Colorado Top Bar Hive v5.4 Manual

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www.opensourcebeehives.net

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OSBH - What is it?

The Open Source Beehives project is a collaboration between Fab Lab Barcelona and the Open Tech Collaborative. The project aims to build a global community of experienced and beginner beekeepers to share data and collectively study the disappearance of our bees. Around this data we hope to �nd evidence of the factors causing the problem, prove what they are, and adjust them.

This document contains the information you will need to purchase, fabricate, and assemble your new Colorado Top Bar hive.

Open Source + Citizen Science

We continue in a long tradition of open and shared Beehive designs. The CC-BY-SA license we have chosen gives anyone the rights to download, edit and remix their own versions of the OSBH designs. We think participation in design is something to be actively encouraged and by adapting, improving and creating new variations of these hives we hope to encorage innovation and a spirit of collaboration.

SHARE - copy and redistribute the material in any medium or format.

ADAPT - remix, transform and build upon the material for any purpose, even commercially.

COMMERCIALIZE - sell the beehives!

The licensor cannot revoke these freedoms as long as you follow the license terms.

Project Overview

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1. Engage an active and diverse community to respond to the threats faced by bees everywhere.

• Toencourageandfacilitateresponsiblebackyardbeekeeping.• Tohostregularcommunityeventstobeheldonlineandindistributedlocations.• Createaforumthatdemocraticallyhighlightsbestbeekeepingpractices• Generateparticipatoryactionsandcommunityawarenesscampaignstopromotebee

health.

2. Bridge the information gap between beekeepers and maker communities.

• Encourageinformationsharingbetweenpeoplewithdifferingbackgroundsandexpertise.• Providedatatoolstoreferencelocalcontexts,traditionalknowledgeandregional

environmentalconditions• Developarangeofcommunicationtoolstofacilitateinnovationinlocalbeekeeping.

3. Develop open source hive meta designs that are suitable for local and digital manufacturing and that can be optimised for locality.

• Developnumberofhive‘metadesigns’thatareusedasabaseforadaption.• Provideanonlineparametricdesignsystemsforuserstoadapttheirdesignonline.

4. Employ embedded sensor technologies to monitor and study colony health.

• DesignopensourcesensorboardtargetedforsmallscaleBeekeepersandCitizenScience.• OpenlypublishdataontheSmartCitizenPlatform.• Developalertsandremotemonitoringsystemstonotifyusersofpotentialproblems.

5. Enable radical and innovative forms of citizen science.

• Engagewithandlinktoexpertdataanalysisandmodernscientificpractises.• Developprotocolsandpathwaysfor‘CooperativeEnquiry’and‘CitizenScience’.

Project Goals

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Rhinosauras software has been used to generate this 3D model. Here you can play and tinker with the original designs.

A nesting �le is essentially a �at version of the design laid out to generate cutting strategies and tool paths. Adjust this �le to callibrate it for di�erent woods and machines.

The STL export �le provides an easy way to load the model into web viewers. This is not a place to edit the design.

This �le contains the cutting stategies to load into your CAM softare. Please look at the layers, they describe what tool paths to use.

This STL �le contains 3D information needed to cut an angle using your CAM software.

CTB - v5.4 - 3DModel - 20mm.3dm

CTB - v5.4 - Nesting - 20mm.3dm

CTB - v5.4 - 3DExport - 20mm.stl

CTB - v5.4 - Cut Strategies - 20mm.dxf

CTB - v5.4 - 3D Strategies - 20mm.stl

Files Explained

Source Files: https://github.com/opensourcebeehives

(Note: 20mm Metric / 19mm U.S.)

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The Colorado Top bar hive was developed by the Open Tech Collaborative in Denver and has been adapted and tested at the Fab Lab Barcelona. It is a modern adaption of the Kenyan Top Bar Hive, this design increases the hive space by adding top bars in a horizontal direction and has been designed to follow in a tradition of natural bee keeping methods.

HIVE HISTORY FEATURES

Open Source Hardware = Open to adaptLocking system = no screwsFits one standard wood boardReversable Entrance for di�erent seasons.Removable base tray.Removable lid

840 mm

850 mm

715

mm

Projection

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1 BASE PLATE x 12 ROOF PANEL x 23 ENTRANCE DOOR x 14 BACK LEGS x 15 FRONT LEGS x 16 GABEL x 27 FOLLOWER BOARD x 18 ROOF BEAM x 19 WEDGES x 1610 TOP BARS x 1611 SIDE PANEL x 2

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The ‘CTB’ design has gone through many itterations and prototypes to get to the current version 5.4. A key feature here is that it requires no screws to assemble. Here, wedges are used to create a tight �t between the pieces.

