# Top Bar Spacers



## mjtracy (Jun 17, 2011)

Hello, I recently started using KTB, and built 1.5" bars. I do not use any spacers, and haven't had a problem.


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

Where they start storing nectur is where I start adding spacers

Mike


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## Delta Bay (Dec 4, 2009)

You can use a spacer any time the mid rib of a comb is offset from the center guide. Beyond the honey barrier use them as needed. If they are extending the cell walls past the outer edge of the bar you will need a spacer.


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

I'm wondering, does anyone find the spacers warp or bend and make it difficult to push the bars together? I got in a bind yesterday where I needed wider bars but only had narrow ones - so I hand spaced them about 1/8" and am trusting the bees to fill in the spaces. We shall see how they do...

If it works well, I may make all my bars 1 1/4" and space them like that when necessary.



Adam


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## mmiller (Jun 17, 2010)

Adam Foster Collins said:


> I'm wondering, does anyone find the spacers warp or bend and make it difficult to push the bars together? I got in a bind yesterday where I needed wider bars but only had narrow ones - so I hand spaced them about 1/8" and am trusting the bees to fill in the spaces. We shall see how they do...
> 
> If it works well, I may make all my bars 1 1/4" and space them like that when necessary.
> 
> ...


I've done this when I've not had spacers on hand and it worked great. When the gap is in the honey area they don't seem be real quick filling it up. The closer to the brood area the faster they fill it.


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

Adam: That's the only way I space my bars. I use all 1 3/8" bars and then gap them when necessary. It works great for me.

Matt


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## DeeAnna (Nov 5, 2010)

AHA!  Hey, Matt, I have haunted the Bee Thinking website for tips like this one. Thanks for sharing it here!

The bees got creative with 3 empty bars in the back of one of my hives. The bees built nice and straight across one bar, skipped a bar, and drew another straight comb across the third. There is only a bee space between these two combs -- the cell depth is unusually deep. I was a little bemused by that at the time -- I had read about unusually thick honey combs, but in my inexperience had never seen one. Well, now I know....


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

Yes, honey combs can get very thick, as the bees save resources and opt to make deeper cells rather than more comb. 

For those of you who space bars, have you found a limit as to how big the space can be before the bees have trouble closing it? It seems to me that spaces could get to a quarter inch or more...

Thanks,

Adam


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## Montana Bee (Feb 1, 2011)

I use 1 1/4 inch bars and noticed when the combs get farther away from the brood they get thicker and wider than the bar. A couple of combs filled with honey were stuck together and when I tried separating them one tore off and fell to the bottom. What a mess! I picked it out and reattcaced with a couple of hair clips. I put it back in and added spacers. Hope I havent messed this up too bad!


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