# Help buying a Top Bar Hive



## Foxhound (Feb 19, 2015)

Congratulations on starting to keep bees. Getting prepared can feel overwhelming. Top bars are not necessarily for the pros, they can be tricky, but they aren't just for the pros. 

You can do chemical-free, foundation-free beekeeping in a langstroth box. Just a consideration. 

I don't know any Top bar producers in the northeast. Most beekeeping companies are the big corporations you may be thinking off. Most are just small business that have a big name in a little pond.

You could buy a design online and take it to a local woodworking shop for them to make it for you. Just one thought.

They type of wood isn't a dealbreaker. Cedar doesn't need to be painted. Pine does need to be painted. Both last the same amount of time if the pine is painted well. Since you have cold winters, you may consider having your hive made of true 1-inch thick wood, instead of 3/4-inch-thick wood. You don't paint the inside on either. 

You don't need to wax your top bars. It does help your packages to stay put if you rub a piece of beeswax over the entire interior surface.

The best top bars are made of one piece with the wedge hanging down.

Whatever you choose for design, I would stick to that one and not change. People say top bar equipment isn't standard, but is can be standard to you if you only use one design.

I sell top bar equipment, but i'm not in your area. It sound's like you would be more interested in buying regionally. I hope all goes well. Feel free to look around my website and blog to see what the one-piece top bars I was talking about look like. 

Have fun with your bees

-Adam

http://www.foxhoundbeecompany.com/


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## Sovek (Apr 27, 2014)

I second the whole "Woodworking Shop" as $300+ is overly expensive for just a hive body.


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## dadaas (Feb 24, 2015)

Huh, i m not sure how much is LR beehive at your place, but here in Croatia it is around 70$ (only wooden parts, no foundations) and i read somewhere that if you do Top Bar Hive by your self it will cost you 50$ total. So 300$ is a lot, but this one looks very well done, i is nice and painted and it have window with glass for you to look inside. I m not sure you need this fancy things.

Also i m very interested in some videos over at YouTube or somewhere else about how to work with Top Bar Hive. Like what to do after winter, what to do at main harvesting time (like how to delay swarming or split hive) and how to prepare for winter.


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

You will have lots of fun with the topbar hives. I started in 2013, with only TBHs, and now I'm up to 5 hives and I teach a monthly class for other gardeners who are interested in the topbar hive. Seasoned beekeepers will try and steer you away from it, but as long as you are committed to reading everything you can about bees, and able to adapt the general beekeeping books to topbar hives, you should be fine.

I researched all the hives out there on the net and finally decided on the ones from Beeline Apiaries and woodenware. They are produced in MI or PA and it is a quality product. (http://beelinewoodenware.com/). Their kit for $150 comes with 28 bars with a spline, so you don't need to wax them, 2 division boards, screened bottom board and IPM board (which I leave closed all year long, but like to have the junk fall through the screen). It also has a gabled tin roof. The company also sells a division board feeder, although I sometimes use a bottle feeder in the un-used space of the hive.

I do like to put a window in the hive that runs the length of the long side. It adds so much more fun to the whole thing and helps you keep an eye on the comb building process. (you will still need to open the hive periodically to inspect it). The hive is made out of pine, so you will want to paint the outside with a quality exterior primer and paint. I like to have mine different colors so when I write down notes, I can refer to "the blue hive" or the "green hive". I just buy the quart size mis-mixed paint at Lowes for $5.

You will find the topbar hive forum here to be extremely helpful if you have questions. Just post some pictures and the question and you should have lots of help shortly. Good Luck!


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

2 other things I forgot to mention: The hive should be at least 40" long. I like them a bit longer at 45" so there is room for feeders, etc. A first year colony might not fill up the entire box, but they should the second year.

I also like TBH's where the bar is the same length as a Langstroth box. That can help if you need to use their nuc boxes for swarm boxes, etc. The bars from Beeline fit perfectly in a Lang hive. Some of the others are significantly shorter and would have to have extensions placed on them.