Exploded View

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The hives have been designed to be cut using one standard size plywood board of 1220mm x 2440mm or 4 x 8 feet. This drawing shows the Cut Stategies that a machine operator will need to use with their own CAM software, (Computer Aided Manufacture). To help in the creation of the machine tool paths we have split the stategies into colour coded layers and named them according to the stategy required. See the ‘Nesting’ and ‘Cut Strategy’ �les.

We have created two �le types for 20mm and for 19mm (0.75 inch) thickness boards. It is common for wood boards to have slight variations, so be carefull to measure your wood before selecting the �les. In these design every millimeter counts.

*A CNC router is a computer-controlled milling machine. They are often used to manufacture custom cabinetry and are available in most metropolitan areas. Check out the Maker Map to locate one in your city: http://themakermap.com

CNC MILLING*

CUT STRATEGIES

NOTE :

Y

X

Machine Axis

Milling

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Y

X

Machine Axis

WEDGES

ROOF BEAM

TOP BARS

SIDE PANEL

GABEL

FOLLOWER BOARD

ROOF PANEL

BASE PLATE

ENTRANCE DOOR

FRONT LEGS

BACK LEGS

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Components

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HIVE BODY

WEDGES

Lay the Back Legs �at on the �oor and then place the two side panels into the corresponding slots.

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Place the front legs into place2

Whilst still resting on the �oor add the wedges to the lock joints of side panels. Leave them loose for now.

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Assembly 1

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BASE PLATE

MOVEABLE PIECES

Carefully push the Base plate in through the front entrance and be sure that it locates along the groves and into the slot on the inside of the back feet panel.

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Add the Follower Board.Add as many top bars as neededfor you colony size with the protrusion facing down.

Place the hive body in a horizontal position and add the wedges to the back feet panel.

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Assembly 2

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ROOF / GABLE ENDS

ROOF ASSEMBLY

ROOF BEAM

Add the roof Panels making sure the angled cuts are verticle.

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Add the Roof Beam.Add the wedges.

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Give all the wedges a few taps with a hammer untill the Roof panels grip the Beam enough to create a compression �t.

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Place the roof onto thehive body by locating theGable ends to the Feet.

Locate one side �rst and then drop the next intoplace.

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Use a table saw to cut 30 degree angles in each roof panel where they intersect the roof beam (measure the angle to doublecheck before cutting).

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Assembly 3

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Further Hive Preparation

Sustainable & Nontoxic Plywood

Sourceaplywoodfreefromformaldehydeandharvestedfromresponsiblymanagedforests.IntheUnitedStates,lookforwoodthatmeetstheCARBPhase2standard,whichisthehighestratingfornontoxicplywoodinthenation.

Water leakage fix

Wherethetworoofpanelsmeettheroofbeamatthetopofthehive,thereisthepotentialforwaterleakage.Thiscanbefixedbymeltingbeeswaxintothecracktosealit.Thisisstronglyrecommended,especiallyforanyclimatesexperiencingregularrain.

Varnishing

Plywoodisnotasweatherresistantashardwoods,soitisnecessarytoapplyanon-toxicvarnishthatwillprotecttheexteriorofyourhivewithoutdisruptingthebees.WehaveusedLinseedoilwithagooddealofsuccess,butareopentoanyothersuggestion.

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Smart Citizen Sensor Board

Smart Citizen Custom Arduino

DevelopedwithinFabLabBarcelonaattheInstituteforAdvancedArchitectureofCatalonia(Iaac),Smart Citizenisahardwareandsoftwareplatformthatempowerspeopletomonitortheenvironmentalconditionsoftheircities.TheSmartCitizenprojectisbasedongeolocation,Internetandopenhardwareandsoftwarefordatacollectionandsharing(SmartCitizenKit-SCK,RESTfulapi,MobileAppand,thewebcommunity).

The Smart Citizen Platform

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Beehive Sensor & Software Development

WeareadaptingtheSmartCitizenplatformfortheOpenSourceBeehivesproject.Ourvisionistodevelopafield-readysensorpackagethatcanbeintegratedwithinhiveswithoutinterferingwiththeirnaturalhabitat.Sensordatawillbestreamedtoanonlineplatform,whereitwillbeopenlyavailableforpublicanalysis.

