Going to settle with Top Bar Hives.

[Cedar Field John]

So my first bees are now in my national hive, and I dont like the feel of it. Also, the horizontal hive I have made is beautiful, but took a solid month to make. So I have decided to go back to what I did thirty years ago and use Top Bar Hives. I managed to put this one together in three days from an old crate. Ive even managed to make the starter triangular beading strips on my table saw, so its cost the price of four bolts. Its not quite finished yet, just need to fit a roof and a winter board. Im going to drop the top bars into my national hive and cut and transfer the comb as soon as possible. It will also save my back any further problems. Two back operations is enough.

 

[drex]

Laugh. After ten years I have just converted my KTBH, which was just like yours, into a long horizontal National. Still running one Kenyan and a Warre

 

[Cedar Field John]

Sorry, I wasn't clear, I haven't kept bees for 30 years since using TBH's. Thought I would try and start again with national, but its not for me.
Do you prefer the horizontal to TBH?

 

[drex]

Yet to stock it, but yes, I prefer them on frames and all my main kit is National. I got into trying top bars out of interest and for experience. It taught me a lot that otherwise I might not have come across keeping bees in a less bee-centric way

 

[Cedar Field John]

Finished the roof today. I made it from some old roof slats that had been behind my shed for years. I knew they'd eventually come in handy. Just the winter board to make and its finished.

 

[pargyle]

Very smart .. a couple of slabs of kingspan along each side and one under the roof ... near perfection as TBH go ....

 

[Cedar Field John]

Very smart .. a couple of slabs of kingspan along each side and one under the roof ... near perfection as TBH go ....

Thanks.