That's great work & so helpful. I've wanted to "keep" bees for yrs & now that you have shared your ideas here, I can. Many thanks. Looking forward to sharing my results.
I have been a Woodworker/Carpenter/Craftsman for near 40 years beginning in Middle school. I've been Bee curious for 10 years or so. My wife and I really enjoyed watching your video and ideas you shared during the taping of it, I think this is the year to get my first hive running! Very well done Jon, love the use of stock saved or reclaimed from previous projects as well. Thank You!
I just saw a neat feeding method that allows you to maximize the hive space by drilling 3 or 4 holes in a top bar, and just placing a packet of bee fondant on top, under the lid. I'm going to try that with mine.
Looks great, Jon! One suggestion-- I've heard it's a good idea to put a small ledge just below the entrance of the hive. It gives the bees a "landing strip" to rest when they get back and to orient themselves when they leave.
I like your video. I am too a beginner. I am looking to expand my hives to five this year. One thing that I did on my first hive was on the feeders. I put screen under the jars. The bees can get there tongues through the holes and get the feed. But when you change the jars you don't risk having any bees come up through the hole. Keeps them more confided and less disturbed.
I will build two of these in my shop this winter using your exact instructions. Neighbor across the street has 3 colonies in Langstroths. She sometimes has difficulty separating the supers. I believe the Kenyan-style top bar hives are perfect for me. Looking forward to more videos on this. Good work!
i like everything you did ... now i had built one awhile back and on my top bars i split them in the middle and put a 3 or 4 in wide piece of beeswax foundation the length of the bar in the middle and screwed the pieces back together.. it gave the bees a starting point and no need to melt the wax ..(which is hard to clean off ) by the way excellent video
Great video. Ingenious idea about putting on bees wax. I used an eye dropper but you idea was better. One thing you need to do is put down special rocks under hive. I forget the name. But they disrupt the hive beetle life cycle and and at least neutralize that bastardly pest.
That sounds like a whole family fun project. A friend of mine is moving out to the country and this project would be a great gift. Awesome video as usual Jon.
Thanks Jon for your time and efforts. I have been looking at hive plans and watching videos for a few weeks now, anticipating getting my bees next year. Your video answered a number of questions that I had, most of the info that I have ran across is not real clear in some areas. The TBH is definitely the way to go to get into beekeeping without spending a lot of money; especially if you can build your own hive. Thanks again for a great video.
I've scanned the comments, and still don't know the reason for the preference of the top bar hive over conventional ones. This explaination, for me, would be helpful. Also, an illustration of the completed hive before construction. A very good vid on the construction of the hive. good work.
w rice I am considering beekeeping and have read several books on the subject. Best of those: Fruitless Fall by Rowan Jacobsen, Top-Bar Beekeeping by Les Crowder, and The Rooftop Beekeeper by Megan Paska. In brief, the top-bar hive requires much less lumber to build, the bees control how they draw comb, rather than following a template as is used in the big box hives known by the designer, Langstroth. An old fellow like me can lift one bar of comb and honey easily, whereas the super full of honey has bigger and heavier frames. Anecdotal evidence of the efficacy of top-bar hives is that bees typically thrive without introduction of poisons to control pests and disease. Don't take my word for it, look up the books mentioned and read 'em. You may agree this is worth trying. An angle of 120 degrees, inside measurement, (or 22.5 degrees outside) is safer than 17 degrees. It matches the angles of a bee cell, which is hexagonal, and bees will not likely attach comb to the sides of the hive.
Very nicely done video. I have several Langstroth hives and am planning on building my first top bar hive - but modified to have straight sides and be able to use normal deep frames.
Excellent video Jon. Have been saving timber for a while and starting very soon. Most hives for sale here are too expensive for my pocket but with these I make my own plus the benefits mentioned. Hated woodwork at school and now just retired wishing I'd paid more attention. Subscribed and looking for more ideas. Bought trailer/caravan to go homestead looking. First trip in 2 weeks. Can now be ready for the bees as soon as we find bee heaven. Thank you.