Ourdatacollectionprioritiesincludethefollowing:• hivepopulation• hiveweight• temperature• humidity• acoustics• EMFfields

Get Involved

Emailsensors@opensourcebeehives.nettohelpusdevelopopensourcehardwareandsoftwarefortheOSBHproject.

Functionality

TheOSBHsensorkitwillmonitorhiveconditions,streamdatatoanonlinesoftwareplatformandmobileapplication,andwilltriggerSMS/emailnotificationstousersbasedonpatternsintheinformation.

Wewilldevelopafield-readyenclosureforthesensorpackagethatalsoshieldsthebeesfromEMFfieldsbyusingaFaradaycage.

Sensors & Software

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Overview

ThissectionwillintroduceyoutothebasicsofTopBarbeekeeping.Wewillcoverhowtostartahiveinyourbackyard,andsomegeneralintroductoryguidelinestokeepinghoneybees.Thereissomuchtoknow,andweareonlybeginningtoscratchthesurfaceinthisdocument.ItishighlyrecommendedthatyouinvestigateotherresourcesinourFurtherReadingsectionbelow,findamentor,orjoinalocalbeekeepingclasstostrengthenyourbeekeepingpractice.

Yourbackyardorrooftoparegreatplacestokeepbees.Keepingbeesconnectsustoalargerecosystemevenwithinurbanareas.Theexperienceisinspiringandhumbling,asbeekeepersoftenfindthemselvesengulfedinthemysteriousandmagicalworldofbees.

Why Use a Top Bar hive?

TopBarhivesweredesignedinKenya,whereAfricanhoneybeestendtobemoredefensivethanthegentleEuropeanbreedsfoundintheUnitedStatesandEU.Thetopbars(partofthehivethatholdsthecomb)restabovethemaincolonychamber,touchingonallsidestocreateafalselid.Thisallowsgentlehiveinspections,onlydisturbingasmallportionofthehiveatatime.Beesareknowntobemorecalmandgentleintopbarhives.

Topbarhivesalsoallowthebeestobuild“natural”or“free”comb.OtherstylesofhivesuchastheLangstrothhivetypicallyusepre-madeplasticfoundationsorcommerciallyproducedwaxcomb,whereasTopBarhivesallowthebeestobuildtheirowncomb,limitingtheirexposuretoforeignsubstances.Ithasalsobeenarguedthatthebeesbuildsmallercellsizesinfreecomb,allowingthemtomoreeasilymanageVarroaMites(commonpathogeninhoneybeecolonies)reproducinginsidethecells.

Last,topbarhivescontainminimalpartsandrequirelittletonoequipmenttoharvesthoneyandwax.

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Supplies

Belowareafewpiecesofequipmentthatwillhelpyouinteractmoreconfidentlyandeffectivelywithyournewcolony.Thesearerecommended,butnotrequired:

Bee suit and glovesThiscommonlyusedlayerprotectsthewearerfrombeestings,butlotsofbeekeepersdonotuseafullsuitorglovesatall.Themostimportantthingistofeelcalmandconfident.Asanewbeekeeper,itiswisetostartwithasuitandglovesuntilyouaremorecomfortable.

Hive toolThehivetoolisasimplewoodworkingtoolusedtopullframesapartandremovethemfromthehivewhenthebeeshavestuckthemtogether.

Top Bar Beekeeping Crash Course

SmokerSmokersareusedtocalmthebeesbymaskingtheiralarmpheromones.Blowingsmokeintothehivealsomakesthebeesretreatintothehivetogorgethemselveswithhoney.

Bee brushThebeebrushisusedtogentlyremovebeesfromthecombwhenharvestinghoney.Thebrushisalsoahelpfultoolwhencatchingswarms,orgettingridofbeesleftontopofthetopbarsbeforeclosingthelid.

BeeswaxBeforeinstallingbeesintoyourhiveitissmarttorubbeeswaxonbottomridgeofthetopbars.Thiswillencouragethebeesbuildalongthetopbars,sotheycanbeeasilyextracted.

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Placing Your Hive

Beehivescanbeplacedinavarietyofdifferentenvironments.It’simportantthatyouconsidertheneedsofyourbeeswhendecidingthehive’slocation.Pleasereadtheconsiderationsbelowcarefully,asitistrickytomovethehiveoncethebeeshavebeenintroduced.

