Kenyan top bar hive pdf

Mar 22, 2015 heres a how to video on building a new top bar beehive using thermally treated poplar. How to build a top bar hive 44page fully illustrated pdf now free. The results rest on scientific principles and careful observations from managing 200 top bar hives with over 25 years experience. My design is taken with permission from my friend matt wilson, a master beekeeper and former organic farming coordinator at berea college in berea, kentucky. Next, i glued and clamped some of the boards together to make two 36. Top bar hive plans david bench top bar hive, bee hive. Entering the beehive from one side means that only a small number of bees are disturbed at a time, rather than thousands of angry bees reacting to just having their. The kenyan was designed to be low tech, low cost and simple to build using available materials. Constructing a kenya top bar hive written by george. This has bars hanging from the upper section with wax.

Les crowders simple and practical topbar hive plans can be found here. First, i dismantled several heattreated and chemical free pallets. Others are the log hives made from hollowed out tree trunks, basket hives made from woven sticks which are smeared. You have to put a starter strip along the middle line of every top. Widespread experience indicates that bees have fewer tendencies to attach comb to the sloped side walls of the kenyan top bar hive. It allows you to see the brood and some honey comb in its entirety you can see the bees making new comb, feeding and cleaning out the hive. How to build a top bar beehive free design plans longview. Design intent the top bar hive is designed with the beekeeper in mind, both in terms of the construction effort and the management of the hive once installed. Reports vary as to how well this end is achieved in practice, but it is worth noting that this design appears to be preferred among top bar hive builders and designers in the usa and. The top bar hive can be managed by those who cannot lift heavy weights. Building a kenyan top bar hive tbh natural beekeeping. Also known as the kenyan top bar hive, the top bar structure is like a hybrid of the warre hives and the horizontal langstroth hive. How to build a top bar beehive, free plans on website youtube. If you do not have a roof, the sun beats down on the flat lid of the hive.

Beekeepingkenya top bar hives wikibooks, open books for an. Best free kenyan top bar hive plans free download diy pdf. In addition you will learn how to build a superlangstrom hive, which can double your. The top bar hive could be constructed with materials that were readily available. Aug 31, 2012 top bar hive keeping can have much more work and dedication involved than traditional langstroth hives, but the pleasure from maintaining them can be greater too. These made the sides of the hive, and then i made two 18. There are different types of hives used in beekeeping in kenya but the most important for commercial purposes are two, the kenya top bar hive ktbh and the langstroth hives. Pdf on farm evaluation of kenyan top bar hive ktbh for. The design of topbar hives has its origins in the work done in 1965 by tredwell and paterson.

Hive occupancy is about 75% and up to 18kg of honey are produced. How to build a top bar beehive, free plans on website. Others are the log hives made from hollowed out tree trunks, basket hives made from woven sticks which are smeared with mud, and pot hives mad. Here we evolved and developed the beehive fence design to incorporate the more advanced kenyan top bar hive with an embedded queen excluder. In comparison to the langstroth hive, top bar hives provide an environment much closer to the conditions found in nature by wild and feral bees. Free diagram and plans for a top bar hive mistress beek. Top bar bee hive plans top bar beehive plans image. The bees will build their comb onto this foundation, which will hang down into the body of the hive. This design is in vertical section and has around four boxes along with floor, top bar cover cloth, roof, eaves vent and ridge vent. Made from different materials that are often repurposed or recycled, top bar hives can be observed around the world. I built a kenyan style topbar on legs with a screen across the bottom, and my beekeeping students can climb under the hive and watch the bees at work. The kenyan tbh is differentiated from the other common design, the tanzania top bar hive, by having sloped sides intended to minimize attachment.

This is the bee hive plan for building a vertical top bar hive. Pdf with high adoption of the modern beehive in the tigray region of northern ethiopia, there is shortage of beeswax for preparation of the foundation. In a horizontal top bar hive, the bees will expand from the side out rather than vertically into stacking boxes. No reason a commercial honey farm couldnt operate with all top bar hives, but as i said, probably more wax than honey production, and a bit more labor. The bees build their comb down from these bars naturally, without the use of a 4 sided frame or foundation. Smith, sponsored by the canadian international development agency under an initial four year project begun in 1971. Mar 21, 2015 heres a how to video on building a new top bar beehive using thermally treated poplar. Many of these skills were once taught in high schools all across the nation, but today, most woodshop classes have been suspended, and people must learn. This is my second kenyan top bar hive, it got the paint treatment as the natural finish of linseed oil and melted bees wax mixed together only lasts a few month in the high uv sunlight exposure it received. Heres a how to video on building a new top bar beehive using thermally treated poplar.

