# transporting top bar hives



## justgojumpit (Apr 9, 2004)

I found a feral hive in a tree, and I was planning on making a very basic top bar hive out of the local materials here. I don't have my wood shop here, and I don't have my beekeeping equipment available either. I'm in Florida, and all my stuff is in New York. I was planning to trap the bees (via an escape cone in windowscreen which my Dad could bring down with him next time he comes) and have the top bar hive right next to their tree, which is at ground level. I'd add some lemongrass oil for good measure. They'd move into the tbh, I'd add a queen, and we'd be all set! The problem is getting the top bar hive from Florida to New York. I will be driving, obviously, but how would the combs hold up to the drive? I'd obviously position the hive so the combs are in line with the direction of travel. Has anyone driven top bar hives around at all?

justgojumpit


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## Steve10 (Nov 19, 2008)

Just an idea, post exactly where you are in Florida. Maybe there's someone from these forums that lives near where you are and can help you out. Especially equipment wise.

As far as transporting, I haven't done this yet, but I read somewhere to secure the top bars and turn the hive over on its head! Comb won't break as easily as being right side up and the bees can put up with it for a couple days.

Wish I could be more help. Good luck! Keep us posted.


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## justgojumpit (Apr 9, 2004)

I am in Wellington, FL which is about a half hour from West Palm Beach.

justgojumpit


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## Steve10 (Nov 19, 2008)

When were you planning on heading back to NY?


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## BeeKeep (Mar 30, 2006)

*Genetics?*

Do you know for a fact that the hive is not africanize at all? It seems to me this could be asking for issues in NY . . .possibly not just in your hives


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## justgojumpit (Apr 9, 2004)

I plan to return to NY around the middle of March. As for the africanized question, the bees do not seem very hot at all. I've spent a good bit of time near the entrance to the hive, and the bees did not bother me at all. In any case, after spending a bit more tie working with the bees, I'm sure to find out just how hot they are  If they seem overy aggressive, I will definitely requeen from my own stock in the spring when I return to NY. I would make the colony queenless, and then take a queen from one of my other hives and let that hive raise a new queen.
justgojumpit


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## Steve10 (Nov 19, 2008)

Sounds like a plan and at least you have a little time to work with. Be really tough making the move now with our sub-freezing temps up here. Any luck on a box to capture the girls in?


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## justgojumpit (Apr 9, 2004)

I've been reconsidering wether I want the bees or not... we don't have small hive beetle in NY! I don't know if these bees have small hive beetles or not, and I don't think I could find out until I was halfway through a removal. Don't really want to destroy their home only to find out that I don't want them! Is there any way to get rid of the small hive beetle?. If they were in NY, I would not hesitate for a second!

justgojumpit


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## Tomas (Jun 10, 2005)

*Tranporting tbhs and attaching broken combs*



Steve10 said:


> As far as transporting, I haven't done this yet, but I read somewhere to secure the top bars and turn the hive over on its head! Comb won't break as easily as being right side up and the bees can put up with it for a couple days.


I tried this method of transporting top bar hives this weekend and it worked well. I took some nucs up to my main bee yard on a coffee farm in the mountains. The road is bad—lots of rocks and ruts. It wouldn’t be a nice ride if you have a bad back. Some of the nucs got installed right away into boxes and I didn’t see any comb breakage at all.

When we first made them, however, it was another story. We used some of the hives up there to make the nucs. I didn’t want to leave them up there for the queen to mate since we can get spells this time of the year where it’s cloudy, cold and drizzly for a week or more at a time. Not ideal mating weather for queens. So we brought them down to the valley were weather is normally a lot more mild during these spells. We took them down upright and each one had two or three combs that broke off and fell.

But at least this gave me the opportunity to try a new method for attaching a broken comb to a top bar. I cut some strips of aluminium (such as from a pop can) about an inch wide. Two of these were poked through the top portion of the comb, folded over the top bar and stapled to it. It held the comb securely up against the bar. The wider strip seems to give better support to the comb. I had problems “sewing” the comb to the top bar with frame wire or string because it would sometimes cut into the comb, especially if there was a bit more weight to it. And it was easy to use the aluminium strips with my gloves on (Africanized bees so I wouldn’t dare take them off). Once the comb is glued back on by the bees, I’ll probably remove the strips.

http://i155.photobucket.com/albums/s313/Tomas_fotos/Attachingbrokencomb.jpg


Thanks for the transportation hint Steve.

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Tom


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## Steve10 (Nov 19, 2008)

Tom,

I'm really tickled it worked for you (being I haven't used that trick myself yet!) Now, I just wish I could find where I read it so I could give credit where credit is due.

Thanks for the aluminum can trick! Yet another gem to put in our bag of tricks!


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## samak (Sep 15, 2006)

That aluminum can thing is excellent! Thanks. I always had a hard time attaching broken combs.


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