TBH - Top Bar Hive Beekeeping

Bjorn Apiaries has been keeping Top Bar Hives (TBH) for four years. We have had many people ask about our experiences and want to know both sides, the pros and cons, of such a style of hive arrangement. The information below is not to sell you the idea that everyone should be keeping bees in TBH's. It is our assessment of both the good and bad of TBH beekeeping, so you can make an honest evaluation to determine if TBH beekeeping is for right you.

TBH are mainly sought after by beekeepers for three reasons:

1) They are inexpensive to make. You can make a complete working TBH for the cost of a sheet of plywood and an 8 foot two by four piece of lumber. (not counting your time and labor cutting the pieces)

2) They use naturally drawn comb with no foundation.

3) For reasons of TBH being more natural or the idea that TBH beekeeping is better for bees, and probably better for such items as mites and disease issues.

Top bar hive beekeeping is far less costly in the construction of the hive for the right beekeeper, depending on your viewpoint. The start up cost really translates into you having the expertise and ability to actually make the top bar hives. If you were to buy a top bar hive, you would probably spend a good amount of money, just as you would in buying a standard hive. If you have the ability, you can make the TBH for less than 50.00 dollars. Of course, that same savings can be said of a standard hive if you chose to make it yourself. In third world countries, where TBH beekeeping was first promoted and used, using a 50 gallon drum cut in half, or using scrap material made this type of beekeeping very economical. But for those without a 50 gallon drum laying around, or the ability to make all the pieces yourself, your savings is not going to be that great as some suggest.

Is TBH beekeeping more natural than other type hives? I guess that depends on what your definition of natural . TBH beekeeping does use natural comb built to the size the bees need as they grow the brood chamber, depending upon flow, season, and need of utilization of the cells at a particular time. And we are a huge fans of natural comb due to chemical contamination, and other factors. So it is an advantage to us, but it should be noted that it is not exclusive to this or any other type hive.

Management of horizontal type hives, like the TBH, adds a certain component not seen in other type vertical hives. Heat dynamics may change in regards to benefits in early season brood rearing, placement of honey stores may be at odds to the natural movement of the bees throughout winter, and other management procedures such as follower boards may be beneficial. We do think that horizontal comb hives, is not the optimal arrangement.

We see the following as advantages of TBH beekeeping:

You can build them cheap if you have the expertise.
They do use natural comb.
They are unique and fascinating to keep.
As you harvest the comb, new comb can be utilized.

We see the following as disadvantages:

No standardization of equipment.
Comb collapse is a possibility in hot regions.
Heavy to move depending upon the size.
Honey harvesting usually means destroying some of the comb.

Overall, we do not see many advantages in the comments that some use to promote TBH beekeeping. Top bars can be used with traditional hives (long or trench style), natural comb can be implemented in any hive (foundationless), and we see no less problems with mites or disease as compared to our other hives.

What TBH beekeeping does give you, is a different style hive that is fascinating, unique from the sense very few have them, and allows you to see how bees create comb throughout the chamber as they need it.

I have often said, when there is nothing more to build, nothing more to learn, and nothing more to dream about with bees, I will probably move onto something new. This is a style of beekeeping that adds to one's overall experiences and expertise. It is not going to solve the mite issues or make your bees superior in any way, just for the mere fact of keeping bees in this style hive.

We love our top bar hives. We do promote them. They are fun and worth having. We just want to be reasonable and realistic for those who are thinking of getting one.

We have a top bar hive, as well as many other types of hives at Honey Comb Farms of Bjorn Apiaries. We also use the TBH for instructional purposes in our sustainable beekeeping class, as well as having them open for observation throughout the year, including the annual picnic.

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions. We will answer any questions honestly to the fullest extent possible. If we don't know something, we will tell you so.