Thingstoconsider:

Heat management:Inthecoldthebeeshuddletogetherinaclustershiveringandmetabolizinghoneytostaywarm.Intheheattheyfanthehivewiththeirwings,butitismoredifficultforthemtomanageintenseheatthancold.

Whenplacingahiveinyourbackyard,agoodplaceisunderadeciduoustree,wherethehivegetscoolshadeinthehotsummers,andwarmsunduringthecoldwinters.Therearemanyvariationsifyoudonothaveashadytreeinyourbackyard,dependingonthelightandheatwithinyourownbackyard.Sometimesafencecanoffershadeforpartoftheday,.

Whenplacingahiveonarooftoparug,carpet,orotherinsulativematerialshouldbeplacedunderthehivetoprotectagainsthottarpaperorotherroofingmaterials.Shadeisanecessitywhenkeepingbeesonarooftop.Ifnostructuralshadeisavailable,itmaybenecessarytoconstructoneyourself.

Accessibility:Youwillwanttoplaceyourhivesomewhereitwillbeeasytoaccessandmanipulatethroughouttheyear.Keepinmindyouwillneedtoremovetherooftoinstallbees,extracthoney,andmaintainthehiveonarelativelyregularbasis.

Bee Traffic:Beetrafficwillbelimitedto,butconcentrateddirectlyinfrontofthehive.Thebeesflyupandoutquickly,sootherthanafewfeetdirectlyinfrontofthehiveentrance,thebeetrafficwillhardlybenoticed.Itisnotagoodideatoplacethehivefacinganytraffickedsidewalks,pathwaysorsittingareas.Somecityordinancesrequirethathivesareplacedbehinda6footbarriersotheyflyoverthebarrier.Thisisagoodwaytokeepbeetrafficunnoticed.Water Source:Abirdbathorotherwatercatchmentareafilledwithrocksorabucketwithfloatingwoodchipsworkbest.It’simportantthebeeshavesomewheretoperchnearthewaterlineinordertodrink.Ifariverorpondisnearby,thesewillalsoworknicely.

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Drainage:BecausetheColoradoTopBarismadefromplywood,it’simportantthelegsdonotsoakinwaterforprolongedperiodstoavoidswelling.Chooseawelldrainedspace,andsitthefourlegsatopfourbricksorsimilar.Remembertoensurethehiveremainslevelandstable.

Moving the Hive:Ifyoufindthechosenhivelocationisinappropriateafterinstallingyourcolony,unfortunately,movingyourhiveisadifficultprocess.Youcanmovethehive3feet/1metereachdaytowardsthenewlocation,ormovethem3miles/5kilometersormoreatatime.BeeshaveagreatinternalGPSsystem.Whenmovingthehiveshortdistancesthebeeswilltryandreturntotheoriginalentrance,andwillgetlost.Movingitslowlyallowsthemtoadjust.Whenyoumovethem3miles/5kilometersormoretheyareoutoftheiroriententflightrange.Uponnoticingthisthebeeswillreorientthemselves.Moveyourbeesonlyatearlymorningorduskwhenallthebeesareinsidethehive.Thereisnoneedtotapeup,orshutthebeesin,justbegentle,andusesmoketochasethembackinsideifneeded.

Populating Your Hive

Therearethreewaystopopulateyourbackyardorrooftophivewithbees.NewcoloniesshouldbeintroducedinearlySpringwhentemperaturesarewarmerandplantsbeginblooming.

Packaged Bees

Themostcommonwayfornewbeekeeperstostartahiveistopurchaseapackageofbees.Packagesareproducedbycommercialbeekeeperswhosplittheirstronghivesintoboxesthatcontainacagedqueenandusually3poundsofbees.ThispackagecanbecollectedorsentviathemailinearlySpring.Whenpurchasingapackageyoucanmostoftencountonendingupwithahealthy,productivecolony.Installing bees from a Package

Toinstallapackagefirstremovethecagedqueenandhanghercagebetweentwotopbars.Thescreenedpartofthecagemustbefacingoutwardssothattheworkerbeescanfeedandcareforher.Makesurethecageissecureandwillnotfallintothehive.Next,containthecolonybetweenthefirst4-5framesusingthefollowerboardasafalseback.Ifyoudonotlimitthebee’sspaceitislikelytheywillabscond,orleave,findingtheirnewhomehardtoheatandinhospitable.

