room at the back of the hive to allow for any wood expansion. Think about making a follower board so you can close the cavity at the back and leave room for wood expansion.


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

Delta Bay said:


> Nice!
> I can't tell from the pic and if you don't have a 1/4" spacer at the entrance end of the hive you should in my opinion. The main reason is to be able to pop the spacer out for a little wiggle room to get the first comb out for quick inspection and management reasons. ...


Delta,

If you don't make the spacer, then they won't build much of a comb on the first bar anyway, and you can just pull the first bar to inspect from that end. . I would only use the spacer if I wanted the bees to build on that first bar. But the space left isn't much for getting a tool in there to make sure you've got no attachments...

Adam


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## Delta Bay (Dec 4, 2009)

That's good to know Adam. I've always put a spacer in and use this screwdriver tool I made to cut any attachments from the side walls when there is little room to do so.


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## DeeAnna (Nov 5, 2010)

"...The gap is only a foot wide or so and up high enough that mice can't get in..."

The "attic" space (gap between the bars and the top cover) on my TBH's is about 2 - 2 1/2 feet above ground level. I have had 3 very plump white-foot mice living in the attic space of both hives this winter. They got into one hive through the gap, so ended up living in the hive. I suspect that's why I lost that hive this winter -- the bees absconded in the dead of winter rather than put up with 3 mice mucking about in their home and eating their stores. Don't know if white footed mice are better climbers than field mice, but the height sure didn't slow them down! I think I will put a hardware mesh barrier in the gap for next winter to make sure the mice can't get inside the hive.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I went and took a look at them this morning and noticed that the gap for an entrance had closed. .... Or should my entrance gap be a little bit bigger to allow for it?

Bars swell and shrink. Make sure you have at least 3/8" when the bars are wet... more when they are dry.


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## Matt Gwinn (Mar 9, 2012)

Michael Bush said:


> I never got around to making a follower...


hmmm... you don't use a follower when installing? I assumed that you meant to use a follower on this section of your website: http://bushfarms.com/beespackages.htm

"Things to do:

Always install them in the minimum amount of space

Always install them in the minimum amount of space that is large enough and is convenient for you to provide. In other words, if you have a five frame nuc box, that's excellent. If you don't, then use a single box. Yes a single five frame medium box is large enough if you don't have drawn comb in it. An eight frame medium box is large enough if it has drawn comb. While there is nothing wrong, per se, with putting them in more space, in a Northern climate, especially, it is a lot of work for them and they take off much better in a smaller space. While I probably wouldn't BUY a five frame nuc just for this, I would use it if I had it. "

Can you clarify?

Thanks, Matt


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>hmmm... you don't use a follower when installing? I assumed that you meant to use a follower on this section of your website: http://bushfarms.com/beespackages.htm

If I wasn't too lazy to make a follower, I would use one if I had it.


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