Although klaus designed and drew the plans and created the model, we have much gratitude to a fellow natural. No reason a commercial honey farm couldnt operate with all topbar hives, but as i said, probably more wax than honey production, and a bit more labor. This book contains what you need for a completely sustainable top bar hive beekeeping system. The object of a top bar hive tbh is to be easy and cheap to construct, easy to work and having natural sized cells. A kenya style sloped sides is so that the combs are more naturally strong and less likely to break and collapse when they are full of honey. Jan 06, 2020 also known as the kenyan top bar hive, the top bar structure is like a hybrid of the warre hives and the horizontal langstroth hive.

With this design the sides that the bees are less likely to attach the comb. Pdf on farm evaluation of kenyan top bar hive ktbh for honey. T h e b e e k e e p i n g n a t u r a l l y k e n y a. As discussed in the wikipedia article referenced above, top bar hives with vertical side walls are often referred to as tanzanian, and top bar hives with sloped side walls are referred to as kenyan. As well as htbh such as the kenyan and tanzanian there are also vtbh vertical such as the warre. There are no accessible suppliers of nucleus hives or packages, so your. My first kenyan top bar hive is completely full of comb on every bar across going into winter. When the top or roof of the hive is added to the bottom, the hive is a perfect hexagon. The top bar hive has been doubled, as the shape of the bottom is relatively the same but the bars and roof do not lie flat on top. Oct 11, 2016 free kenyan top bar hive plans pic example free kenyan top bar. Easytofollow instructions to make a simple, functional top. A kenyan top bar hive is a more natural home for honeybees than the traditional langstroth hive, although it isnt as natural as a hollow log. How to build a top bar hive pdf these plans are by phil chandler who is the barefoot beekeeper.

As the colony grows, slide the divider board, like a moving wall, down the hive cavity and add empty bars. Topbar hive keeping can have much more work and dedication involved than traditional langstroth hives, but the pleasure from maintaining them can be greater too. If you are new to beekeeping, a top bar hive might be of interest to you. Generally the bars are a wooden wedge or strip with a guide to ensure combs hang straight. In a top bar hive bees tend to attach their comb to the walls of the inner hive cavity.

Top bar bee hive plans top bar beehive plans image search. The follower boards represent the inside and now you are about to add the outer skin. Top bar hives do require more visits to ensure the colony always has ample space for honey storage, but with the use of the window and simple bar manipulation, the maintenance is quick and efficient. The beekeeping naturally kenyan top bar hive is a high quality product designed and built for the australian climate by people who care about the environment and who. T h e b e e k e e p i n g n a t u r a l l y k e n y a n t. Your top bar hive needs some type of roof to go over the flat lid of the hive. I have kept bees for years in a range of different hives and for absolute simplicity of management and.

In order to be successful in woodworking, there are skills absolutely necessary to know and master. If you look up pictures of feral colonies, youll notice a similarity in the shape of the comb. Honey production in dry hot areas kenya agricultural and. This book was written to assist beekeepers in kenya and other african countries improve their beekeeping. First of all you can get the plans as a free pdf download.

Place a strip of bee foundation inside each of the top bar grooves. The kenyan tbh is differentiated from the other common design, the tanzania top bar hive, by having sloped sides intended to minimize attachment of the comb. Jan 28, 2016 thus, top bar hives may provide a substantially lower cost for entry into beekeeping, and they are the predominant hive in some developing and underdeveloped countries. It features individual bars laid across the top of the hive cavity. Beekeepingkenya top bar hives wikibooks, open books for. Once it hardens i just trim off the excess and place the bars in the hive.

Design for standardized top bar hives pdf notes to accompany the. Kenyan top bar hive part 1 making our sustainable life. Beekeeping has the potential to earn significant amounts of money if carried out well and knowledge is the key to good beekeeping. Nov 24, 2011 top bar hives are low tech, old style configurations of hives. The kenyan top bar hive has angled, long sides resulting in a trapezoidal hive shape, while the tanzanian has straight sides with 90 degree angles think long, rectangular box. They originated in kenya where bees have a tendency to be more aggressive versus those we have in the united states and europe. The advantages of the top bar hive over the lanstroth are numerous, the most important being the health of the bee. Order a pdf download of the book the barefoot beekeeper proceeds benefit my efforts with this site. Distinct in shape and size, the top bar beehive commonly features a single, rectangular or tubshaped hive body with parallel bars. The best free kenyan top bar hive plans free download pdf and video. The kenyan top bar hive has a box with sloped sides, whereas the tanzanian top bar hive has a rectangular box. Complete plans, cut lists and materials can be found on my website so you can build along with me. The kenyan top bar hive beekeeping naturally promotes the kenyan top bar hive as one of the most effective natural bee hives for backyard and smallscale beekeepers beecarers. A small nail tapped into the top bar prevents the side panel from slipping off.

