Top Bar Mesh Gauge

[Der Alte Fritz]

What gauge of mesh should I fit underneath my new TBH and where are good places in the SE of England to get it?

 

[Tom Bick]

Give this chap a call he will cut to size for you http://www.jtwirecloth.com/

 

[madasafish]

I bought from JT wire for my TBHs: very helpful. 8 mesh is what he specificies: works very well.
Recommended.

 

[Der Alte Fritz]

Top Bar Hive up and running

Hi
I finally got my mesh floor from Thornes - cut to size and then put a slight 'dome' in it by rolling around a bit of 4" down pipe.

My girls swarmed yesterday but were re-captured within half an hour and popped into the TBH. Real shame as we are scheduled to go on a TBH course in two weeks time!!!

But all transfered ok and started off with 12 bars (cannot look up how many are recommended as have lent the book to another newbie) and all doing well so far.

cheers

 

[nosmoking]

jt wirecloth is your man. Even sent it without my cheque clearing first, magic. 8 mesh is what I have and is recommended.

 

[BEEBEGIN]

Top bar hives

Hi All
have just built my first TBH quit a easy build.Like the idea of not haveing to by any comb etc.
Some people say you should have mesh on the bottom and other do not?
Aslo the roof,do you have to put a metal cover on it as a normal hive or do you just have it angled?
It will be good to see how it fairs to the other hives that I have got.
I will bow to all you nolagable people who have been usuing them for sometime.
RNG

 

[Der Alte Fritz]

You are quite right, some people use a floor and others do not. I like floors because then you can catch bits of comb that fall off and can place things like feeders inside the hive but behind the follower board - I use an entrance feeder which sits on the floor.

Again roofs are a personal preference. You could put an aluminium sheath on top or just leave it as a wooden one. I use a domed roof made from a membrane material which is breathable and allows quilting to be placed on top of the hive in winter as insulation. I supposed metal roofs are a good defence against woodpeckers if a flat roof but I prefer a pitched roof and there is so much space above the hive, that the woodpecker could not get through to the hive anyway.

 

[beren]

Hi All
have just built my first TBH quit a easy build.Like the idea of not haveing to by any comb etc.
Some people say you should have mesh on the bottom and other do not?
Aslo the roof,do you have to put a metal cover on it as a normal hive or do you just have it angled?
It will be good to see how it fairs to the other hives that I have got.
I will bow to all you nolagable people who have been usuing them for sometime.
RNG

I quite recently built a TBH. I ignored all the wisdom and put windows in it and built it square not angled. For a feeder I drilled through the side and attached a permanent feeder on the outside. I did put mesh on the floor with a slide out board underneath for mite recording and the such. I simply used breathable felt on the roof.
The bees love it! Its far more vigorous than my nationals

 

[rog]

I put mesh floors on mine as it makes it easy for the bees to guard against wasps. I can shut down the entrances to one bee sized hole which makes it easier to guard.

 

[adrian wilford]

try buy good fire guards at car boot sale s AND CUT TO SIZE, ,

 

[viridens]

I used green plastic 'greenhouse shading' mesh from a local garden center. Just the right mesh size, tough but easy to cut with scissors, easily tensioned and re-positioned & less than £2 per square metre.

 

[DulwichGnome]

I used green plastic 'greenhouse shading' mesh from a local garden center. Just the right mesh size, tough but easy to cut with scissors, easily tensioned and re-positioned & less than £2 per square metre.

I've looked that this but thought the bees might nibble their way out?

Mike.

 

[viridens]

Not much chance of that, its tough stuff. Besides which, why would they want to if the entrance is open?
The main purpose of this mesh is to keep robbers and pests OUT whilst allowing debris to fall.
I used this mesh for floors on some of my National hives, and wasps have not managed to get in.
Perhaps metal mesh would be a good idea if you have a problem with mice, but the design of a typical TBH makes mouse access difficult no matter which mesh is used.