# New to bee keeping building first hive



## Harley Craig (Sep 18, 2012)

I am building my first hive ever, and it's a top bar hive. I have read where some people use1 1/4 bars for brood and 1 1/2 for honey, and others use 1-3/8 and 1-5/8, while yet others just use 1 1/2 for everything. All seem to have some success. I would like to hear from people that have used various demensions and what are the pros/ cons of each. 


Thanks,

Harley


----------



## llgoddj (Apr 11, 2012)

You definitely would want as wide a top bar as possible for honey stores, as this is where your harvest is derived. The wider the bar, the wider the comb and hence the more honey stored in each comb. Brood bars are consistently between 1 1/4 and 1 3/8 and should remain that size as there is no need to build a wider comb for brood.
larry


----------



## mhorowit (Sep 25, 2011)

Then there are others who say use 1 3/8 for everything; I'm discovering that bees will do what they please. That's why the first year is so important; you recognize that what works for person 'A' doesn't work for person 'b', because of differences not really apparentl - Mike


----------



## rtoney (Apr 20, 2011)

I use the plans from M Bush web site and they work well for me. I have 4 top bars and what I have found here is if you make your honecomb bar to wide it makes it difficult to handle for inspection and harvest. When you are just inspecting in the heat there is more chance of the heavy comb breaking off and when you are trying to get the bees off for harvest the heavier comb once again is just harder to deal with. An extra 8-16 ozs on a bar may sound good until it hits the ground.


----------



## Keefis (May 4, 2012)

I use 1 1/2" bars for everything... Haven't had any problems from that.
If you use specific size bars for specific areas, then you lose the ability to swap them around as easily. The bees will do whatever they want, wherever they want anyway.
Personally I think the 1 1/2" bars are easier to remove since the brood below is slightly more narrow than the wood bar...Which for me equals less squished bees.
But most importantly the 2 x 4 is already 1 1/2" thick so less table saw action.


----------



## Steven Ogborn (Jun 3, 2011)

I tried using 1 3/8 and 1 1/2 last year. The bees didn't really comprehend that the 1 1/2 inch bars were for honey. The brood nest got so big that it used up the 1 3/8 bars and expanded onto the honey width bars. This year I split the differance and went with 1 7/16 with a really pronounced comb guide for all the bars. Has worked excellent so far. Here's what mine look like. http://s1066.photobucket.com/albums/u401/StevenOgborn/?action=view&current=IMAG0044.jpg


----------



## taydeko (Jan 3, 2012)

This was my first year. I used 1 1/2 only like Keefis. No problems and it was convenient and easy. I don't have to worry about what the bees are doing, since they do what they want anyway. Having one size bar is a lot simpler, just like having one size of langstroth box. Makes life easier.

Ted


----------