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## Bees of SC (Apr 12, 2013)

Check out YouTube--*OutOfaBlueSky--*He has a lot on top bar hives and how to work them. :thumbs upn what Ruth said about langs


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## Cub Creek Bees (Feb 16, 2015)

Doris - Ruthie is giving you good info! :applause:


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## ksr004 (Dec 26, 2014)

Haven't put bees in them yet but I purchased two from organicbeehives.com. The craftsmanship is awesome and he is quick to deliver.


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## BeeGora (Oct 22, 2013)

_"I’m in search of buying a Top Hive"_ Since you ordered two packages of bees, I'm assuming that you're ordering two hives as well?

I started with Top Bar Hives having never kept bees before and it's been great fun. Go for it. You'll get those "crazy" looks from a lot of old school beekeepers who don't like TBH's. 

I bought my hives from BeeThinking. I liked how they're made, how the top flips up so that you don't have to take it off to get into the hive, and it's got a really great viewing window (some don't have one & some of them list the hive without one and charge you more if you want the window). The down side is that they cost more than most of the ones you'll find for sale on the internet. However, since they don't charge you for shipping the hive that brings the price back down a fair bit.


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## SowthEfrikan (Mar 2, 2015)

I have bought 3 hives from him - John Crabb - and they were very easy to put together. I have zero woodworking skills. My bees like the hives, too. I found him on ebay but found it cheaper to buy from his site. I bought a feeder and it's worked, too. Good luck.


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## Cabin (Nov 30, 2014)

Just for the record top bars are main stream enough now that both Mann Lake and Dadant list them in their catalogs. The two long langs I made seemed easier that the one KTB I made. If I am lucky maybe next winter I will add a different style to the mix. If you want to buy local call around for local carpenters. It has been a hard winter for many people small projects are a great way for them to make ends meet during the winter.


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## crabbcatjohn (May 5, 2013)

SowthEfrikan said:


> I have bought 3 hives from him - John Crabb - and they were very easy to put together. I have zero woodworking skills. My bees like the hives, too. I found him on ebay but found it cheaper to buy from his site. I bought a feeder and it's worked, too. Good luck.


I've been watching this thread to see what people thought about my hives. I really appreciate you using your first post on here to say something nice about my hives and thanks also to ksr for the kind words. John


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## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

If you don't feel like building BeeThinking makes a lovely hive. Shipping within the USA is no charge.


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## Silverbackotter (Feb 23, 2013)

You can build a top bar with a hand saw and a drill. Unless you like spending the money or really want a pretty one. I recommend you try to build your 2. Don't get fancy you don't need a neat roof and a screened bottom. The bees don't care. 

If you search the forum there is a Canadian top bar plan that is good or pm me. (Haven't built one but looks well thought out) 

Crowders book has a good plan. (Have built a lot of these)


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## EvanS (Feb 27, 2015)

I just bought the lumber I need for two top bar hives. I already had material for the legs and roof. It cost me about $90 at lowes. That includes the entire hive body, top bars and follower boards. That being said, I am simply building for functionality. I doubt they will be beautiful.


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## SowthEfrikan (Mar 2, 2015)

And thank you, John, for the extra wire cord you sent to me for free with my last hive order - I replaced that chain that was in the older hive I bought from you and now don't have any gaps in my top bars, where before I need to leave a gap for the chain. There I was, searching all over the internet for the wire cord, only to find out you were making them yourself. 
As someone said, your hives really are beautifully made. I know you can get stuff a lot cheaper, and the shipping costs are the pits, but I wanted something lovely that would last and can't make them myself. 
If you are seriously considering this product, the Delux version was worth it for us. The screened bottom boards have proved really handy for monitoring the hive as well as ventilation. Even my husband spends a lot of time peering through the observation windows.


