# Top Bar Hive Cover



## Rader Sidetrack

One of the major virtues of a Top Bar hive design it its ease of construction. Getting the width of the top bars to the size you want them (if you want them something other than 1.5") is the most complicated part of the construction.

So a flat lid fits in perfectly with that simplicity/ease of construction concept. A piece of plywood sized to fit, and perhaps some blocks/trim/rim attached at the plywood edge to keep the lid aligned ...


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## ruthiesbees

I have different styles, but I like the look of the gabled roof the best. (and it came with the kit I buy from Beeline)

The kit comes with 2 additional 10 in boards that I am supposed to put in the roof, but I leave them out so there is less weight.








One I did with metal left over from the flue when I replaced my furnace. I can't seem to find a picture of that one right now.

This one is from Corex (plastic cardboard that the election signs come in). After 4 years, it is starting to crack.








And the last one in the background is from corrugated tin roofing. It is my least favorite because it requires a few bricks to hold it on and doesn't look especially nice.


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## Ferg

I agree I like the gabled roofs better, also from the 1st one I built, out of cedar, I like a hindged roof.


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## Bunyabees

I bought my first top bar hive and which has an arched roof with mini corrugated iron on top. It is insulated with earth wool (you might call it rock wool there) insulation kept in with a hessian layer that also allows it to breath. When I made the next hive myself I used a similar design, but used standard corrugated iron that I had lying around. I have just made a top bar nuc and used a similar design, expect that I didn't use the earth wool as its a bit of a pain installing the hessian etc. This time I bought 30mm extruded polystyrene board from the local hardware and used double thickness of that (less the bits I needed to cut off on the top layer to fit the curved shape of the roof). I was able to cut this ever so slightly larger than the size of the cavity so that once I jammed it in it was not going to move. My full size hives are hinged, but didn't bother with the nuc.


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## Grady Stanley

I have one top bar with a gabled roof and one with a flat roof. I prefer the flat roof for a few reasons. (1) It's very easy to build; (2) it's very light and is really easy to lift off and on the hive so I didn't need to hinge it to the hive; and, (3) it's easy to insulate. The flat roof is simply a piece of 1/4" plywood attached to 3/4" trim edges that are deep enough to include 1" of styrofoam insulation and still hang down past the top of the hive. I coated the plywood exterior with a couple coats of Flex-Seal to waterproof it and after a year outside in the Florida sun it's still in great shape. But I wouldn't use the Flex-Seal again just because it's too expensive.


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## dudelt

I use corrugated roofing (PVC?) on mine. It is light weight, flexible, cheap, easy to find, totally waterproof and tough. I tie it down with rope. It is certainly not pretty but very functional. My first two top bar hives had nice roofs on them attached with hinges. I quickly found I could not work the hive from the one side where the roof was and I was always working with the bees in the shade and my eyes in bright sunlight. I quickly got rid of the permanent roofs. I also found that I can rest tools, bars of comb, smokers and everything else on one hive while working on the hive next to it. No bending over and easy access. You cannot do that with the pointy gabled roof. I will admit that I am far more concerned with functionality than appearance when it comes to my beehives.


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## Grady Stanley

I asked the bees....they said they can live with either one.


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## msl

1.5" of foam and sheet of OSB over it, toss on a brick, done
I am a dry clime so the osb lasts many years
they are not yard art, but were they are at they don't need to be


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## Ferg

my wife does not like the flat roofs, need I say more?


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## ruthiesbees

Ferg said:


> my wife does not like the flat roofs, need I say more?


you need to realize that we see then as "garden art" and a flat roof just doesn't fit the bill. I like my gabled roofs, but I'd never do a hinged one for the reasons already mentioned and I don't like them heavy.


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## Ferg

right now I am leaning towards a gabled roof that hindges or lifts off, just not sure what kind of material to use. This will be a January project


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## Michael Bush

A hinged roof seems like it would tip the hive over when it's still pretty empty... I like a simple flat piece of plywood for a lot of reasons. For one, I can put bricks on it to keep it from blowing off. Also, simplicity is my main attraction to a top bar hive. Making it more complicated is unappealing to me.