I worry a little about the chemicals and glues in the formica particle board and plywoods. Other hive how-tos use untreated cedar and pine with perhaps some linseed oil and beeswax to waterproof. Bees are insects and can be harmed by the insect and rot preventing chemicals used on a lot of modern building materials. Your design looks really nice. I like the feeding station. I've seen people just put a tray of sugar water on top of the bars with something to act as a bee ladder.
this was an awesome instructional video.! I've been throwing around several hive ideas in my head, abd this one pretty much answered many of my questions! Thank You, great vudeo
Nice anvil!!! i have a 275 pound peter wright anvil and a 85 pound star anvil i'm gonna build this because i use bee's wax for my blacksmithing to blacken the metal, i also use it to make soap. :)
Jon, my wife hit me with the thought of keeping bees a few days ago. As once avid gardeners in our younger days, we would love to rekindle the vegetable garden passion we once had... having a hive of bees around would certainly be an excellent addition to the garden. Thanks for posting this video. On another subject: what is your preferred table saw blade? As always, thanks.
Scott, dedicated blades for your table saw will make a tremendous difference in the life of the blades, and the quality of your cuts. IF you do crosscutting AND ripping on your table saw, get a blade for each, you won't regret it. I have Freud's Glue Line Rip blades for ripping, and their plywood & melamine blade for crosscutting. I love both of them. I think that, for the money, they're some of the best blades. But they aren't exactly cheap.... On the other hand, they both have very beefy carbide teeth, and if you care for them, you will get many, many sharpenings out of them before the teeth are too small to be safe. Clean your blades, heat is carbide's second worst enemy (behind hidden nails... -.-) Good luck!
Great project. Not something I could do, I am allergic to bee stings, but I am very excited to see how this turns out for you. Surely hope to see a video of the progress from time to time. Thanks, Dave
you remind me of my teacher in middle school crazy but im planning on building the same bee hive soon for my project pretty nice hive thanks for the tips
Very helpful video. I think you will find you need the 1/8 in hardware cloth on the bottom. Bees may get hung up in the layers you have used since they will try to get thru the quarter inch gaps.
Nice work, John. I'm currently building these to replace my Langstroths. I really like the prospect of better cared for bees and a lighter work load compared with what I've been doing. It's a win win. Thanks for the video. I can recommend Phillip Chandler's 'Managing the Top Bar Hive', as well as Mike Bush's writings.
Hello! Great video - very clear and easy to follow. I noticed in your comments that you would not put a window in your next hive. Can I ask why? Thanks.
thanks bro, I've also been interested in getting bees, it's about $400 for a hive here in California. I'll build one myself after seeing your video. Nice job using reclaimed wood!
Hope you did your homework regarding beekeeping and, really important, get a bee smoker and protective clothes before you start opening the hive when they are established. Love your vids. Rgdz - Jim
***** Hi Jon, I kept bees for about 20 years until about 15 years ago. Forgotten so much about it by now - they are fascinating critters to look after, and 'look after' is the key. Quite time consuming too. I kept between 10 and 15 national hives. I see you have put sugar syrup feeders in but they will not necessarily need it this time of year if there is plenty of natural feed for them, but feeding will help to establish the colony. You can lose colonies due to weather conditions and pesticides and bees natural enemies. At the present time here in the UK there is a particularly nasty bug from Europe or Africa causing a lot of losses. I can't tell you all there is to know about beekeeping, it would take at least a book, and there are a lot of good books here and I assume it is the same in the US. Good Luck. Rgdz - Jim
Thanks Jim, yes I am not taking this one lightly. I’m thinking if it becomes to time consuming I will give the hive to a friend, if I give up. Thanks again and Ill keep you posted.
I would love to keep bees not only for the honey and wax but also bees are extremely important to pollinating the world to keep plants alive which in turn keep animals alive
Okay, this is the second time this has happened, where I ask a question on another video, and then find the answer on your channel. I'll be sure to search for related videos on your channel before asking questions from now on. Sorry about that!
