Let's Compare Progress

[L Daxon]

Don't mean to hijack this thread.  I don't have a top bar, yet, but expect I will switch over to a couple when I get where I can't lift the heavy boxes any more.

What I want to know is how do you harvest the honey?  Do you have to crush and strain as it looks like the combs aren't connected to the sides or the bottom of a frame.  Or do some of you have more complete triangular/V shaped frames with sides and bottoms?  Or better yet, why are TBH's more V shaped?  Why couldn't they be square like langs, just with frames running east/west/side to side instead of north/south/up and down?

[Danger Brown]

Usually crush and strain or cut comb is produced from top bar hives.

The V shape is to reduce their tendency to attach comb to the walls.

You could build V shape frames. People sometimes do that for cutouts going into top bars.

But if it's just about the weight, and you have langs already you could just build horizontal hive bodies (sometimes called "coffin hives"). This would allow the easy transfer of your existing frames into your new hives. Put them on stands and you eliminate stooping too.

Winter management is a little different with a horizontal hive. You want the cluster to work from one end to the other. If they start in the middle, they may go to one end and starve to death with food at the other end of the hive. Point being, that you should be prepared for some changes in your management of your girls.

[Danger Brown]

Note that you'd probably want to make some "follower boards" even if you stick with the langstroth frames.

[doug494]

OK I installed in two deep TTBH's in mid-May.  So far everything looks OK, but they still have not really built up.  I have maybe 5 "fully" drawn bars in each hive and they are slowly working on more.  I did not feed alot and am not feeding now based on some of the recommendations here, so maybe I am paying the price for that.  I did have to combat cross-combing so that probably stunted them a little bit.

I am planning on watching the flow and may need to feed if there is a dearth, but I think I see capped honey on the bottom of the combs, so I don't think they are starving.  They look like good brood combs, but there are no honey storage combs to speak of.