Keeping Bees Using the Top-bar Beekeeping Method

(Page 3 of 3)

October/November 2009
By Phil Chandler 
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For free, detailed plans, see How to Build a Top-bar Hive.

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Managing a Top-bar Hive

In many ways, managing a top-bar hive is easier than managing a framed hive — but you can’t ignore the bees completely.

To get started, you can capture a swarm and put it in the hive or buy a package of bees (about $80) from a beekeeping supply company.

Sometimes, bees will naturally swarm to an empty top-bar hive and populate it. To attract a swarm to the hive, put it out during the swarming season, which is late spring through midsummer. Baiting the hive with a few drops of lemongrass oil will improve your chances of attracting a swarm.

The actual process of harvesting honey is simple: Take one comb at a time, cut it from the bar and replace the bar for the bees to build more comb. Take only a few bars of honey in summer, leaving a surplus for winter. Then harvest more the following spring after winter is over.

If you want at least some honey in liquid form, toss the comb into a stainless steel bucket, thoroughly mash it with a paddle, and strain it through muslin. But you probably won’t get all the honey out of the wax. To clean the wax, put it near a hive for the bees to reclaim any remaining honey. After they’ve cleaned it up, you can use the wax for candles or other projects.

— This article is an excerpt from The Barefoot Beekeeper by Phil Chandler

Use Honey to Make Mead

If you keep bees, you can use some of the honey from your hives to make mead. Not many drinks can boast the long and illustrious history of mead — most likely the first fermented beverage known. When honey combines with water and yeast, a delightful reaction occurs. For the home-brewer, mead is one of the easiest wines to make. Traditional mead is a little on the sweet side, although it mellows with age. Learn more by reading the article How to Make Mead.

 

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  • Joey Teem 12/2/2009 1:18:03 PM

    Great article. I would just like to make one quick point. If you live the eastern US DON'T use the water and vinegar mix to spray your bees with. The Small Hive Beetle is attracted to the cider vinegar and the first thing you know your hive will be infested with them. I learned this the hard way.
    Joey Teem
    www.customwoodkits.com

  • magicdave 10/5/2009 9:13:27 AM

    PS I always use Champagne bottles and wire the corks. It is also necessary to be careful with Meads because they will fool you. Be very patient and wait until the yeast is clearly dormant. If you bottle your Mead too soon and do not keep it cold you may experience popping bottles. I have had a few actually pop with enough force that it could possibly have sent glass into my eyes had I been holding it when it popped. Be careful!

  • magicdave 10/5/2009 8:55:06 AM

    Regarding Mead. I have much experience fermenting various types of Honey Wines. My most favorite types are called Melomels and are a mixture of Honey and Fruit. I would suggest that for best results use Raw Honey that has not been heated or filtered but only strained. It is not necessary to pasteurize Honey so I do not heat it at all. I do boil the water vigorously for about 15 minutes and after is has been chilled (I use a brew chiller) to below 80 degrees F I add my Honey. It is my opinion that Meads made without heating the Honey turn out better after they have aged for at least a year. Be patient with your creations. I have made some Melomels that tasted awful after the primary fermentation that turned out to be truly wonderful wines. I only use glass carboys and always use Champagne yeast. I use 6 gallon glass carboys for primary fermentation so there is room for vigorous activity when the yeast "gets going" and then I transfer to a 5 gallon glass carboy for the secondary ferment. If you use fruit that is not acidic you will have to use a mold preventer such a Potassium Metabisulphite. I know that should open a "can of worms" about adding Sulphites to your wine but it is necessary to prevent molds from growing. if you want to avoid using "chemicals" then just use Honey. Keep in mind that after the sugar has been converted to alcohol the floral essences of the honey will provide you with some very interesting aromas and flavors. My most recent batch of Melomel is Raw Virginia Wild Flower Honey and Organic Medjool Dates. The recipe given in this article calls for quite a lot of Honey. I use a maximum of 15 lbs. per 5 gallon batch. I start with 12 lbs. and add an additional 3 lbs. to the secondary fermentation. My methods take quite a long time but when it is time to bottle the end result is something I am proud of. Incidentally, Aeration can be effectively accomplished with an aquarium pump and an aeration "

  • Troy Griepentrog 10/2/2009 4:37:37 PM

    Hi,
    If you're having trouble downloading the plans on our site, you can find them on biobees.com. Scroll down to the section "Free beekeeping articles."
    Troy Griepentrog

  • Maria L. Becknell 9/30/2009 10:16:39 AM

    I did what you said in your e-mail and I still get a blank screen for the Top-bar Hive plans. Now what do I do?

  • Maria L. Becknell 9/30/2009 10:06:03 AM

    I am also having trouble getting the plans for your top frame hive. When I click on the link all i get is a blank screen. I really want to build this hive. How can i get these plans?

  • Cindy 9/27/2009 10:10:19 PM

    I tried clicking the link on "top-bar hive plans" and all I get is a blank page with that little square of primary colors. Is there another link that shows the plans? Thank you!

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