Thebeeswillalsoneedtobefedwithsugarsyrup.Put1parthotwaterand1partsugarina

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jarandshakeuntilthesugardissolves.Youcanusethejarasafeederbypokingsmallholesinthelidandturningitoveronastand(thebessmustbeabletoaccessthedrip)oryoucanuseastoreboughtfeeder.Ageneralruleistocontinuefeedingyourbeessugarsyrupuntiltheystopeatingit.Refillyourfeederasneeded.Youcanalsofeedyourbeeswithapollenpatty.

Afterthequeenhasbeenhanginginthehiveforthreedays,youcanreturntoreleaseher.Removetheplugatthebottomofthecageusingyourhivetoolwhiletheopeningisfacinginsidethehive.Watchyourqueenwalkintothehivetoinsuresheisinsideandlookshealthy.

Swarms

Catchingaswarmisagreatexperienceforallbeekeepers,andiseasytodo.Eachspring,honeybeecoloniesthatsurvivethewinterwithstrongnumbersswarm.Thisishowbeecoloniesreproduce.Athirdofthecolonyshootsoutthefrontofthehive,andtaketotheskyinsearchofanewhome.Theswarmwilllandonabranch,parkbench,fenceetc.andwaitwhilescoutbeeslookfortheperfectnewhome.Hanginginalargemass,thesehomehuntingbeescanbecapturedinaboxandintroducedtoabeekeeper’sbackyardhive.Becausetheyarealreadylookingforahome,itisusuallyeasytoconvincethemtostay.

Mostofthetime,swarmsareasampleofthestrongestcolonies.Forthisreason,somebeekeepersprefertocatchswarms,encouragingsuccessfulgenetics,adaptedtothelocalenvironment.Thedownsideisswarmsareamixedbag,youdon’tknowwhatyouaregoingtoget.Swarmscancarrydiseaseandmiteswiththem,theymightalsohavesomeundesirablebehaviors-pronetoswarming,aggressiveetc.Manyoftheseproblemscanbesolvedbyre-queeningthecolony,otherscanbemoreserious.

Finding a swarm

Thefirststeptoacquiringaswarmistogetonaswarmlist.Themajorityofpeoplewhoendupwithswarmsintheirbackyards,ontheirfencesetc.areunsurewhattodowiththem.Theyusuallycallabeekeepingassociation,beekeepingsupplystore,oronlineswarmremovalsourcetoaskforhelp.Theseresourceswillconnectcitizenswithswarmstobeekeeperswantingtopopulatetheirhive/s.Afterbeingcontactedthroughaswarmlist,thebeekeepermustactquickly,arrivingattheswarmlocationbeforethehome-huntingbeesaregone.Sometimesitcantakedaysforaswarmtofindahome,othertimesitonlytakesafewhours.Itisalwaysagoodideatoaskwheretheswarmislocated,howhighupitis,andhowlongithasbeentheretomakesureyouhavetheabilitytocatchit.

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Capturing a swarm

Youwillneed:

1xbeesuit1xbeebrush1xladder(ifneeded)1xlargecardboardbox.

Tocatchtheswarmyoumustknocktheswarmintoyourcardboardbox.Placetheboxunderneaththehangingbeesandgivetheobjecttheyhavelandedonagoodshake.Ifthebeeshaveswarmedontosomethinglikeawallorhouse,agentlebrushorsweepwithyourbeebrushwilldo.Insomecasesiftheobjecttheyhaveswarmedontoissmallenough,likeatreebranch,itiseasiesttocutthebranchintotheboxandtakethewholethingwithyou.Ifyouaresuccessfulincatchingthemajorityoftheswarminthecardboardbox,thebeeswillbegintosendoutpheromones,stickingtheirabdomensintheairandfanningtheirwings.Thisisacalltotherestofthecolony.Ifyoulettheboxsitontheground,ornearwheretheswarmoriginallyhung,andwait10-15minutes,themajorityoftheswarmwilljointheircolonyinthebox.Ifthereisstillalargemassofbeeshanging,youmayneedtodoanadditionalshakeorbrushintothebox.Itisimpossibletogetallofthebeesinthebox,andsadlysomewillbeleftbehind,butthemajorityofbeeswillhopefullyfindyourbackyardhivetheperfectplacetolive.

Installing a Swarm

Toinstallaswarmintoyourhivemakeasmallspacein-betweenthetopbarstodumpthebees.Inatopbarhivemakesuretoclosedownthespaceusingyourfollowerboardtocontain4-5frames.Ifyoudonotlimitthebee’sspaceitislikelytheywillabscond,orleave,findingtheirnewhomehardtoheatandinhospitable.

