Article From SubmitYOURArticle.com: Is Top Bar Beekeeping for You?

Reverend Lorenzo Langstroth, the man who
pioneered modern day beehives, created his
original beehive design based on the idea that
bee products could be more easily harvested from
a spatially constructed box with frames. Since
that time in the mid 1800's others have
manipulated that thought into different versions
of the original model.

But one model known as the top bar hive, is
different. While still using Langstroth's concept
of 'bee space', it uses a frameless design that
only makes use of it's top bars - hence the name.
Is this design better than the others? There are
pros and cons to this type of hive which serious
beekeepers need to know.

The design of the top bar is probably the most
simple. It requires the least amount of evenly
measured elements. In it's most simplistic form
it is a box with some top bars inserted at the
top. It can be constructed from different types
of materials, and can even use recycled elements.

Plans are available for the do-it-yourselfer who
may wish to build one on their own.
Alternatively, because of the easy design these
hives can be found for purchase and are readily
affordable to those on a modest budget. This
makes this hive attractive to those who are just
looking into beekeeping as a side hobby.

Top bar hives will allow you to collect the
maximum amount of wax. Because the honeycombs
hang loosely, the entire piece can be cut across
and removed during a harvest without scraping.
This makes for easy seasonal harvesting, and a
lot of wax for consumables such as soaps,
candles, cosmetics, and furniture polish.

Because so much effort is used by the bees to
reconstruct the interior of the hives, the honey
production takes a hit. Top bar hives will not
yield the same amount of honey you can get with a
design like the Langstroth.

Additionally, with no sides to the pull out
frames the construction of the honeycombs can be
unpredictable. Occasionally the bees will keep
building and attach to the sides of the box. They
may also create an interior hive that connects
several bars together making it harder to pull up
a single frame. This is known as cross combing.

Later revisions to the Top Bar beehives have
worked to correct or minimize these downfalls,
but the design is not completely free of this
issue. Regular maintenance and supervision will
be the best remedy to insure proper honeycomb
formation before things get out of sync.

To recap, if you are new to beekeeping and
working with a budget, top bar beekeeping may be
the right place for you to start. You will get
some honey, but also expect a hefty amount of wax
as well. It may be a little more effort to keep
the hives in proper working order, but in the end
you can still enjoy all the honey and wax the
hive has to offer.

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Val Wilson is passionate about all things
beekeeping! It is an incredibly rewarding hobby
in so many ways, so if you would like more
information about how to start beekeeping, go to
http://www.bestbeekeeping.com and sign up for the
FREE 7 day beekeeping ecourse.

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