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## Ferg

I agree, a flat roof is simple, but part of the fun to me is designing and building a functional top bar hive.


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## thebrighthive

I use hinged, peaked roofs for my horizontal hives and really like them. When they're open, you can rest your frames against the inside of them very conveniently. If the hive isn't mounted on legs, there may be a risk of it tipping when the roof is open. If the hive is on wide-set legs, it's not an issue. After you install your hinges, just make sure you attach a string or cable from the roof to the hive body so the roof doesn't over-tilt. Peaked roofs also create an 'attic space' which can keep your bees cooler in the summer, and when filled with breathable insulation, keep your bees warmer in the winter. 

When I was starting out, I made really heavy roofs out of plywood and locust (see pics), because that's what I had on-hand. My preference is a lighter roof in case I ever need to move the hive. Today we make them out of 3/4" cypress (see pics). They look great and are extremely durable. Rot-resistant wood such as cedar, locust, cypress, redwood, etc. probably won't need to be painted either, depending on your climate. We use tung oil 2x a year here in VA and it protects our cypress, locust, and cedar roofs well.


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## Ferg

I like your horizontal hives, thanks for sharing


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## shannonswyatt

I've made almost all my tops from Coroplast. You need to put some paint on it to get it to last long at all, but I get 3 or 4 years out of an old political sign. The more color on the sign, the better. I make a lightweight frame and attach it to the frame, and I put some 1/2 insulation on the underside, attached with spray adhesive. The first couple lids I made were heavy, and I grew tired of lifting them pretty quickly. 

But I also have some TBH nucs that just have a piece of coroplast or some plywood sitting on the top.


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## karol wojtyla

msl said:


> 1.5" of foam and sheet of OSB over it


What does the foam do? Does it help with insulation?


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## ruthiesbees

karol wojtyla said:


> What does the foam do? Does it help with insulation?


a sheet of foam on the tops of the bars in both summer and winter help moderate the heat exchange between the hive and outside air. Phil Chandler, (Barefoot Beekeeper in England), likes to have the insulation on year round. In my hot southern climate, I like there to be a gap between the bare bars and the roof so air can blow through there and cool things off a bit.


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## odfrank

This HEAVY detachable copper top from the bankrupt Oregon firm is a PITA. The groove for the hinge pins split away, and it is so heavy it is only a job for a strong person or two together. The roof is so heavy when open it tips over the hive off the folding legs. I looks like the newly emerged company is making them the same but with attached legs. The previous owner evidentially never worked his own equipment too much. I am concerned also about heat gain it might be causing hive on hot days.


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## odfrank

I rescued this sprayed Golden Mean hive in 2015 and like it's lids better. Both a lightweight inner cover and a light weight outer cover.


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## thebrighthive

odfrank said:


> This HEAVY detachable copper top from the bankrupt Oregon firm is a PITA. The groove for the hinge pins split away, and it is so heavy it is only a job for a strong person or two together. The roof is so heavy when open it tips over the hive off the folding legs. I looks like the newly emerged company is making them the same but with attached legs. The previous owner evidentially never worked his own equipment too much. I am concerned also about heat gain it might be causing hive on hot days.


Ironically, their website used to claim (maybe it still does) that they used the groove/pin design because it lasts longer than metal hinges. I've been using hinges, either zinc plated steel or stainless steel, on my horizontal hives since 2014 and have never had a single issue with them weathering or breaking. I have a feeling they went with the groove/pin concept because it's just simply cheaper than hinges. The new design pictured on their site looks clumsy and rushed to me, but I may be a bit partial since I feel like we make much higher quality hives 

Maybe you can install a couple hinges on the front of the hive so the roof can be more easily opened by one person? Roof vents (and screened inner covers) make a huge difference with keeping temperatures down. Can you drill circular vents in the sides of the roof and staple in screen? 2" diameter, on both sides, works great for our hives. Pics of hinge placement, roof vent, and screened inner covers attached.


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## Kathleen Bourn

I prefer the hinged roofs but I'm also a little bit of a building junky. My first hive was gabled and I used left over metal from the roof on my house. The hive itself is made from 1" thick western hemlock (also left over from the house) and concrete legs so "tipping over" isn't an issue. 








