Moving to a top bar hive

[Freddywasadevil]

Hi, I have a commercial hive that I left out as a bait hive and was lucky enough to catch a swarm. Unfortunately I didn't check it for weeks and it is a complete mess. There were only two frames in it to start off and the bees decided to build in the opposite direction of the layout of the frames. How am I going to get these guys into a top bar ?


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[Tom Bick]

A cut out and attaching the comb to the top bars. This feller in the US has a good way of doing it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=asYwcWxWGv4

 

[meidel]

Thanks for the link - really useful tip

 

[Tom Bick]

Yes its a good tip and I remember he had a video showing the hair clip working on an actual hive rather than demonstrating.

 

[ratcatcher]

I have had success using hair clips in a top bar, my only added advice would be, to drill holes in the top bar for the plastic ties to pass through, otherwise if you have a few fixed this way, the bars wont push back together fully, leaving gaps, and in my case, not all fitting back