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How to Raise Honeybees in a Top Bar Hive

Top bar beehives appeared more than 2,000 years ago. According to Bush Farms, Greek farmers used the simple bar beehive to fertilize their crops and provide honey throughout the year. The design of the hive is a simple "V" shaped trough. Bars lay across the top of the trough. The bees, that naturally hang their honeycomb from overhead structures, build combs on the bars. The beekeeper removes the bars and cuts the comb off each bar before replacing the bar on the hive.

Things You'll Need

2 Planks, 1-inch by 12-inch by 8-feet
1 Plank, 1-inch by 6-inch
Saw
Hammer
Nails
4 Planks, 1-inch by 1 1/2-inch by 12-foot
Beeswax strip, 1/2-inch by 50-foot
Small package of bees
1 cup sugar
16-oz. spray bottle
Utility wire, 6 inches
Protective clothing

Instructions

Building the Hive
- 1
  Cut two 46 1/2-inch lengths of the 1-inch by 12-inch planks, and one 46 1/2-inch length of the 1-inch by 6-inch plank.
- 2
  Nail the two 1-inch by 12-inch planks to the 1-inch by 6-inch to create a "U" shape. This is the base of the hive.
- 3
  Cut three 15-inch lengths from the 1-inch by 12-inch plank.
- 4
  Place the base on end, on top of one of the 15-inch lengths of wood. Spread the top of the base until the outer edge of both sides extends 15 inches. Trace the inside of the shape and lay the wood aside.
- 5
  Nail a 15-inch plank to either end to hold the sides. Cap the ends.
- 6
  Cut the "V" shape from the remaining plank of wood.
- 7
  Cut 31, 18-inch lengths of 1-inch by 1 1/2-inch plank. Lay a strip of beeswax down the center of 30 of the lengths, leaving one blank.
Hive Set-up
- 8
  Stand the hive on the ground with the base of the "V" on the ground.
- 9
  Place 10 to 12 bars on top of the hive base. Place the bar wax-side down with each bar touching the one before.
- 10
  Place the "V" shaped plank in the hive. This is a false back that keeps the queen in the front part of the hive. Put the single unwaxed bar over the wood.
- 11
  Place the rest of the bars on top of the hive.
Introducing the Bees
- 12
  Remove two or three bars from the top of the hive so that you have a space large enough to introduce the bees.
- 13
  Put 1 cup of sugar into a 16 oz. spray bottle. Fill the bottle with water and spray the box of bees with the sugar water.
- 14
  Wearing protective clothing, carry the box of bees to the hive.
- 15
  Locate the queen. She will be in an individual cage and surrounded by bees.
- 16
  Insert the wire through the mesh of the queen cage. Be careful not to poke the queen with the wire.
- 17
  Wrap the wire around one of the top bars to suspend the queen in the hive.
- 18
  Empty the container of bees into the hive. Some bees will cling to the box. Place the box next to the hive so that the remaining bees will find the hive.
- 19
  After three days, release the queen from the cage.
- 20
  Check the hive every two weeks to remove full honeycombs.

Insects & Science