I recently built another slightly gabled and hinged roof out of MDO (Medium Density Overlay). It's sign board that they use to make highway signs. I make my Lang covers out of it also. It really lasts! It's basically a coated exterior plywood and it's about $40/sheet. Since I build most of my hives out of scrap, this is really my only expense. 








The biggest problem I have with the hinged roofs is making sure they don't slam down on you when the wind catches them.


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## Ferg

I like the gray roof design, where do you get the MDO?


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## Kathleen Bourn

I get my MDO (Medium Density Overlay) at Carolina Lumber in Atlanta. You can also order HDO (Heavy Density Overlay) if you want something heavier. 
I really like it for my Lang covers because it doesn't warp and I don't need to put metal on it. You don't even need to paint it if you don't want to.


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## Ferg

On your lang's do you put trim boards around the edge or just the MDO? Do you have trouble with the wind blowing off rhe MDO?


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## Kathleen Bourn

If I need a quick cover I just throw a piece of the MDO on. My regular covers have trim because I also put a piece of insulation in the cover. 
I strap all my hives to the stands with cheap ratchet straps (Harbor Freight Tools). That way it secures the lid and the hives.


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## Ferg

Kathleen, looks very good, What kind of blocks are you using for stands? What is the bolt through the block for? You are giving me so many ideas, thanks


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## Rader Sidetrack

>> You can also order HDO (Heavy Density Overlay) 

The wood industry trade group says HDO is "High" Density Overlay. More on HDO and MDO here: https://www.apawood.org/overlaid


For those not familiar with these various panels, HDO and MDO are basically plywood with a resin layer on the outer faces. A specialty product often used by signmakers and [wet] concrete form makers, and often not easy to find in single sheet quantities.

Don't confuse MDO with MDF. MDF is more or less wood fibers similar to paper compressed/glued into a panel board. Very smooth and uniform, but not a material suitable for outdoor use. More on MDF here: https://www.displays2go.com/Guide/Comparing-Building-Materials-Particle-Board-MDF-Plywood-17


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## Kathleen Bourn

Ferg, 
These are home made concrete stands for my Langs. I had some lightweight aggregate I was using for a cultured stone making project to I decided to make my own stands with it. I have a concrete block plant close by so they delivered 7 tons of it for me to play with. (It's the same material they use to make blocks)

I made a form using mold material (urethane) and when I need a stand I just pour it with the lightweight ag, sand and portland cement. I have concrete color so I add it. The threaded rods and nuts run through the stand to hold the legs up. It also allows me to adjust the width (for 8 or 10 frame hives).

There are also some indentations around the bottom board to keep water from pooling there. 

I like these better than blocks. They're about the same weight but it's easier to level the hives. I make them about 18" high because I have skunks and raccoons living on my farm rent free.

Another advantage is they allow me to strap my hives down. I had a wicked wind storm a couple of months ago. Most of my hives had the concrete stands but one was on a temporary wood stand and it toppled over. I also get deer rubbing on the hives once in awhile.

In case you couldn't tell, I like building things.


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## Ferg

Kathleen,
Really like what you do, thanks so much for sharing.
Ferg


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## will52100

Really like the hinged tops on mine and my father's hives. Started with peaked roof's and as we added more and got better at building hives we went to a simple rounded, doomed roof and just used a single piece of corrugated tin to follow the rounded contour. The stands are made from 2" or so pipe welded into old rims and after I had one blow over in high wind they are anchored with rebar spikes. The sides of the hive are secured with wood screws to the stands, and when empty they can be a little top heavy opening the hive up, but with the stands it's not too bad, and with them anchored in the ground they are not going anywhere. Also added simple gate hook and loop type latches to keep any possibility of the lids flying open in high wind.






Not the best photo, taken during the last snow storm we had.


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## mcr

On my first hive I used 1/4 inch plywood on 3/4 inch frame. I covered it with aluminum flashing to make it water proof. Second hive has a piece of used barn tin with 3/4 inch framing. Both are held on with screw eyes on the side of the hive and a bungee cord. Easy to remove and replace. Tehy held in 30 mph wind.


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