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## Sovek (Apr 27, 2014)

For a really simple hive design, try using my design found on this thread The 1x2s up top are for lang frames. Granted its not a KTBH design, but it doesnt have to be, and bees will attach the comb regardless if its at an angle or not. Just gotta watch out for it. If I were doing mine as a top bar, it would cost me about $50 in materials, less if you use plywood. I'm actually going to see how well I can get 3/4" plywood to stands up when painted and has a roof over it.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Here are a few suppliers:
http://www.goldstarhoneybees.com/
http://www.beethinking.com/
http://www.backyardhive.com/General/General/BackYardHive_Beekeeping_Shop/
http://www.hautehives.com/

My page on TBH:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm


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## Duncan151 (Aug 3, 2013)

EvanS said:


> I just bought the lumber I need for two top bar hives. I already had material for the legs and roof. It cost me about $90 at lowes. That includes the entire hive body, top bars and follower boards. That being said, I am simply building for functionality. I doubt they will be beautiful.


There is much beauty in functionality!


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## AugustC (Aug 7, 2013)

They are a lot easier to make than you might think. 
If you build two and sell one to recoup the cost of building both it can end up costing you nothing.


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## tumbelweed (Mar 2, 2015)

Thanks I think this weekend I'm going to price it out and maybe start one.


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## tumbelweed (Mar 2, 2015)

Thanks, everyone for all the great feed back. Its count down the clock is ticking. This weekend I will have to figure out exactly what I’m going to do. I’ll probably buy my first hives then depending how things go I’ll make the rest I hope. I truly appreciate the advice and help. I’m still learning this site so I’m a little slow bare with me. 

Doris


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## AdamBeal (Aug 28, 2013)

I built the hive Michael linked to here last year:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm

Very simple to make the hive body the time consuming part was making all the top bars I just used 1 3/8" furring strips they sell at home depot and cut them to fit the top. It worked great put package in last April and they are still alive. I added a viewing window so glad I did really enhanced the learning experience. For a hive cover I bought some trailer underpinning from home depot (like metal roofing) and cut it with wire snips to fit the top. I had to lay a board on the center of the top bars to give the roof some height in the middle so it sheds rain off to the sides. I also put some bricks and rocks on top to keep it from blowing off no problems yet! Built it for about $90.


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## BobRagsdale (Nov 23, 2014)

ruthiesbees said:


> The hive should be at least 40" long.


I would suggest that the volume of the hive is more important than the length per-se. A 40" hive similar to the width/height dimensions of M. Bush's hives will have a volume of approximately 61 Liters whereas a 40" hive of W. Mangum's width/height dimensions will be closer to 79 liters. Both the same length - but very different size (volume) hives. I have built a calculator here so that you can compare hives.


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## crabbcatjohn (May 5, 2013)

BobRagsdale said:


> I would suggest that the volume of the hive is more important than the length per-se. A 40" hive similar to the width/height dimensions of M. Bush's hives will have a volume of approximately 61 Liters whereas a 40" hive of W. Mangum's width/height dimensions will be closer to 79 liters. Both the same length - but very different size (volume) hives. I have built a calculator here so that you can compare hives.


Nice, i like it.


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## Ennui (Jun 6, 2013)

I would not suggest buying/shipping a hive. It's quite costly.

For a TBH, download or buy plans online. Then either craigslist for an local ametuer woodworker or call a couple local high schools. Many schools will build them for free if you supply plans and materials (and maybe some extra materials) since the it's a neat project, you are providing real world items to be built and you are deferring costs to the school by providing all the materials. For schools it often helps if you want a couple hives or a neat roof since it will get the whole class involved.

And the bees don't care if our skills aren't great. I made my first hive with a 30 year old circular saw, scrap wood and nails. The bees never complained about the crappy lines or the bad corners. They just put propolised up all my minor flaws and all was good.

As other have already mentioned. 3' hives are too short, go bigger. Unless you are want a swarm box for splits every year; which is what I have because my first hive was 3'. I get only get about 20lbs of honey from it a year, but I usually also get 2-3 splits without any real effort.


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