Very interesting video for you...I have always been interested in staring a hive myself. Maybe I can build along with you and see where it goes. I did a lot of research a year or so ago, but have since moved and lost most of my info. I would love to see the entire process from start to finish, as well as maintaining the hive. Thanks!
Happy New Year John. I have followed your plan more or less to build my Top Bar. A few differences, but essentially the same Came out nicely, added a little cupola on the roof, and made the window to about 4" on each end. My question is how much space did you leave between the facia on the roof and the ends of the top bars? Also how far over the body of the hive does the roof extend? Looks like about 1 1/2".
This is too cool! I have also wanted to have a hive forever... I don't think my situation will allow it anytime soon. I am excited to see how this progresses! Will you be buying some bees to start etc?
Great video, but have a quick question- what kind of paint did you use for the outside? I feel it would need to be something with low VOC's and low odor to keep the bees happy and healthy?
Hey Jon, Maybe I missed it, but what is the length the hive? I know some people do 15'' top boards and 44'' length. But I am trying to go for 13'' by 36''. Hoping that is not too small. Thanks, Ryan
Hey Jon I like watching your videos, great job! I have a langstroth hive and the frames within it have a 3/8" spacing between them so the bees can navigate throughout the comb. I know the top bar hive is a little different. Both have there pros and cons. A good book to read is the bee keeping for dummies. I have a digital version if you would like for me to email it too you. Good Luck!
Hi Jon I am a beekeeper in Kent, England and I adore your top bar hive. If I can get a carpenter to make me one I shall let you know how it goes. Thank you Joyce Collins
This design is very interesting, I don't know a thing about keeping bees, and I had no clue what you were aiming for until the very end... Do you think you can provide a follow up some time from now when those are fully operational? I'd love to see how the bees will build on these supports! (I'm also wondering how the owner will collect the honey from it later)
Hey, John. Can't wait for the recap. Do you think you can make a rough estimate of cost during your recap? You made this look as easy as can be. I would love to make one.
The workmanship looks great, but as others have mentioned, I don't think bees and manufactured wood products go together. This was put together by a carpenter, not a beekeeper. As I understand it, manufactured wood products have all kinds of chemicals in them, some of them include insecticides, which is counter-productive to keeping bees alive. I am just a novice beekeeper, but I would recommend using pine, or better yet, cedar. In their natural environment, honey bees often live in hollowed out trees, so plain, natural, untreated wood is best. The exterior should be painted to protect it from weather, but never the interior. I have not used it, but I understand tung oil can be applied to the inside of the hive, to act as a preservative; it is extracted from trees so bees are ok with it.
Hi Jon, another great project, wish I had enough room in the garden to keep some bees. Quick question, the building at the end of your video? The red and white one. Is that your workshop? It's lovely. Did you build it? Would love to see a video on it. 👍
Just saw your latest video and you said you regretted the window. As that was your main reason for making the top bar style, would you now recommend a different style or just no preference?
I think I may have to invest in some power tools. I did mine with a hand saw. long story short, the dimensions are that wonky, I now use it for somewhere to plant herbs.
No way in hell i would spend that much for any hive! i make my own for about 50 bucks every thing complete paint wood nails,frames hive bodies, inter cover, top every thing! Yep i agree the grill is a lot safer NO FLAMES! Nice Job!
How do you keep the queen in the hive, is there some type of extruder. If I spend 100$ plus bucks on bees I don't want them to leave. Love the plans and the hive.
No, but I think I’m going to build another one over the winter and make a few small changes. I will try to get plans for the new one on my site when I do. Thanks for the comment.
I have talked hubby into building me a top bar hive rather with going with the Langstroth. I hope to get bees early next yr so we are going to build it this fall. Would it be possible to get a rough plan with dimensions for this one? I have watch oodles of videos and visited endless websites but I am really sold on your version.
Why did you make the frame lengths at 13". It would have been better to make the lengths (and sides) at 19" to match the Langstroth hives. You could then transfer the frames to a Langstroth hive if you have problems using the top bar.
