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Subject: Orange County, NC Beekeepers

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  • From: "Melissa Andron" <melissa AT realmdesignstudio.com>
  • To: "'Tom Wright'" <twright AT vicksburg.com>, "'Orange County, NC Beekeepers'" <ocba AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Subject: Re: [ocba] Top Bar hives
  • Date: Sat, 8 May 2010 17:19:26 -0400

We've got a top bar and two Langstroths. The top bar always seems to be the
healthiest, most active of the three!

Melissa Andron/Derek Walter

Melissa Andron, LEED AP, Allied Member ASID
realm design studio, inc.
sustainable interior design
2518 charlock court
chapel hill, nc 27514
919.649.2384
www.realmdesignstudio.com
or see us on Facebook!
-----Original Message-----
From: ocba-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org [mailto:ocba-bounces AT lists.ibiblio.org]
On Behalf Of Tom Wright
Sent: Saturday, May 08, 2010 1:42 PM
To: Orange County, NC Beekeepers
Subject: [ocba] Top Bar hives

I am just curious if any on the OCBA folks have tried top bar hives.

One of the beekeepers in VBurg did and I was impressed. He made them out
of scrap lumber so cost was virtually none except for the bars
themselves. They were 1X2's that he split lengthwise and cut a groove in
to insert a one inch strip of foundation to get them started. You have
to be careful of bee space between the frames and frames and walls.

Harvesting was a snap. Used little, if any, smoke. Lid was in sections
and as he worked he moved frames with brood and most of the bees in the
shade under them, where they stayed virtually undisturbed.

You can't extract the honey and have to handle the combs carefully. He
just cut them off, leaving a one inch or so strip on the bar for them to
buil on. No hassle with wire in the foundation, queen excluders or
brood. He just put the comb honey in jars and covered with extracted.
Got a nice price for it as a gourmet item.

Lots of plans and info on the net on top bars.

Tom
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