# Top bar width



## Hillbillynursery (Nov 13, 2003)

Those of us that have done some work with the bees drawing their own comb have found 1 1/4 inch is proper with for small cell brood comb. The honey combs will be upto 2 1/2 inches thick with most being about 1 3/4 but the bees will use 1 1/2 for honey stores without making to big of a mess. Like you said it is easier to rip a 2X to make bars and cheaper than making them out of 1Xs ripped wider.


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

I have set up top bar hives with no comb guides. I put the bars in five frame nuc with one guide on the center bar. I put in a "Large Cell" package. The first couple of combs are spaced 1 3/8" the rest of the brood get spaced 1 1/4" after they get done with brood they start cheating bigger and I had to go to 1 1/2" and then I started putting comb guides on again.









I tried 1 1/2". In the brood area the bees will cheat and make them 1 3/8" or 1 1/4" anyway. They will just make a comb on the SIDE of your next comb guide and then be off more on the next comb until eventually they are somwhere in the center between two bars.

It's just one more cut to make it 1 1/4" instead of 1 1/2"

I would make them 1 1/2" in the honey area. (where ever the bees decide that is)


----------



## madbee (Nov 12, 2004)

This is starting to get too confusing. I think I am going to just put in all 1 1/2" topbars and learn as I go. It's not that big of a deal to me if the bees "cheat" and make their combs a little off. This is a whole new learning experience for me and I can't wait til the bees come in! Thanks guys.


----------



## Phoenix (May 26, 2004)

You asked... Don't go away mad...


----------



## madbee (Nov 12, 2004)

Oh no...not mad. Hope it didn't sound that way...


----------



## BerkeyDavid (Jan 29, 2004)

madbee 

I did some 1 1/2 and some 1 1/4's didn't seem to matter too much, go ahead and do all 1 1/2 and see what happens.


----------



## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

If you want to do all one size, I'd go with 1 3/8". But they will build smaller cells with the 1 1/4" in the brood nest and you'll have less trouble with them cheating off of your comb guides. Same in the honey. At 1 3/8" you'll average out better than if you went with 1 1/4" but they will still cheat a bit on each comb until they aren't in the center anymore.

That said, of course, the bees will do whatever they want and sometimes that means nothing like what we hoped.


----------

