# Books on Top Bar methods



## Jovian (May 31, 2016)

I am prepping and gearing up to start my first hives next spring. I have read both "Top bar beekeeping" and "The Thinking Beekeeper" both were good but i was hoping for something a bit more in depth and detailed. I came across wyatt magnums book "Top Bar hive beekeeping: Wisdom and Pleasure combined". My question is 2 fold. 1.is there enough extra info included in wyatt's book to make it worth the purchase particularly after reading the other two? and 2. Would wyatt's book be complete enough to consider it a good go to book a"bible" as it were for top bar hive management and dealing with issues? From the you tube videos i have seen it would appear very complete and a good go to but at the same time that money and time could be better spent on actual supplies and building equipment. So was hoping to hear the thoughts from those who have read it.


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## Jon Wolff (Apr 28, 2013)

Wyatt Mangum's book is the one I use. It's very thorough, and for me it was worth the cost, but not having read the other two, I can't compare them.


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## shannonswyatt (May 7, 2012)

I have Wyatt's book. It is in desperate need of a scrub by an editor and then published commercially. The price is just too high. Too much information in it that really isn't necessary. (I know how to make a left turn with a trailer). But it has nicer photos than any other book out there. If you can borrow it, that would be the way to go. I normally recommend Les Crowder's "Top-Bar Beekeeping: Organic Practices for Honeybee Health" (That may be the book you are referencing second) for something to purchase, as his methods are closer to mine, and I make my hives a bit differently. I also have Christy Hemingway's book. If you have both of those you are probably good to go unless you want to know Wyatt's story or want to have the photos for reference.


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## TALittle (May 7, 2016)

I have found lots of stuff by doing a google search and restricting it to PDF's. There is a lot out there though some of it was written for 3rd world countries and discusses local climates etc.

The search is this link
https://www.google.com/search?q=top+bar+beehive+management++filetype:pdf&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8

This is the beekeeping training manual by the Wildlife Conservation Society

http://www.itswild.org/sites/default/files/Beeking_manual WCS.pdf


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

I don't think there is a "bible" of topbar beekeeping. I own Wyatt's book and have read it multiple times, and highlighted and tabbed important sections, so I think it's a good one to have in the apiary. I'd encourage you to get as many TBH books in your library as you can. Each author has a little bit to contribute to your learning process. Phil Chandler's new book is also a good one to have.


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## Jovian (May 31, 2016)

Shannonwyatt those books are indded the ones i was refferring to thankyou. You have confirmed my suspicions. 

TAlittle. Thank you all for your reply, and links I will be looking at them heavily.

Ruthiesbees. Thank you for the reply as well. I agree one can never have enough knowledge or references to different techniques. That said I could spend all my time and money reading and not doing. A few projects ago I implemented a slf policy to limit myself to 2-3 books on a subject before I started something in it, to stop falling into that trap. The two books I mentioned were a gift and I also was gifted some from the 70s. So I had my quota but this booked looked potentially good/appropriate enough to bend that rule a bit. I will certainly be keeping this book in mind and will borrow it if I get the chance or possibly add it to the collection in a future date.

Thank you all for your replies and time


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## Cabin (Nov 30, 2014)

Jovian said:


> I am prepping and gearing up to start my first hives next spring. I have read both "Top bar beekeeping" and "The Thinking Beekeeper" both were good but i was hoping for something a bit more in depth and detailed. I came across wyatt magnums book "Top Bar hive beekeeping: Wisdom and Pleasure combined". My question is 2 fold. 1.is there enough extra info included in wyatt's book to make it worth the purchase particularly after reading the other two? and 2. Would wyatt's book be complete enough to consider it a good go to book a"bible" as it were for top bar hive management and dealing with issues? From the you tube videos i have seen it would appear very complete and a good go to but at the same time that money and time could be better spent on actual supplies and building equipment. So was hoping to hear the thoughts from those who have read it.


I have all three. I like Wyatt's the best so far. Which book is best depends on what you plan on doing with the bees. The first two focus on honey production only. Wyatt cover honey production, pollination and queen production. The one I like the least is 'The thinking beekeeping', just me but I think the hive design is not very good and the management practices just sound like an exercise in irritating the bees.


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## Duncan151 (Aug 3, 2013)

Cabin said:


> The one I like the least is 'The thinking beekeeping', just me but I think the hive design is not very good and the management practices just sound like an exercise in irritating the bees.


Nope, not just you! I borrowed that one from the library, read it once, that was enough. There are also many good, non TBH, bee books out there!


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## crmauch (Mar 3, 2016)

Jovian said:


> ... Thank you for the reply as well. I agree one can never have enough knowledge or references to different techniques. That said I could spend all my time and money reading and not doing. A few projects ago I implemented a slf policy to limit myself to 2-3 books on a subject before I started something in it, to stop falling into that trap. The two books I mentioned were a gift and I also was gifted some from the 70s. So I had my quota but this booked looked potentially good/appropriate enough to bend that rule a bit. I will certainly be keeping this book in mind and will borrow it if I get the chance or possibly add it to the collection in a future date.
> 
> Thank you all for your replies and time


If I had to limit myself to 3 books, I would get 
1) Les Crowder's "Top-Bar Beekeeping: Organic Practices for Honeybee Health"
2) Wyatt Mangum's "Top-Bar Hive Beekeeping: Wisdom & Pleasure Combined"
3) Michael Bush's "The Practical Beekeeper" (full 3 volume in-one edition) -- It was also published as 3 separate volumes.

Bush's isn't strictly tbh, but has a lot of good information. I got all three from my library, two (Mangum's and Bush's) I had to get through interlibrary loan.


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## Jovian (May 31, 2016)

Thats a great list. and I hope this thread helps other newcomers find good material to help them get started.

I was thinking about michael bushes book as well but since he said that it was all available on his site and the reviews I read said it wasn't really organized any better I decided to use his site for now.


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## Duncan151 (Aug 3, 2013)

Bush's book is a good one, not sure what people think is wrong with the organization? I do like the book much better than the website.


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## crmauch (Mar 3, 2016)

Jovian said:


> I was thinking about michael bushes book as well but since he said that it was all available on his site and the reviews I read said it wasn't really organized any better I decided to use his site for now.


I'm a "Luddite". I like hardcopy.


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## bubilas (Jan 13, 2016)

I like Wyatt's book and like most of it. Don't have any others so I can't compare or comment on them. Wyatt does give a extra stuff as stated above but it makes the reading more enjoyable in my opinion. I am looking for more information on TB hive management but I know more will come with experience and I'm pretty green still.


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## ethanhogan (Jun 1, 2016)

Bubilas les crowder's book has some pretty good hive managment chapters and comb switching etc. it does have some pictures as well. They could be labeled a little better but they are pretty good.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>I was thinking about michael bushes book as well but since he said that it was all available on his site and the reviews I read said it wasn't really organized any better I decided to use his site for now.

The book is organized as a book. The web site is organized as a web site. Other than that it's the same material.


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## bibbster (Jun 10, 2016)

A new beekeeper here adding my two drones worth...

I have all the books mentioned and a half dozen others. Each book offers the same general information but they each also offer material that is not included in the others.

Some have great technical drawings of typical TBH comb layout, some have great hive plan info, some have awesome pictures. All of them, though, if you like to read and study, are good books to have. Heck, I even bought student curriculum that is specific to honey bees.

I will say that I personally enjoyed Mr. Mangum's book. I like that it was written in a whimsical manner, but I can see where some folks would not enjoy the seemingly useless banter.


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