# Picture of my TBH from this past summer



## the.hines (Apr 13, 2009)

http://i271.photobucket.com/albums/jj140/the-hines/Shawn/Honey Bees/Queeninspection.jpg


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## Omie (Nov 10, 2009)

Great pix, really makes me want to try a TBH!


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## raosmun (Sep 10, 2009)

Great photos!! 

How do you extract:scratch:


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## the.hines (Apr 13, 2009)

raosmun said:


> Great photos!!
> 
> How do you extract:scratch:


Crush and strain mostly. I tried to uncap them but kind of hard when you cant slide the knife down the sides of the frames. 

I crush it up and strain it though some wide screen then I strain it again though some window screen. Works good outside in the sun.


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I bet that you would enjoy having those combs in frames so you can turn them all sorts of different ways and not worry about breaking the comb from the bar.

I don't see how a proper AFB inspection can be done if you can't hold the top bar and angle the comb correctly w/ the sun over your shoulder to see scale or vegetative AFB.

Otherwise, nice pix.


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## HAB (May 17, 2008)

They look really good. 
I've got three ready to join my twenty Langs and Long Hives. Can't wait for the March swarm season so I can put some Bees in them.


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## G3farms (Jun 13, 2009)

I am with sqkcrk on this, I would have that comb torn off of the top bar the first day out.

I do think it looks really good though, I just want to take a big bite of that comb honey.

G3


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## Maine_Beekeeper (Mar 19, 2006)

very nice photos.


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

Nice pictures. 

It's not too hard to manipulate the foundationless comb without breaking it, it just takes a different technique than most are used to. 

The only time I broke comb in my 10+ HTBHs this year was when it was 95+ and I wasn't careful enough while removing it from the hive. Otherwise -- especially with brood comb -- it's easy to tilt, maneuver, spin and examine the comb as you're used to in a Langstroth. 

Matt


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## sqkcrk (Dec 10, 2005)

I'll take your word for it. I've never done it. Maybe I need to find a TBH beekeeper near me and visit her/him and her/his hive. Are there any near Massena, NY?


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## the.hines (Apr 13, 2009)

I have had a few combs come off in the past, i just retie them up and the bees do the rest. 

As for inspections, the comb in the pictures is very new 2 weeks and they had already pulled 9-10 top bars. I flip them over and can look at what ever I need to look at.

I also caught a wide hive from a nearby tree with of few of these bars and another TBH.


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## kathygibson (Nov 3, 2009)

Fantastic Pics. I have ordered a top-bar hive....can't wait for spring to get going with it!


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## the.hines (Apr 13, 2009)

Just remeber that they are easy to build with the basic wood working skills. I built mine for a total of about $10, everything else was just scrap wood laying around. The tools that you really need is Table saw, Drill, Brad nail gun.... Pretty much it


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## earthchild (Jun 30, 2009)

Very nice pics. 

I have the lumber in the garage. I'm just waiting for the cabin fever to set in before I start building a TBH. Hopefully that won't happen until about February/March or it'll be a long winter.


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## throrope (Dec 18, 2008)

Very nice.

Did you get a harvest this past season?

My top bars are just like yours, popsicle sticks and not long. My girls built right off the bars without any cross comb. Many posts I see have bars that are near standard lang length. The lack of cross comb on mine has me thinking that shorter bars may discourage cross comb.

Your thoughts or experience?


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## the.hines (Apr 13, 2009)

throrope said:


> Very nice.
> 
> Did you get a harvest this past season?
> 
> ...


I didn't harvest from this one this year. I thought I would let them build it for themselves. I did how ever rob a little from them. I enjoy the comb and I think my daughter does too. 

I would almost agree with you that the shorter bar seems to help with the cross comb. 

My next I think that I am going to build a Warre' hive I like the way they look.

Shawn Hines


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## Brenda (Nov 23, 2006)

I would like to see photos of your Long hives setup.


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## Hampton (Apr 24, 2007)

Great Pictures. I also would like to see more of the outside of you hive. Could you send me the plans? I like the lap side look of it.


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