Thanks Helen – yes, I knew about your hive. I should have photographed the
interior of my hybrids before installing the bees! In my opinion, cross-combing
is one of the downsides of hTBHs and, in Warres, comb in one box sticking to
the comb in the box below. Andrew
From: oxnatbees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx <oxnatbees-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> On Behalf
Of Helen Nunn
Sent: 01 April 2019 12:21
To: oxnatbees <oxnatbees@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [oxnatbees] Re: On the matter of hives ...
Hi Andrew
I was interested in your creations! I have done something similar, though just
a blend of hTBH and Warre, and it's worked very well. The spaces between bars
seemed to inhibit cross-combing which was my problem with my first TBH. Here is
my description (sorry to the forum members who have seen this reference
recently):
oxnatbees.wordpress.com/2014/03/27/adding-warre-features-to-a-top-bar-hive/
<http://oxnatbees.wordpress.com/2014/03/27/adding-warre-features-to-a-top-bar-hive/>
Helen
On Sun, 31 Mar 2019 at 17:05, Andrew Bax <dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
<mailto:dmarc-noreply@xxxxxxxxxxxxx> > wrote:
I started beekeeping around 30 years ago with Nationals, moving them around the
countryside and harvesting a lot of honey. Eventually, that was brought to an
end by a slipped disc caused by lifting hives. When I resumed, it was with
Warres in my garden added, more recently, by a Horizontal Top Bar Hive. But I
have now reached the age when one reflects on life’s experience, and I spent
the dark months of winter designing a hybrid hive, incorporating the best
features of all three systems, and avoiding the worst. I now have three
prototypes, each with a capacity of a five-box Warre (see attached), which I
plan to manage like a hTBH with minimal intervention.
Essentially, they are long, deep National bodies raised 50cm from the
ground, so no more lifting or bending. They are loaded with unwired foundation
in 22 Hoffman frames. One of the hives has a varroa mesh and removable floor
but the other two have solid floors and, following ONBG discussion on
insulation (with particular thanks to Paul and Gareth) their floors and walls
are lined on the inside with 25mm cork. The height of the body is extended
above the frames to form an eke to hold the quilts, consisting of hessian
‘cushions’ filled with wood shavings. Separating them from the frames is a
hessian cover-cloth with a flap so arranged that a rapid feeder can replace one
of the quilts when required.
Having attended Gareth’s stimulating talk at his apiary last September, I
decided to raise the entrance above the floor. Surplus frames are stored behind
a follower board, releasing space in my shed, and there is a clearer board
fitted with a plastic bee escape for use prior to honey extraction and when
reducing space as part of Autumn management. The escape can be replaced by
paper when uniting colonies. All three hives are fitted with an observation
window; although the view is partially obscured by the frames it is sufficient
to gauge the strength of a colony without opening the hive.
During the last few days I have transferred my bees into temporary cradles
in the new hives, achieved quickly and without drama. I hope the queens
survived; I didn’t look for them because I was anxious not to chill the brood,
but I did see a patch of drone brood. I was surprised by the amount of honey
still in the old hives, some of it crystallised; I am currently straining it so
that I can return it to the bees via the rapid feeders, although they seem
pretty disinterested in the syrup I have provided so far. In a few weeks I am
hoping the clusters will expand onto the frames at the front of the hives so
that I can replace the cradles with more frames. Never again do I want to
detach bee-covered comb from hive walls with a knife; moveable frames do away
with that necessity.
All this sounds terribly obvious and I am sure similar hives have been
tried many times before. They may have encountered problems I have not
anticipated so I am keeping my old hives, just in case.
Andrew