Nice Video, couple of comments. I think that you want to have some vent holes at or near the top of the hive to regulate the temperatures and provide another place or bees to exit/enter. The other question or comment is why you have the entrance on the long side of the hive? I haven't seen it done this way but I know you should orient hives SouthEast, this may or may not help the bees to warm the hive quicker and get them working. Lastly, check out this video, (ua-cam.com/video/fntZjyT0vpw/v-deo.html) they have a stingless feeder that is attached to the false back and they also explain that the top vent hole along the short side may help prevent the bees from building comb on the first couple of bars for easy management when inspecting or harvesting in the hive.
Check out the video on Wranglerstar's channel. He found problems with closing the bottom during winter. Great video! I have always wanted to make a beehive. Thanks!!
Great project - I really enjoy watching you work and how well done these videos are.
Awesome work very informative
That's great work & so helpful. I've wanted to "keep" bees for yrs & now that you have shared your ideas here, I can. Many thanks. Looking forward to sharing my results.
That’s awesome John, really man, Thanks for nice comment.
Gervase Evans thanks, should be fun
I have been a Woodworker/Carpenter/Craftsman for near 40 years beginning in Middle school. I've been Bee curious for 10 years or so. My wife and I really enjoyed watching your video and ideas you shared during the taping of it, I think this is the year to get my first hive running! Very well done Jon, love the use of stock saved or reclaimed from previous projects as well.
Thank You!
Thanks Ron, really appreciate it
I just saw a neat feeding method that allows you to maximize the hive space by drilling 3 or 4 holes in a top bar, and just placing a packet of bee fondant on top, under the lid. I'm going to try that with mine.
That's a pretty neat design. Definitely a good project to use up scrap wood.
Thanks Jordan
Looks great, Jon! One suggestion-- I've heard it's a good idea to put a small ledge just below the entrance of the hive. It gives the bees a "landing strip" to rest when they get back and to orient themselves when they leave.
Thanks Nick, I"ll need to do that
I like your video. I am too a beginner. I am looking to expand my hives to five this year. One thing that I did on my first hive was on the feeders. I put screen under the jars. The bees can get there tongues through the holes and get the feed. But when you change the jars you don't risk having any bees come up through the hole. Keeps them more confided and less disturbed.
Thanks, that sounds like a good idea
John, my first year and chose top bar. I'm also a carpenter. Very good, concise, and pretty clever. Thanks for the excellent video. Bruce Romanoff
Thanks Bruce, we had a lot of fun with it , good luck with the build and the Bee keeping
I will build two of these in my shop this winter using your exact instructions. Neighbor across the street has 3 colonies in Langstroths. She sometimes has difficulty separating the supers. I believe the Kenyan-style top bar hives are perfect for me. Looking forward to more videos on this. Good work!
Thats great Kenn, it's a lot of fun and a great winter project. Thanks for the comment
Here's hoping the bees love it! Interesting about turning the blade around to cut plexiglass - I didn't know that.
Cool, thanks for the comment
Great idea and wonderful build and will defiantly replicate this.
Very interested in seeing a follow up video once the bees have established a hive. Great work!
Thanks
Started a garden and this looks like something I need to do. See you on Tuesday.
i like everything you did ... now i had built one awhile back and on my top bars i split them in the middle and put a 3 or 4 in wide piece of beeswax foundation the length of the bar in the middle and screwed the pieces back together.. it gave the bees a starting point and no need to melt the wax ..(which is hard to clean off ) by the way excellent video
Thanks Patrick
Great video. Ingenious idea about putting on bees wax. I used an eye dropper but you idea was better. One thing you need to do is put down special rocks under hive. I forget the name. But they disrupt the hive beetle life cycle and and at least neutralize that bastardly pest.
Jon you are amazing, can't wait till the next video and later this year when you and your family have HONEY, The bees BLESS YOU.
ha : ) , Thanks Dave
That sounds like a whole family fun project. A friend of mine is moving out to the country and this project would be a great gift. Awesome video as usual Jon.