Lumber in a store is identified by its nominal size, which is its rough dimension before its trimmed and sanded to its finished size at the lumber mill. The bars form a continuous roof over the comb, whereas the frames in most current hives allow space for bees to move up or down between boxes. Top bars should be made from high quality wood and they must be made very carefully so that they fit exactly into the hive. While, in debrekidan there was no significant difference. These hives allow you to only disturb certain portions of the. Position one of the side panels against the follower boards, resting on the top bars. Learn the art of woodworking using these stepbystep woodworking plans. It is no bad thing if the bars are planed on the top and sides, but left rough on the face that the bees will build on.

The style most people use today, and that i will be discussing, is the kenyan topbar hive, which has roots that go back to ancient greece. Converting langstroth frames to foundationless honey bee. This same system can be used with the grooved type of langstroth frame. Whether it is a cathedral hive or a regular top bar hive, proper ventilation from a roof is needed. The style most people use today, and that i will be discussing, is the kenyan top bar hive, which has roots that go back to ancient greece. New beekeepers did not have to find and purchase special items. Aug 28, 2018 when the top or roof of the hive is added to the bottom, the hive is a perfect hexagon. A top bar hive is a singlestory frameless beehive in which the comb hangs from removable bars. How to build a simple top bar hive free download as pdf file. Similar to the warre hive, it mimics nature, in this case, the shape of a comb.

The top bars that i use have a groove in the center which i fill with beeswax. Tbh and bee box is a type of beehive that you can build out of almost any type of wood. Conventional methods of keeping bees are effective, but top bar beekeeping is simpler, less expensive, gives bees a greater degree of freedom, and still leaves you with honey and pollinated crops. Thus, top bar hives may provide a substantially lower cost for entry into beekeeping, and they are the predominant hive in some developing and underdeveloped countries.

The kenyan top bar hive was invented in 1971 by two canadian beekeepers looking for a cheaper and simpler alternative to langstroth hives for a development program that. It has been a great success here at bello uccello honey bee sanctuary, with lots of brood, bees and honey. In the height of beekeeping season, we recommend staying 3 bars ahead of their built out comb. How to introduce bees into a top bar hive there are, broadly speaking, three possible situations you may be faced with, once you have built your top bar hive, depending on your particular circumstances and location. Material list kenyan top bar hive 1 sheet title 12.

With a top bar hive the combs can become very soft and fragile if the hive is overheating. Although klaus designed and drew the plans and created the model, we have much gratitude to a fellow natural beekeeper and friend, carl whose address. The free plans will enable you to build a working top bar hive, using simple tools and. The following tables break down the kenya top bar hive into its individual components and provide instructions on how to cut and build those components. Easytofollow instructions to make a simple, functional top bar hive for beekeeping the natural way. I hope the guide is useful to those who want to start beekeeping in kenya and other african countries. If you want to build the most simple beehive possible, most beekeepers would tell you to choose a top bar hive. Top bar hives have been around in various forms throughout history.

At the lecture, kim also gave us simple plans to build a kenyan top bar beehive. Since i found the kenyan top bar hive i have been experimenting with various designs and dimensions. Our research here was entirely participatory and all 64 farmers in the community were involved in the project. The top bar hive is the oldest and most commonly used hive style in the world.

Although the two most wellknown styles of long topbar hives are named kenyan and tanzanian, the kenyan hive was actually developed in canada, and the socalled tanzanian hive is not the same as the topbar hive that was developed in tanzania. Using wood glue or melted beeswax for a nontoxic option, fasten the foundation into the grooves. Top bar hives are low tech, old style configurations of hives. The example pictured above the one i built was a luxury version with all new pine. Many topbar beekeepers run a bead of beeswax along the center of each bar. Complete plans, cut lists and materials can be found. You can also print the complete design plans, and parts list which is posted below to build your own hive. How to build your own diy top bar beehive if you are looking to become self sufficient, a good place to start is to have a beehive in your backyard. Complete materials list available, easy to follow plans. Kenyan top bar hive plan of the kenyan top bar hive if hives are to be hung, make a hanging block to balance the hives permanently when they are hanged. The top bar hive makes it possible to gather good quality beeswax for which there is always a ready market. The kenyan top bar hive is a troughshaped hive that originated in kenya under the direction of canadian bee researcher dr.