How to make frames fit into a top bar hive?

[Russel]

"My point is you've more to gain than loose by joining your local association" - it all depends on your local association - some are friendly, welcoming, and tolerant of all forms of beekeeping, some are stuck firmly in the Victorian era, and sing from the Bayer hymn sheet - my biggest stumbling block was the "chemical company connection" with the BBKA affiliated organisations, and refused to join as a matter of principle - there is no way I'll allow my name to be included as a supporter of such an organisation until there's root and branch reform, a sweeping away of the "politburo" and a complete divorce from the pesticide manufacturers (so I suspect I may be waiting a long time!)
It all depends on your temperament - if you enter one of the "hardcore" associations you'll be virtually forced along their path, unless you have the cojones to go your own way - which will make you about as popular as a pork chop at a bar mitzvah!:biggrinjester:

Then I've been fortunate to live in Gwent and can only speak from my positive experience with my local BKA and maybe this is clouding my view. Yes the majority use the national hive set up and yes there are those stuck in a time warp but there are also a few that use other boxes.

As said before they've also included some of beginners in the queen rearing exercise, offered visits to their and our apiaries, we discuss problems, ideas, etc. A couple of us beginners have even been asked if we'd like to stand for the committee as they'd like some new blood.

Topbar go to the meetings, talk to the members, you'll soon find the more open minded, and judge for yourself what they have to offer.

Brosville's reservations about the BBKA tie in aside, that's at a national level rather than branch, I still believe there's more on offer being in than out even if it's only for one year you don't have to toe the line and you don't have to rejoin if it's not for you.

 

[madasafish]

I keep topbars and warre. No Nationals.


I go to my local Association and handle Nationals. No-one # cares.. It's bees that matter.

# No-one who is normally balanced and adjusted cares.. Those who are unbalanced and maladjusted may...

 

[Brosville]

"Brosville's reservations about the BBKA tie in aside, that's at a national level rather than branch"

-that's the whole point - if you join an "affiliated" association (as most are), you are giving your name, support and funding for the "status quo" which means that a small coterie at the very top are seen to have more support for their policies - including schmoozing for Bayer at high levels in Europe, and busily working for their chums in the pesticide industry, rather than for bees and beekeepers...
It is an utter disgrace that they rely on the good nature and placidity of the vast mass of rank and file members to further their own grubby ends...

It IS a difficult choice to make, but I think all newbies should be made aware of the facts before choosing which way to go. I had particularly bad experiences with my local association (not with the vast majority of the people, just the "ruling clique")

"# No-one who is normally balanced and adjusted cares.. Those who are unbalanced and maladjusted may" - you try a couple of meetings with my local shower you'd soon change your mind! - I was told I was a blithering eejit to even contemplate a TBH, that beekeeping was "impossible without chemicals", and that Phil Chandler was an "eco-terrorist"

 

[Tom Bick]

I just go along for the crack and more importantly the home made cakes and lovely tea. You could not get a more English scene a mixed bag of people just having a polite pleasant time and occasionally talking about bees.

 

[Brosville]

"Crack?" - lumme, couldn't even imagine my local lot puffing a bit of Woodbine GTX....

 

[madasafish]

"
"# No-one who is normally balanced and adjusted cares.. Those who are unbalanced and maladjusted may" - you try a couple of meetings with my local shower you'd soon change your mind! - I was told I was a blithering eejit to even contemplate a TBH, that beekeeping was "impossible without chemicals", and that Phil Chandler was an "eco-terrorist"

I saw that letter from a BBKA exec to Phil Chandler talking about eco terrorists..

In my view the writer fell into the "unbalanced with no sense of proportion and a complete lack of knowledge of the meaning of words..." type of beekeeper... Terrorists destroy THINGS. Chandler tries to preserve bees.

You have to be a raving nutter to call him that - in my view..

 

[Tom Bick]

Well I did indicate in an earlier post that they may be grey and seen as the pillar of the community but I bet in their time a few have smoked a lot worse lol.