Thanks Penny
Jon Peters master did a very good job
Thank you, this is really useful. Seeing one being built has made it much easier for me to visualize. I hope to be building my own soon. Phil
Thanks Jon for your time and efforts. I have been looking at hive plans and watching videos for a few weeks now, anticipating getting my bees next year. Your video answered a number of questions that I had, most of the info that I have ran across is not real clear in some areas. The TBH is definitely the way to go to get into beekeeping without spending a lot of money; especially if you can build your own hive. Thanks again for a great video.
oldcaptainrusty Thanks for the comments and you'll have fun with the bees.
I've scanned the comments, and still don't know the reason for the preference of the top bar hive over conventional ones. This explaination, for me, would be helpful. Also, an illustration of the completed hive before construction. A very good vid on the construction of the hive. good work.
Thanks I'll be making another tb hive in about two weeks and I'll go over it than and also have planes on my site.
www.bushfarms.com/beestopbarhives.htm
Good info here from someone that raises bees both ways. Basically, it's cheaper. WAYYYYY cheaper.
w rice I am considering beekeeping and have read several books on the subject. Best of those: Fruitless Fall by Rowan Jacobsen, Top-Bar Beekeeping by Les Crowder, and The Rooftop Beekeeper by Megan Paska. In brief, the top-bar hive requires much less lumber to build, the bees control how they draw comb, rather than following a template as is used in the big box hives known by the designer, Langstroth. An old fellow like me can lift one bar of comb and honey easily, whereas the super full of honey has bigger and heavier frames. Anecdotal evidence of the efficacy of top-bar hives is that bees typically thrive without introduction of poisons to control pests and disease. Don't take my word for it, look up the books mentioned and read 'em. You may agree this is worth trying. An angle of 120 degrees, inside measurement, (or 22.5 degrees outside) is safer than 17 degrees. It matches the angles of a bee cell, which is hexagonal, and bees will not likely attach comb to the sides of the hive.
Very nicely done video. I have several Langstroth hives and am planning on building my first top bar hive - but modified to have straight sides and be able to use normal deep frames.
Excellent video Jon. Have been saving timber for a while and starting very soon. Most hives for sale here are too expensive for my pocket but with these I make my own plus the benefits mentioned. Hated woodwork at school and now just retired wishing I'd paid more attention. Subscribed and looking for more ideas. Bought trailer/caravan to go homestead looking. First trip in 2 weeks. Can now be ready for the bees as soon as we find bee heaven. Thank you.
Lloyd R. sounds good Lloyd thanks for the comment and have a good build
I worry a little about the chemicals and glues in the formica particle board and plywoods.
Other hive how-tos use untreated cedar and pine with perhaps some linseed oil and beeswax to waterproof.
Bees are insects and can be harmed by the insect and rot preventing chemicals used on a lot of modern building materials.
Your design looks really nice. I like the feeding station. I've seen people just put a tray of sugar water on top of the bars with something to act as a bee ladder.
this was an awesome instructional video.! I've been throwing around several hive ideas in my head, abd this one pretty much answered many of my questions! Thank You, great vudeo
Nice anvil!!! i have a 275 pound peter wright anvil and a 85 pound star anvil i'm gonna build this because i use bee's wax for my blacksmithing to blacken the metal, i also use it to make soap. :)
oh and i subscribed :D
Awseome....thanks
no problem :)
Jon, my wife hit me with the thought of keeping bees a few days ago. As once avid gardeners in our younger days, we would love to rekindle the vegetable garden passion we once had... having a hive of bees around would certainly be an excellent addition to the garden. Thanks for posting this video.
On another subject: what is your preferred table saw blade?
As always, thanks.
Thanks Scott, I use a good combination blade about $ 50, this is the blade I’m using now ,
ua-cam.com/video/oXY3V_PQcX8/v-deo.html
Scott, dedicated blades for your table saw will make a tremendous difference in the life of the blades, and the quality of your cuts. IF you do crosscutting AND ripping on your table saw, get a blade for each, you won't regret it. I have Freud's Glue Line Rip blades for ripping, and their plywood & melamine blade for crosscutting. I love both of them. I think that, for the money, they're some of the best blades. But they aren't exactly cheap....
