convert from TBhive to National

Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum

Help Support Beekeeping & Apiculture Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Appinpiper

New Bee
Joined
Aug 20, 2011
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
Location
Montgomery Wales
Hive Type
TBH
Number of Hives
1
This is my first year and I started with a home made TBH I purchased a Nuc in June and have a strong colony with loads of stores as I took nothing from them.
I have now two Nationals (empty) and feel that this is the method that will suit me so my question is - How is the best way to convert over to the Nationals and when ?
This may seem a simple question to you but I would welcome your knowledge and help as I want to do what is best for my bees.
Thank you to any one who replies to this ;)
 
I would say a shook swarm in spring once the temp is up a bit.
Set up the national with foundation in the BB over a floor. Put an empty super over it then brush the bees off the top bar combs into the super and smoke the bees down into the BB.
Then possibly treat with OA. remove then empty super, put crown board on and roof.
This process may be "interesting"
 
Hi, you're probably the nearest forumer to us :)

Late Spring, but as someone who borrows brood frames occasionally from our tbh for the commercials (and my littlest's National) I wouldn't want to waste any good frames of brood. They can be cut and wired into empty Nat frames easily with elastic bands or frame wire and stores fed back from over the crown board.

Hope you find straight Nats to be big enough. If you need any help to sort it out just let me know.
 
If you want to do the best for your bees leave them in the TBH and operate it alongside your National(s). Transferring them to another hive is p****** them around too much.
 
Is the TBH suitable to a) blank off any horizontal expansion and b) place a brood box with foundation, over the brood nest? May need a template for b) but if so, it is easy enough.

Wait until some brood in the brood box; insert Q/E with queen in top box. Wait three weeks. Job done. Will need National in present position to collect returning bees and things like that, but no lost brood, natural expansion of colony (as far as possible).

There are ways to recover any stores from the TBH comb, so little lost and not too much messing with the bees/comb.

As you asked how to convert to Nationals (pl.), split or A/S, demaree, or whatever, later to increase to two colonies (two Nationals now). You may well need extra kit later to manage two National colonies, but you still have your TBH in which to encourage the odd swarm, etc!

I suggest doing it this way if possible because, once done, it is easily repeatable.

Regards, RAB
 
Conversion

Hi guys,
what about to convert this way: you should cut comb just to the size that fit in frame and tie it with rubber. you can save most of breeds at the beginning og spring. Leave rubbers on frames for 2 weeks it would be enought for support. I'll try to add some picture here.
 
Last edited:
Hi guys,
what about to convert this way: you should cut comb just to the size that fit in frame and tie it with rubber. you can save most of breeds at the beginning og spring. Leave rubbers on frames for 2 weeks it would be enought for support. I'll try to add some picture here.

See post 3 ;)....and if he goes that route I've offered to lend a hand...
 
Another idea which will probably go down in most peoples book as faffing but:
in my first year I ran out of frames, as using OSB only available form Th**es and postage horrendous. So I used topbars. Then I decided to work on an idea I saw on 3rd world beekeeping. I made side bars and bottom bars from bamboo, cut with the use of a mitre box to fit together exactly. (OSB size but any size would do). I then glued and wired through very small drilled holes to keep it together.
With the use of a frame holder I could attach the 'frame' to the top bar around existing comb and wire to the top bar. If I could ie, no brood, I would drill two holes in the top bar where the side bars meet and wire through these. Bees build out to the frames in siutable conditions.
You may need to trim the bottoms of the frames a little? If so could wire those into another frame as already suggested. I've still got a few of these frames in my hives and they still work.
I entered this idea in the appliances class at Royal Cornwall as I was urged to by some although others couldn't fathom them out. Judge (not local) seemed to like it, won the class.
 

Latest posts

Back
Top