Top Bar Hives and Varroa

[Sugar Water]

Hi all, Ive seen a few videos on top bar hives with all the comb just hanging down inside the hive. How do you check for varroa and disease and how do you look for queen cells etc?
Would the bars on top make it hard to look at the comb if they were all braced?

They look like hard work.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

I'm not sure SW but I reckon you can get OMFs for TBHs (arrgh - I hate acronyms!) Not sure whether they have a catch tray though.

 

[oliver90owner]

They look like hard work.

Most would say they are easier than framed hives.

How do you check for varroa and disease and how do you look for queen cells etc?

Exactly the same way as with a framed hive. There must be better videos out there that you have missed.

Would the bars on top make it hard to look at the comb if they were all braced?

Certainly would. Part of the keeping will be to avoid cross combing.

 

[Sugar Water]

Thank you GBH and........ why thank you RAB!!

 

[madasafish]

Hard work?

I guess if 5 minutes/week is hard work.. then yes..

 

[Crg]

Exactly the same way as with a framed hive. There must be better videos out there that you have missed.

Can you show me a video of bees being shaked off a comb in order to do a full inspection for disease?

 

[Sugar Water]

Can you show me a video of bees being shaked off a comb in order to do a full inspection for disease?

Found 3 videos here..........


[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7xFhAuzOw8"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7xFhAuzOw8[/ame]

 

[Chris Luck]

For many the principle behind Warré hives and logically TBH's is that you don't keep pulling them apart, I certainly don't and as I've said before I have colonies, including on Dadant, that haven't had the brood comb removed or been messed with in 5 years with no problems. Equally I like my bees to swarm.

Of course with Warré hives the founding principle is that they stay closed except when removing the honey boxes and the comb is logically renewed on a continuous cycle, not really the same for TBH but inspection would be out of the question.

Chris

 

[viridens]

I am trying TBHs alongside my usual Nationals this year.
I have not found any problems inspecting. As with any hive type, shake (and vac!) are not the only ways to clear. Bees can be driven off of areas of comb using smoke, and can be brushed to clear a whole comb for inspection, harvest or whatever. And also like any other hive type, bees do their own thing with brace comb and propolis.

 

[madasafish]

I don't smoke my hives. I keep a water bottle and a large (male) turkey feather to brush off bees.

I have a smoker: used twice a year at best..

Minimal inspections mean smoke is not required. When I have to inspect I choose a warm dry day so bees are in a good mood... (they are 95% of the time)..

 

[Sugar Water]

Equally I like my bees to swarm.

Interesting thought about liking your bees to swarm Chris. I have thought about this myself as a plus for the bees, i mean if you can get the swarm back then all well and good,but if you don't thats nature for you.

I can't see no harm in it.

 

[madasafish]

One of my TBHs - 3 feet long, 75% full -swarmed this pm. Collected swarm from 4 metre high branch in birch tree - shaken into correx box - and finally shaken into empty 3 foot TBH beside the one they swarmed from...

|(Carnies/Italian mix)