I found a neat link http://www.biobees.com/ that has plans for getting started with a Top Bar Hive (TBH).

Normal box bee hives, Langsford white box type are fairly difficult to make on your own, requiring intricate parts and tight tolerances...."beespace". Or you can also buy a starter kit for around $300 with hives pre-made.

The TBH, by comparison, is super simple and inexpensive to make. Apparently this technique for beekeeping pre-dates the current stacked box methods by several thousand years.

I am just about finished making my first hive using scrap lumber from around the garage. Total construction cost = $0 except for my time.

This not-quite finished version hangs on chains at working height between two posts.

That looks interesting! Thanks!

Sue

The author appears to have forgotten his lessons on what a 'beespace' is. I predict the bars will be locked together with propolis by the end of the season. The 'beespace' is the key to a movable frame hive. No 'beespace' the frames won't move.

You will need to lift the bars and comb straight up for inspection, this will be difficult with the hinged lid, much easier if it came right off.

Bees hate movement and vibration, I would lose the chains and set it up solidly on the ground if you don't want angry bees to cope with.

Be careful if you are going to stock it from a swarm, they are often diseased. Have them checked by someone who knows what's what.

Have fun, a hobby that pays as you enjoy it.

Welcome to the board Ian and thanks for your feedback. Regarding your suggestions and predictions:



One of the things that makes this type of hive so easy to build is there is only one critical measurement: the width of the bars. They should be 1 1/4 inch wide.

With a TBH, there is no space between bars at the top in any variations that I have seen. This is understandable as gaps would create an alternate entrance. Normally, there isn't any bee activity above the bars as there is in a Langsford-type hive (white boxes). With the TBH everything happens below the bars. When you lift the lid, you haven't quite opened the hive yet. Picking up one of the bars is when you actually breach the hive. Also, there aren't frames beneath the bars as in a Langsford hive, just a starter strip of wood 1/8 x 1/2 inch inserted on the edgewise on the underside of the bar and covered with beeswax. The bees make everything else. It is all comb honey.



Yes. I agree and thought about this too. The top flips up to vertical, or can be removed completely. The hinges are not screwed in on the bottom, they slip into slots.



Interesting. I found lots of pictures with this design hanging between poles. One of the advantages of this type of hive is supposedly it is less stressful on the bees than the Langsford type, so the bees are generally less cranky to start. In fact, some people even tend this type of hive without smoke or vails.

But to your point, I made some legs, but decided I would rather hang it. We shall see. The first time the swarm attacks, the chains will be history. Thanks for the warning.




Great advice. I have a friend who is a long-time beekeeper helping me on this end. I also joined the state beekeepers association and have the paperwork to register the hive with the state once it is active.

I may purchase a healthy bunch of bees to ensure a good start, or just because I am impatient.



Indeed!

Oops. "Langstroth" not "Langsford".

I have had this hive running for few months, and I have to say, the results are impressive. I have had to remove honey to keep the bees from running out of space. It works better than advertised. I am already building hive #2 and plan a few more.

It is possible to make this simple hive, keep bees and get free honey. And it is super easy to manage.

Cool Beans!

I'm glad that it worked out for you.

Would I be able to keep bees in So-Cal or are there enviromental concerns of beekeeping?

The laws are different everywhere. The concerns are usually more "neighbor concerns" than environmental. Keeping bees is a good thing for the environment.

I would check your local ordinances, and also with your state and local beekeeping associations.

No, sorry, i frazed it wrong, I meant are there concers about the enviroment that the bees live in (i.e. no frost, cant get above a certain temerature.... ect)