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aberreef

Field Bee
Joined
Apr 22, 2010
Messages
591
Reaction score
0
Location
Mid Glamorgan
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
5 hives + 3 nucs
:DI've been reading this forum for a few months now so thought it's about time I said hello:cheers2:

I'm new to beekeeping this year and after much reading decided to go with a home made top-bar hive (be getle with me:boxing_smiley:) because of the apparent ease of manipulation and mainly for the natural comb honey:drool5:.
I placed my order for a nuc back in april and the gent I bought it from (not sure if I can name names 'cos of advertising:confused:) asked to take a look at the hive and offered to get the bees in for me which went really well. Onec they'd made 4 full combs with plenty of eggs/brood I brought the hive home.

In the 4 weeks since the hive has gone fantastically, now being 6 full frames of brood, 1 stores and 4 others that the bees are in the process of drawing out.

Since getting the hive I got to thinking that maybe I should also get a national hive to edge my bets for the winter. This I've done and the empty hive is currently in my back garden with a few old brood combs as bait:). I'm now wondering at the best way to artificially swarm my TBH to get the second hive going. Advice welcome:D.

Anyhoo thats enough typing for a bit, its getting close to feeding time for the chooks and pigs.

Huw
 
the blunt answer is to make another top bar hive, and do a simple split - not quite sure I get the reasoning behind getting a national as a "hedge".
Just make sure you add "empty" top bars with starter strips at both ends as the present colony grows - mine started with 8 bars in mid-May last year, and ended up with over 30 by autumn.......... :)
 
Hi, thanks for the reply.

I've followed plans that has the opening to the hive at one end. The bees place their brood at one end with honey to the back. From what I've read it should work just as well. I put empty top bars in between the last brood comb and the store comb to encourage them to build more.

I decided on getting a national mainly because the winter we just had was so harsh and saw so many bee losses locally that I wanted to see if there would be any difference in the 2 designs. Also, the national hive should crop more heavily so will have extra honey to sell to friends and family.

Next year I'll make another of each type (or nuc boxes at least) and then split them accordingly if needed.
 
Where abouts do you live I am from Maesteg.
 
Hi Veg, not too far from you. I live in Aberdare.
 

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