On the other hand, they both have very beefy carbide teeth, and if you care for them, you will get many, many sharpenings out of them before the teeth are too small to be safe. Clean your blades, heat is carbide's second worst enemy (behind hidden nails... -.-)
Good luck!
Great project. Not something I could do, I am allergic to bee stings, but I am very excited to see how this turns out for you. Surely hope to see a video of the progress from time to time. Thanks, Dave
will do, thanks for the comment, Dave
with VIT (venom immunotherapy) it is in fact something you could do.
LOL, ummmm, no thanks.
Nice. An excellet project. I hope you'll give us updates on how the hive is doing.
you remind me of my teacher in middle school crazy but im planning on building the same bee hive soon for my project pretty nice hive thanks for the tips
cool, thanks and have fun with the project also make all the bars 1 1/4 I need to cut all my 1 1/2" bars down to 1 1/4"
I am from Taiwan.
I love that
Thank you
Very helpful video. I think you will find you need the 1/8 in hardware cloth on the bottom. Bees may get hung up in the layers you have used since they will try to get thru the quarter inch gaps.
Fantastic clip and wow love ur workshop you make it look so easy. Good job
Wonderful job jon
Thanks
Nice work, John. I'm currently building these to replace my Langstroths. I really like the prospect of better cared for bees and a lighter work load compared with what I've been doing. It's a win win. Thanks for the video. I can recommend Phillip Chandler's 'Managing the Top Bar Hive', as well as Mike Bush's writings.
Thank you jon for your videos . I ve been whating it since long time great.
cool projet, i jave never heard of a top bar beehive, but definately want to try it
Thanks for the tips and tricks. Very informative!!
Hello! Great video - very clear and easy to follow. I noticed in your comments that you would not put a window in your next hive. Can I ask why? Thanks.
The Bees stick / build the comb on the window
Very interesting build Jon,enjoyed watching.
Thanks
Excellent video. Very informative and easy to follow.
thanks bro, I've also been interested in getting bees, it's about $400 for a hive here in California. I'll build one myself after seeing your video. Nice job using reclaimed wood!
cool, thanks for the comment
Great vid can't wait to see how many bees it holds
Thanks
Hope you did your homework regarding beekeeping and, really important, get a bee smoker and protective clothes before you start opening the hive when they are established. Love your vids. Rgdz - Jim
Thanks Jim, any advice is greatly appreciated, I really have no idea what I’m getting into with this one.
***** Hi Jon, I kept bees for about 20 years until about 15 years ago. Forgotten so much about it by now - they are fascinating critters to look after, and 'look after' is the key. Quite time consuming too. I kept between 10 and 15 national hives. I see you have put sugar syrup feeders in but they will not necessarily need it this time of year if there is plenty of natural feed for them, but feeding will help to establish the colony. You can lose colonies due to weather conditions and pesticides and bees natural enemies. At the present time here in the UK there is a particularly nasty bug from Europe or Africa causing a lot of losses. I can't tell you all there is to know about beekeeping, it would take at least a book, and there are a lot of good books here and I assume it is the same in the US. Good Luck. Rgdz - Jim
Thanks Jim, yes I am not taking this one lightly. I’m thinking if it becomes to time consuming I will give the hive to a friend, if I give up. Thanks again and Ill keep you posted.
i am up in alaska, I plan on building this for next years spring/summer. I will let you know how well the bees winter in the hive.
Thanks for such a clear build Jon, great videos, this is my next project in Pine.
Thanks Dave
We need more honey bees. Good job
Thanks
I would love to keep bees not only for the honey and wax but also bees are extremely important to pollinating the world to keep plants alive which in turn keep animals alive
Really great vid thanks for all your work making and posting them! Hope to see follow ups on the hive from time to time.. W
Thanks soo much! Definately trying something similar on saturday.
Okay, this is the second time this has happened, where I ask a question on another video, and then find the answer on your channel. I'll be sure to search for related videos on your channel before asking questions from now on. Sorry about that!
np thanks for the comment
awesome video!!!!! totally building one, and wish I had known about this design sooner!!!!
