# new to beekeeping



## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

Good job, I'm impressed you where able to save them.
Any size hive can swarm, sometimes it depends on if the queen has empty drawn comb to lay eggs in. If the bees are filling the hive with nectar, they might swarm.
After 4 months of spring time you're hive probably wasn't very small. 
If there aren't eggs in you're hive, they might be you're bees. The queen stops laying before swarming, & the new queen won't start laying for a least 2 weeks.


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## gird123 (Jun 26, 2011)

Does that mean the old queen left the hive with the swarm? 

They are very mellow bees. 

How do i know when to harvest?
How much honey should I leave?


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## gird123 (Jun 26, 2011)

What is the best book for ktbh?


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## gird123 (Jun 26, 2011)

I have been searching, but i'm having a hard time finding a thread that tells when and how to harvest. Can i move combs so that brood comb is at the entrance? Do i harvest when a full comb is capped?


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## KQ6AR (May 13, 2008)

Can't answer you're top bar specific questions, but yes the old queen leaves with the swarm.


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## Bsweet (Apr 9, 2010)

Not a Top Bar user YET, but have read that you can move the brood nest but keep the bars in the same order. As far as harvesting that depends on your area needs to overwinter, some TBH keepers harvest in the spring and take the left over honey from last year.


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## DeeAnna (Nov 5, 2010)

I am a beginner too, but I will share what I understand:

You really have to think about what the bees need first, whether you have Lang hives or TBHs. With only 7 bars of comb, I'd say your oldest hive is still getting established and the bees have nothing to spare for you -- they need all the resources they can get for themselves.

Just because a bar of honey is capped in a young hive doesn't mean you should take it for yourself. Most folks plan on building the strength of their hives the first year, then harvest the second year. Some colonies are apparently strong enough to rob a little honey the first year, but don't count on it.

If your TBH has 30 bars, a rough rule of thumb is to think of the first 10 bars as the brood area and the last 20 bars for stores. The true size of the brood and stores areas will vary depending on the hive and the time of year, but this rule of thumb is a good place to have in mind when you think about your hive.

Once most of the stores area is filled with honey (maybe late this fall, maybe next year), you can harvest a bar or two. In a TBH, you don't take many bars at a time -- that is a big difference between Lang and TBH -- but the point is to always keep some open bars in the hive for the bees to expand. You will also need to make space in the brood nest too, but that's a subject for another time.

I don't know of any specific book for TBHs, unfortunately, but a lot of what works for Lang hives applies to TBHs too. I would recommend getting one or two basic but comprehensive books. Many folks like these two: _The Backyard Beekeeper_ by Kim Flottum and _Beekeeping For Dummies_ by Howland Blackiston.

There is an FAQ on TBHs that is found many places on the internet. It was written in the late 90s, but still has relevance today and might be useful to you. Here is one location for this FAQ:

General: http://www.biobees.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2293
Construction: http://www.biobees.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2292
Management: http://www.biobees.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2291
Harvesting: http://www.biobees.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=2349

Jim Satterfield's TBH info may also be helpful: 
http://kandykasts.com/top_bar_hives/jim_satterfield/TBH_Beekeeping/main.htm

... as well as Michael Bush's website:
http://www.bushfarms.com/bees.htm


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## Beethinking (Jun 2, 2008)

When getting started in top bar beekeeping I highly recommend _The Idiot's Guide to Beekeeping_, as it is more applicable than _Beekeeping for Dummies_.

Best,
Matt


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## gird123 (Jun 26, 2011)

thank you


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## Benthic (May 1, 2011)

_The Complete Idiot's Guide to Beekeeping_ is an excellent book and it definitely promotes a treatment free approach. But for a more top bar specific book, you might consider _The Barefoot Beekeeper_ by Phil Chandler. I have not read this book myself, but I know that Phil is a big proponent of top bar hives. 

Brian


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## Jeff Da Ref (Apr 5, 2011)

Go to a website, www.learningbeekeeping.com The guy has lots of info on topbars and videos to boot.

Best wishes,

jdr


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