# New Top Bar question



## jmgi (Jan 15, 2009)

How could they not touch the feeder in a week? How do you know there isn't some comb underneath the cluster of bees? Sounds like you didn't pull any top bars out to check. Maybe they were bringing in alot of nectar which they would prefer over sugar syrup. John


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## Sherillynn (Apr 17, 2011)

I know there is no comb underneath because I dislodged the cluster from tow of the bars and they went to the bottom of the Top Bar and began crawling back up. They are flying so there must be nectar but I gotta believe they must be queenless or they would be drwing out comb. When I squirted honey next to them many came to feed. They have a hum too. But I can't believe a queen would just stay up in the cluster like that for 8 days.


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

Gotta be queenless. They'd be making somewhere for her to lay if she was in there. If you have langs, perhaps you could do a cut-out of a bit of brood comb with eggs and new larvae and attach it to a bar...


Adam


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## Steven Ogborn (Jun 3, 2011)

Adam Foster Collins said:


> Gotta be queenless. They'd be making somewhere for her to lay if she was in there. If you have langs, perhaps you could do a cut-out of a bit of brood comb with eggs and new larvae and attach it to a bar...
> 
> 
> Adam


That's kind of what I did yesterday. I have two hives that I suspect are queenless. A nuc with my old queen was building
a new comb. It didn't have anything in it. I moved that brand new comb between two brood combs that I found the queen
on. Yesterday evening, it was completely laid with eggs. I cut the bottom half off of it and attached it to a top bar.
Then took the remaining comb that was still on it's original bar, and placed them both into the suspected queenless hives.
The eggs should be hatching on the 18th. If they start turning them into queen cells, It'll confirm one way or the other.
If they start making queen cells, I'm gonna call Weaver's and get a couple of queens coming. They're supposed to have
some ready by the 20th.


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## Delta Bay (Dec 4, 2009)

Make sure that they know where the sugar syrup is by dribbling it on the bees leaving a trail so that they can find the feeder. Once they start taking the syrup you may find things moving along.


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## Sherillynn (Apr 17, 2011)

I am so new to Top Bars I have no idea how to attach the comb...Do I have to get all MacGuiver with it?


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## Rader Sidetrack (Nov 30, 2011)

Some people build a bar with a "frame" just for this purpose, then the comb can be banded, wired or tied to the frame. 

An alternative to this that may work for you would be to staple a piece of chicken wire to one side of the bar, then form it into a sort of narrow "basket" hanging from the bar. Put the comb in the basket and attach the wire to the other side of the bar. Get the comb as close to the bar as you can and let the bees deal with it. Eventually you can remove that bar. If you are buying chicken wire, look for 2 inch wire rather than the more common 1 inch. But either "should" work. You could always cut out some of the wires from the 1" if necessary.


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## Steven Ogborn (Jun 3, 2011)

The piece of comb that that I cut from the bar, I just smashed the top of it to the comb guide on my top bar. It is a small
light piece, it'll hold just fine. You could find some small larve in your Lang, then use one hair clip to hang the piece you cut out
from one of your frames to go into your top bar.


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## BoBn (Jul 7, 2008)

Drill a 3/32" hole near each end of a top bar. Fit a coat hanger wire to the size of comb that you want to attach. 









Wire Pushed Into Topbar Holes. The Ends of The Wire Will Be bent Over To Keep Them From Sliding Out


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## Steven Ogborn (Jun 3, 2011)

If you have plastic foundation in your lang, tin snips (aviation shears) or tree branch shears cut that okay.
Hair clip, a couple pieces of wire or a couple of zip ties, easy peazy.


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

If you just put a small amount of comb with eggs/larvae in it, then it can be held with straight pins until they attach it.

Adam


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## Nantom670 (Jul 29, 2011)

Watch this Utube video and he will show you one method of attaching comb to a top bar. And it would not surprise me if the queen is in that cluster. If they were going and not coming back, I would be concerned. Once they have comb you will know more. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCJ-G8qmdjI --- there are several videos you can watch.


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## Steven Ogborn (Jun 3, 2011)

Nantom
That's where I found out about the hair clip thing. I was watching all of McCartney's videos before I got my bees.
The hair clips really work. It's easy to do.


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## Sherillynn (Apr 17, 2011)

Thanks to all for the suggestions and videos. This TBH is a lot more complicated than all 20 of my traditional Lanstroths put together! I sure hope it works. I'll let you all know.


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

Funny. I find the langs way more complicated. 

Adam


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## geebob (Apr 4, 2011)

I guess the definition of "complicated" is in the eyes of the beholder!


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## Sherillynn (Apr 17, 2011)

Maybe once I get the hang of the TBH, I won't feel like it is so complicated.
I got some comb to add to one of the top bars today. Now I need to go to the store and find some hair clips. You guys have me inspired! Do any of you bee-men out there have any hair clips I could borrow! lol

Thanks again to everyone for all of the tips. Oh, and I got a new queen too. Almost forgot to mention that.


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

I for one, advise against the hair clip. Because when you use it, you've got this big plastic hair clip stuck in the middle of your comb. You can tie it on with thread, use elastic bands, or stick pins, as I mentioned earlier. If you use string, the bees will chew it off when they're ready and you'll never have to remove anything. 

To me, a plastic hair clip is a big, clunky thing to stick in the middle of a comb. If you're not putting in a comb full of honey, you don't need that much to hold it on. The bees will seal it on in no time.

Just my opinion, but seeing as you don't have one, I say don't bother with it.


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## kevinhnc (Oct 27, 2010)

I attached a comb to a top bar just yesterday. I used a screwdriver to punch a couple holes at the top of the comb all the way across. I then used plant ties (like garbage bag ties) through the holes to attach it to the top bar, making sure it was straight. Worked like a charm, no hair clip necessary.


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