Awesome hive!
the bees need a landing stage to help them get in and out of their home.
nice work enjoyed it, looking to use part of something to put my hive together
Thanks Kevin
Very interesting video for you...I have always been interested in staring a hive myself. Maybe I can build along with you and see where it goes. I did a lot of research a year or so ago, but have since moved and lost most of my info. I would love to see the entire process from start to finish, as well as maintaining the hive. Thanks!
sounds good, thanks
This looks really cool. I'll be interested to see how it goes for you.
Thanks
Great instruction. I was wondering if you have a way to regulate the size of the entrances and/or close some of them off?
Happy New Year John. I have followed your plan more or less to build my Top Bar. A few differences, but essentially the same Came out nicely, added a little cupola on the roof, and made the window to about 4" on each end. My question is how much space did you leave between the facia on the roof and the ends of the top bars? Also how far over the body of the hive does the roof extend? Looks like about 1 1/2".
Thanks , about 1/4 each side, yes about 1 1/2 - 2 "
This is too cool! I have also wanted to have a hive forever... I don't think my situation will allow it anytime soon. I am excited to see how this progresses! Will you be buying some bees to start etc?
Thanks Chris, yes I should get them next week
Great video, but have a quick question- what kind of paint did you use for the outside? I feel it would need to be something with low VOC's and low odor to keep the bees happy and healthy?
Hey Jon,
Maybe I missed it, but what is the length the hive? I know some people do 15'' top boards and 44'' length. But I am trying to go for 13'' by 36''. Hoping that is not too small.
Thanks,
Ryan
I think that will be fine the bees will work to the size of the hive, but take a look at time 1: 50
Hey Jon I like watching your videos, great job!
I have a langstroth hive and the frames within it have a 3/8" spacing between them so the bees can navigate throughout the comb. I know the top bar hive is a little different. Both have there pros and cons.
A good book to read is the bee keeping for dummies. I have a digital version if you would like for me to email it too you.
Good Luck!
That's awesome!
Thanks man
Excellent video tutorial, good stuff ;-)
Hi Jon I am a beekeeper in Kent, England and I adore your top bar hive. If I can get a carpenter to make me one I shall let you know how it goes. Thank you Joyce Collins
Great vi deo. I made my own and loved the bees for two seasons. Great honey. Damn hove beetles and probably varroa mites ruined my hives. Bastards!
Makes me to make my own beehive!
Great video!
Could you also make a groove to accept acrylic sheet to avoid clamping?
Thanks, sure
I love the design of your top bar; however, my wife would like the roof to open from the side. what is the best way to attach the hinges on the side
Love it!
This design is very interesting, I don't know a thing about keeping bees, and I had no clue what you were aiming for until the very end...
Do you think you can provide a follow up some time from now when those are fully operational? I'd love to see how the bees will build on these supports!
(I'm also wondering how the owner will collect the honey from it later)
Thanks, yes I will be making bee Keeping as we go forward
Great video. I what to make one of these. Thank you.
good work man!! I'm going to produce one like this in the future.
Wonderful!!! tnx a lot ;)
Hey, John. Can't wait for the recap. Do you think you can make a rough estimate of cost during your recap? You made this look as easy as can be. I would love to make one.
Thanks Tim, sure will do
Hello, I do not know if this Question has been asked yet but i would like to know "Why, is there No Queen Extruder in a TopBar Hive?"
The workmanship looks great, but as others have mentioned, I don't think bees and manufactured wood products go together. This was put together by a carpenter, not a beekeeper. As I understand it, manufactured wood products have all kinds of chemicals in them, some of them include insecticides, which is counter-productive to keeping bees alive. I am just a novice beekeeper, but I would recommend using pine, or better yet, cedar. In their natural environment, honey bees often live in hollowed out trees, so plain, natural, untreated wood is best. The exterior should be painted to protect it from weather, but never the interior. I have not used it, but I understand tung oil can be applied to the inside of the hive, to act as a preservative; it is extracted from trees so bees are ok with it.
Ok
This is great!
Angie Baer Thanks Angie
Hi Jon, another great project, wish I had enough room in the garden to keep some bees.