Thebeeswillalsoneedtobefedwithsugarsyrup.Put1parthotwaterand1partsugarinajarandshakeuntilthesugardissolves.Youcanusethejarasafeederbypokingsmallholesinthelidandturningitoveronastand(thebessmustbeabletoaccessthedrip)oryoucanuseastoreboughtfeeder.Ageneralruleistocontinuefeedingyourbeessugarsyrupuntiltheystopeatingit.Refillyourfeederasneeded.Youcanalsofeedyourbeeswithapollenpatty.

Afteraweekortwo,whenthebeeshavebuiltcomb,returntothehiveandlookforeggsand

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larvae,insuringthatthequeenarrivedsafelywithyourswarm.

A Nuc

ANucisasmallcolonythatcomeswithbothbeesandafewframesofbrood(unbornbees)andfood(honey).Thisisamajoradvantage,becausethesethingstaketimeforbeestocreate,andwillgiveyournewcolonyalargeheadstartontheseason.Usinganuctopopulateyourhiveisexpensive,butalsotheeasiestwaytointroducebees.However,itisdifficulttofindanucforTopBarstylehives.MostcommonlytheycomeonLangstrothframesthatwillnotfitintoaTopBarhive.

Nuc’salsohavethegreatestfirstyearsuccessrate,asthebeeswillnotabandonthebroodorleavethehive..Likeapackage,Nuc’sareproducedbycommercialbeekeeperssoyoucantrustthatthebeeswillhaveadesirablegeneticmakeup,andarrivewithoutdisease.

Installing Bees From a Nuc

ToinstallaNuc,simplyputthepopulatedframesintoyournewhive.Iftherearebeesleftovertheycanbeknockedintothehive,orleftinfrontofthehivetofollowtheircolonyinontheirowntime.Reducethespaceinsideofthehiveusingthefollowerboardtocontainthenewframesofbeesandanacoupleemptyframes.

Interacting With Your Hive

Onceyourbeesareinstalled,it’simportanttounderstandhowtomonitortheirhealthandprogressasacolony.Belowissomeadviceonhowtodothiseffectively.

Getting to Know Your Bees

AsanewBeekeeper,thebestthingyoucandoisspendtimewithyourbees.Thisincludesmakingroutinehiveinspectionsusuallyonceaweekinthespringandfall,andonceamonthinthesummer.Youcanalsospendtimewithyourbeesbywatchingthemcomeinandoutofthehiveandobservingtheminyourgarden.Thebestskillabeekeepercanhaveisrecognizingtheirbees:howtheymove,sound,smell,whattheyarebringingintothehive,whattheyarebuilding,whattheyarestoring.Onceabeekeeperknowswhattheirbeesdo,theyhavetheabilitytonoticewhensomethingisdifferent,allowingthebeekeepertoseekinstructionwhensomething

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changes.Inyourfirstseason,everythingwillbenew,anditishelpfultofindamentorandsomereliableresourcesonbeesandbeekeeping.

Who’s In the HIve?

Worker Bee:Almostallofthebeesinacolonyareworkerbees.Thesebeesareallfemale,andtheyruntheshow.Throughouttheirlives,workerbeeshaveavarietyofjobsfromfeedingbrood,cleaninghouse,buildingcomb,caringforthequeen,storinghoneyandpollen,guardingthefrontdoor,andfinallyforagingforpollenandnectaroutsidethehive.Whileitiseasilymistakenthatthequeenisincharge,itisactuallytheworkerbeeswhocommunallymakeallofdecisionsinthehive.Theydecideandpreparetoswarmandraisenewqueenswhennecessaryetc.

Queen Bee:Thereisonly1queenineverycolony.Heroneandonlyjobistolayeggs.Shecanlayupto2000eggsadayatpeakseason!Unlikeotherbees,queenbeescanliveforupto3years.Theworkerbeestakeverygoodcareoftheirqueen,becausewithoutherthecolonycanstruggletosurvive.Themotherofeverymemberinsidethecolony,thequeenalsodefinesthegeneticmakeupofthecolony.Theirtemperament,personalities,andbehavioralqualitiesareallinheritedfromthequeen.

