A Beeautiful Project...

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Alright, it ain't a masterpiece, but it is my first top bar beehive I've built.  It is the only beehive I've ever built.  It is being donated to the Lancaster County Beekeepers Society to put at the Penn State Extension Farms down the road a bit.  What is a top bar hive, as opposed to the typical box (langstroth) hive.  The latter was designed for optimum honey production, while the former is a more natural state for bees.  This a langstroth hive.

This is my top bar hive.

It is called a top bar because the bees build comb suspended from.... wait for it... top bars. Here is a pic of my numbered bars.  B stands for Brood, which is the term for the various stages of bee development.  H is for honey, the bees stored food.  The honey bars (1 5/8") are a little bit bigger than the brood bars ( 1 3/8").  The bees will draw out their comb a little deeper for honey storage.  In a langstroth hive, all comb is the same size.

Notice the triangle shaped piece of wood on the bar.  That is where the bees will start building, and is sort of a guide for straight comb.  I hope.  I put an observation window in the side so people can see the bees is action.  The roof and bars are off the hive.  It's fascinating to watch them work.

And finally, a pic of what i hope these bars will look like toward the end of summer.

FYI: Nova has an excellent series on bees.  Part 1  Part 2  Part 3  Take time to watch it.

And here it is installed at the PSU Extension Farm with the other 2 Langstroth hives.

Now, to install a nuc and watch them build out the comb.  The meeting is out here in May, so that should be fun.

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