Quick question, the building at the end of your video? The red and white one. Is that your workshop? It's lovely. Did you build it? Would love to see a video on it.
👍
Just saw your latest video and you said you regretted the window. As that was your main reason for making the top bar style, would you now recommend a different style or just no preference?
I would still build a top bar but without the window, I'm building another one in a few weeks.
***** Good to know and thanks
I think I may have to invest in some power tools. I did mine with a hand saw. long story short, the dimensions are that wonky, I now use it for somewhere to plant herbs.
Ha...you don't need many power tools but it's worth the investment
So how did your hive work out? It's been almost a year now... time to revisit!
Scott Baker Hi Scott. I think I've got about 15 bee videos on my channel if you want to check them out..... now I'm up to three hives
+Jon Peters Art & Home hj
Great video! How do you make the frames that hold the cells inside?
the carpenter that pulls the trigger 22 times for one screw will eventually buy new tools to replace the ones with worn out triggers
Dear sir can I keep apis cerana indica Bees in this topbar hive.
Pls reply.
Jon, you mention priming before painting and I'm wondering what you use as primer.
Thanks Jon.
Great video Jon. Very interesting subject. Do you need to get a queen from somewhere to start things off.
Thanks Warren, the queen will come in the box with all the bees, should get them some time next week
So this is what Andy Dufresne has been up to since he broke out of Shawshank.
Ha!
No way in hell i would spend that much for any hive! i make my own for about 50 bucks every thing complete paint wood nails,frames hive bodies, inter cover, top every thing! Yep i agree the grill is a lot safer NO FLAMES! Nice Job!
Great job Jon! I only have a half acre. Do you think that would be enough to keep bees? This is pretty inspiring.
I think so, might want to ask around your town
I'll check with the township. I just got approved to keep chickens- so I'll be building some coops and an enclosed run soon!
How do you keep the queen in the hive, is there some type of extruder. If I spend 100$ plus bucks on bees I don't want them to leave. Love the plans and the hive.
pickleme101 Thanks , I think you just hope she stays there... so far so good
Jon Peters Art & Home. hi jon you do great job what you
Do you have written instructions posted anywhere or like blueprints with exact measurements? Would be most helpful. Great Video!!!
No, but I think I’m going to build another one over the winter and make a few small changes. I will try to get plans for the new one on my site when I do. Thanks for the comment.
I have talked hubby into building me a top bar hive rather with going with the Langstroth. I hope to get bees early next yr so we are going to build it this fall. Would it be possible to get a rough plan with dimensions for this one? I have watch oodles of videos and visited endless websites but I am really sold on your version.
I don't have plans but I think should have no problem with help from the video. good luck with the build.
very nice :)
Thanks
Nice video. Any idea the quantity of honey you expect to produce? Cheers
I think any will be nice , should know a lot more by September . thanks for the comment Paul
Why did you make the frame lengths at 13". It would have been better to make the lengths (and sides) at 19" to match the Langstroth hives. You could then transfer the frames to a Langstroth hive if you have problems using the top bar.
Nice Video, couple of comments. I think that you want to have some vent holes at or near the top of the hive to regulate the temperatures and provide another place or bees to exit/enter. The other question or comment is why you have the entrance on the long side of the hive? I haven't seen it done this way but I know you should orient hives SouthEast, this may or may not help the bees to warm the hive quicker and get them working. Lastly, check out this video, (ua-cam.com/video/fntZjyT0vpw/v-deo.html) they have a stingless feeder that is attached to the false back and they also explain that the top vent hole along the short side may help prevent the bees from building comb on the first couple of bars for easy management when inspecting or harvesting in the hive.
sweet, I buy one...
Great Hive! do you harvest from this hive?
Jon can i see or download somewhere size and measure to do this? sorry for my bad english
Check out the video on Wranglerstar's channel. He found problems with closing the bottom during winter.
Great video! I have always wanted to make a beehive.
Thanks!!
Thanks Randy, I will check it out
Went to your web page, but the link for the plans would not work. I even tried to type the URL in, but still did not work.