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Drone Bee:Dronebeesaretheonlymalesinthehive.Theironlyjobistomate.Theywaitaroundtheirwholelivestomatewithavirginqueen.Iftheyareluckyenoughtheywillmateonceafterwhichtheyfalltotheirdeathbecausetheirsexualorgansarebarbed,similartoaworkerbee’sstinger,andpullouttheirinsidesuponcopulation.Aqueenwillmatewith5-15dronesonceinherlife,andspendtherestofherlifeinsidethehive.Dronesdonoworkinsidethehive,theydonotevenhavesingerstodefendthehivewith.Theworkerbeesoftencareforthemandfeedthem,buttheyarequicktokickthedronesoutinthefalloncetheyarenolongernecessary.

Brood:Broodisatermforbabybeesinthehive.Thisincludeseggs,larvae,andpupatingbeesinsidethecells.Oncetheyhaveemergedfromtheircell,theyareadultbees.

Products from the Hive

Honey

Themostpopularproductofhoneybees,honeyisproducedusingnectarcollectedfrombloomingplants.Travelingfromplanttoplant,thebeescollectnectarandstoreitintheirspecialhoneystomachswherethenectar’ssugarstructurechanges.Itisthendepositedintoawaxcellwherebeesfanittoreducethewatercontent.Finally,thefinishedhoneyiscapedinwax,likealidonajar.Honeyisthebeescarbohydrateandanimportantfoodinsidethehive.Whenharvestinghoneyrememberthatbeesneedhoneytosurvive.

Pollen

Ashoneybeesmovefromflowertoflower,theycarrypollenontheirbacklegs.Insidethehivepollenisthebees’mainsourceofproteinandotherimportantnutrients,butoutsidethehivetheunintentionaltransferofpollenfromflowertoflowerintheactofpollinationmakesbloomingplantsandbeesperfectpartners.

Wax

Beesbuildtheirhomesoutofwax.Insidethehivehoneycombisbuildtostorehoneyandpollen.Thecombisalsowherethequeenlayseggsandbroodisraised.

Propolis

Propolisisusedbythebeestosealupanydraftsandstickthingstogetherlikeglue.Beesmake

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propolisbychewingupplantresinsandtreesaps.

Working in the Hive

Thebesttimetoinspectyourcolonyisduringthedaywhentemperaturesareabove60degreesfahrenheit/15degreescelsius,withoutwindorrain.Openingthehiveatcoldertimes(especiallywhenmisty)hasbeenlikenedtorippingthebedcoversoffasleepingpersononacoldWintersmorning.Itwillbotherthebeesandisnotadvised!Thebeesalsomaintainatemperatureofupto90degreeswithinthebroodcluster.Ifthebroodgetstoocold,itcandie.

Whenworkinginyourhiveitisimportanttobecalmandmoveintentionally.Inatopbarhivethebeessometimesattachcombtothehivewalls.Checkbeforeremovingframesfromthehive,anddosocarefully.

What to Look For

Wheninspectingyourcolony,yourmainobjectiveistofindevidenceofahealthyqueen.Youcanbesureyourhivehasaqueenifyoufindtheherinside,orifthereareeggsinthehive.After24hrseggshatchintolarvae.Eggsareevidencethatthequeenwaspresentwithinthelast24hours,whichissecondbesttofindingthequeenherself.IdeallyyoucanfindbothtoknowthequeenispresentANDlayingeggs.Ittakespracticetofindthequeenandrecognizeeggs.Eggslooklikesmallgrainsofriceatthebottomofacell,settingthemapartfromcrescentmoon-shapedlarvae.Ifyouwearglassesremembertobringthemwithyouwheninspectingthehive.Movingtheframesintothesunsometimesmakesiteasiertosee.

Otherthingstonoticewheninspectingyourhivearepearly-whiteplumplarvaeinmanystagesofgrowth,convexcellcappings,calmworkerbees,andplentyoffoodstores.Ifworkerbeeslookdeformed,larvaeisbrownand/ortwisted,mitesareobservedonthebacksofanybees,thereisalackofcolonygrowth,broodisdeadinthecells,oranythingelseunusual,consultadditionalresourcestofindoutwhatisgoingoninsideyourhive.Asmentionedbefore,thebestwaytomonitoryourbeeshealthistospendplentyoftimewiththemsoyouwillnoticewhensomethingisdifferentorwrong.