Perhaps we should try it on the Varroa!!

 

[Brosville]

Having spent time in his company at the Natural Beekeeping Conference a couple of weeks ago, I can confirm that he's a nice bloke who is passionate about bees and their welfare
- The local politburo were literally shaking with rage that he'd dared to contact them over the pesticide issue, these being the same people who had told me that they thought it irrelevant to discuss the matter with the members (let alone have a free vote) - as they knew best, and would vote the way THEY wanted to.......... a straw poll of the local members showed that over 90% were completely unaware of the Bayer/Syngenta sponsorship issue............ and are probably similarly in the dark over the CPA (pesticide trade body) tie-up

 

[tonybloke]

I just go along for the crack and more importantly the home made cakes and lovely tea. You could not get a more English scene a mixed bag of people just having a polite pleasant time and occasionally talking about bees.

also, I have done this with a friend when we installed his bees from a 'commercial' brood box into a KTBH ( as per Phil's plans)

http://vimeo.com/5614348

 

[Arfermo]

Wrong way round - unless you want to join the association they'll probably be unhelpful - go to your local authority, and ask for the contact details of the local swarm bods, and "go direct" - best of luck - in my experience the guys who get the swarms are good-natured, and often happy to help a beginner - some in my area will help those "outside" the local associations as they've had their toes trodden on once too often by petty club "officers" who like ordering them about.......

Most LAs don't involve themselves in recommending swarm collectors any more becuase the BBKA do it. That is only one good reason for joining the local BKA but in addition one gets membership of the BBKA and one can register on the BBKA to become a swarm collector and/or co-ordinator. Joining also provides one with Loss Insurance for hives etc as well as Public Liabilty. It doesn't cost the earth so...............

 

[Brosville]

and it adds your name and tacit support for what I consider to be an association run by a small coterie of people who are far more concerned with their buddies in the pesticide industry than bees and beekeepers - as it's very much a minority organisation (around 40% of beekeepers) I think they've got a damned cheek reducing all the swarms into their possession, and holding them to ransom, forcing people down "their way" of beekeeping. As a point of principle I won't join, and I know many people of a like mind.............

 

[topbar]

I'm with you Brosville i'm what the association might call a doo gooder a tree hugger and all that. I don't like chemicals i'm planting my 4.5 acre plot out with thousands of trees and i love the biodiversity of my land now and i'm really into a thing called permaculture. Trouble is saying permaculture, some people seem to think it's a cult. lol. We as a society seem to have gone into a place where it's all about the amount that we can produce we are raping this planet, and now i sound like a hippy.

 

[victor meldrew]

I'm with you Brosville i'm what the association might call a doo gooder a tree hugger and all that. I don't like chemicals i'm planting my 4.5 acre plot out with thousands of trees and i love the biodiversity of my land now and i'm really into a thing called permaculture. Trouble is saying permaculture, some people seem to think it's a cult. lol. We as a society seem to have gone into a place where it's all about the amount that we can produce we are raping this planet, and now i sound like a hippy.

I am not in total agreement with Brossy anyone on the forum for any length of time will know that
I do not however use herbicide ,pesticide or weed and feed on my lawns .
My apples and pears are blemished as a result but then , I'm not into selling them anyway
VM

 

[Brosville]

I recently shot this video - an intro to Permaculture - [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0Nwusxbqhs"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0Nwusxbqhs[/ame] - this is exactly the sort of path we all need to follow, learning once again to live in harmony with nature, rather than attempting to bludgeon it into submission...

And for the sceptics - yields can be higher per acre than "conventional" growing........

 

[topbar]

Yeah the results i have seen first hand. I'm along way off having a permaculture forest yet but i can grow a huge amount of food in a tiny area. Have you seen the old man Robert Hart? on u tube that will be me one day. Something to aspire to.
As i'm a tree surgeon i'm in a unique position to make my land fertile with all the wood chip from my work. No waste and it's a job i love and the bees will be an extension to what i love. Tree hugger i hear you say, hehe.
Thank you brosville good vid, you are a fellow tree hugger me thinks?

 

[TBRNoTB]

I just go along for the crack and more importantly the home made cakes and lovely tea. You could not get a more English scene a mixed bag of people just having a polite pleasant time and occasionally talking about bees.

and the cakes are yummy!

PS You couldn't have a more diverse collection of hives than mine (all right, I know you could) but lots in our group show interest with no back biting. Its all horses for courses! So go for it.
Regards
TBRNoTB

 

[Tom Bick]

Brosville I do like you and your stand on certain topics.

But I may be wrong but I assume retired home owner a nest egg in the bank and sticking out my neck a good pension.

If I am right perhaps all paid for from all you now see as the enemy? not the BBKA but big business.

I do hope I am wrong.

 

[The Apprentices]

I'm with you Brosville i'm what the association might call a doo gooder a tree hugger and all that. I don't like chemicals i'm planting my 4.5 acre plot out with thousands of trees and i love the biodiversity of my land now and i'm really into a thing called permaculture. Trouble is saying permaculture, some people seem to think it's a cult. lol. We as a society seem to have gone into a place where it's all about the amount that we can produce we are raping this planet, and now i sound like a hippy.

Not a hippy at all, we run oir allotment on the indo technique which is similar to a permaculture set up, there is barely any soil showing and other plants sheild ones below and the amount of food we have had and yet to come is staggering, and hardly any weeds and very little work overall.
The slugs get a real hammering from the birds which hop along almost unseen in the rows or what is primary jungle to them.
I have a theory but not sure if it holds water so here goes.

Many of you have heard about chemtrails and weather manipulations, well what if they are sraying contains bacterials that can knock back the insects or even mites from the air, its all possible I suppose.

These corporations are hell bent on taking it all for themselves and the criminals from M********o the inventors of Agent Orange simply cannot be trusted with our food security, once in full control they really do control the people, Kissenger's pet statement and agenda as far as many see it.

It is the viruses that the Varroa carry which I'm interested in, like those carried by Mixy mites in the rabbit kingdom, does anyone know which viruses the Varroa carry and their genus etc.

 

[Brosville]

I'm not quite sure what Tom's asking/saying...... are you suggesting that I'm biting the hand that fed me pointing out the total lack of morals in much of big business, and the fact that unbridled consumerism is the engine driving our hurtle towards eco-armageddon? (Mankind's epitaph will probably be "because you thought you were worth it")

Taking the current drift of this thread - growing food - I've had a lifelong interest in what is now known as "organics", and know full well that the days of growing food based on fossil fuel and "chemical" inputs are numbered - it's just plain unsustainable, and it's killing the land's natural fertility.
There are already in existence such techniques as permaculture that can return fertility to the land, and feed people well and sustainably into the future - the only thing that's stopping the widespread adoption of it is that there is no profit to be made by the multinationals who are keen to maintain their position by any means....

 

[The Apprentices]

I keep topbars and warre. No Nationals.


I go to my local Association and handle Nationals. No-one # cares.. It's bees that matter.

# No-one who is normally balanced and adjusted cares.. Those who are unbalanced and maladjusted may...

Please could ypu tell us what size of comb cells the bees are building in your Warres, the reason I ask this is because after reading a researching about cell regression and possible less Varroa problems in Warres and smaller/finer comb, is this true with your hives.

Also Davy Cushman,s views are intetesting when he mentioned that larger cell sizes are interconnected to the rapid rise in Varroa cases and or spreading of them.

I have also just been looking through the latest Thorne cat and it mentions that the smaller cell size foundation might help with Varroa control, a selling ploy maybe or is there something in this.

Sorry for all the questions.

Ps.

If anyone want to measure cell sizes properly and don't know how to, there are items called small bore gauges which I have here that do it perfectly.

Search for Mitutoyo small bore gauge.