Watching for Swarming

InSpringmonths,ifyourcolonyisstrongandhealthyitisnaturalforthemtoswarm.Ifyourbeesswarm,yourhoneyyieldswillsuffer.Youcanmanageyourcolonytopreventswarmingbygiving

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thebeesmorespace,movingthefollowerboardbackinthehiveassoonascolddaysandnightsareover.Becarefulnottodothistoosoonortoofast,becausethebeesstillneedtoheatthespace,butgivingthemafewnewtopbarstofillupeachweekinthespringisagoodidea.

Ifyoufindswarmcells-queencellsontheouteredgesoftheframes-thisisasignthebeesarealreadygettingreadytoswarm.Oncethishappensitishardtoconvincethemotherwise.

Getting the Bees Ready for the Winter

WhenthelastwarmdaysoftheseasonarecomingnearitistimetogetyourbeesreadyforWinter.Usingthefollowerboardorfalsewall,closedownthehivetocontainonlythebroodclusterandhoneystores.Itisbesttofeedyourbeesandinsulatethemwithabreathablematerial.Burtaportarpaperaresometimesused.Donotuseplastic,thiscancausemolding.Youcanalsousehaybalestoblockthehivefromcoldwinds.Fallisalsothetimetoadministeranymedicationsormitetreatmentsifyouchoosetodoso.Besuretowaituntilafterhoneyharvesttotreatyourbees.OnceyouclosethehivedownfortheWinterleaveitshutuntilwarmSpringdaysreturn.Thebeeswillsealeverythingwithpropolis,andyoudonotwanttobreaktheirsealsduringcoldweathermonths.

Harvesting Honey

Harvestinghoneyfromyourtopbarhiveiseasytodo.Simplyuseabeebrushtoremovethebeesfromthecombthatisfullofhoney,andcutthecombfromthetopbar.Smokecanalsobeusedtochasebeesfromhoneycomb.Hanganylonpaintstrainerintoafivegallon,foodgradebucket.Thecutcombcanbeplacedorsmashedinsidethepaintstrainer.Honeyisheavierthanwaxandwilldrainoutofthestrainerintothebottomofyourbucket.Thismethodworksbestifyourhoneybucketitkeptinawarmplace.Combcanalsobecutandplaceddirectlyintojars.Coverthehoneyassoonasitisremovedoritwillbedifficulttoleavewithoutlotsofbees.

HoneybeesmakehoneytosustainthemselvesthroughlongcoldWinters.DependingonhowlongandcoldtheWinteris,thebeeswillneedavaryingamountofhoneytomakeituntilSpring.Ideally,abeekeeper’sjobistomanipulatethecolonyintomakingexcessstoressothereisenoughforustotake.YetitishardtoguesshowlongandhardtheWinterwillbeorhowmuchhoneythebeeswillneed.Somebeekeeperscalculatehowmuchhoneytotakebyweight.SomehobbyistbeekeeperswaituntilSpringandtakewhateverisleftover.

YounowknowthebasicsofTopBarbeekeeping!Pleasecheckouttheresourcebelowtolearn

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more.

Further Reading

Native PollinatorsAttracting Native Pollinators: The Xerces Society Guide, Protecting North America’s Bees and ButterfliesbyTheXercesSocietyandDr.MarlaSpivak

Perhapsthebestnativebeereferenceavailable,thisbookoffersinformationonnativebeeidentification,habitatmanagement,andcommunityinvolvement.Becausethebookiswrittenforthecommonbackyardbee-enthusiast,itsinformationisrelevanttoanyonewhoworkswithbees.Supportingbeemindedpeopleoutsideacademia,thisbookaimstointegratenativepollinatorsintohumanpopulatedareas.The Forgotten PollinatorsbyStephenL.Buchmann,GaryPaulNabhanandPaulMirocha

AuthorsGaryPaulNabhan,aPh.D.conservationscientist,andStephenBuchmann,aresearchassociateinecology&evolutionarybiologyatArizonaState,arebothpollinatorenthusiasts.ThemajorityoftheirresearchisdoneintheSonoranDesert,asurprisinglyrobustecosystem.TheForgottenPollinatorssetthestageforpollinatorconservationawarenesswithintheUnitedStates.Ihighlyrecommendthisbook,asitnavigatesthesocialandenvironmentalpressuresonpollinatorsasessentialecologicalpartners.Keeping the Bees: Why All Bees Are at Risk and What We Can Do to Save ThembyLaurencePacker

LaurencePackerisaresearcherandprofessoratYorkUniversity.Inhisbookheintroduceshisfavoritebeesandtheirrolesinecosystemsandagriculture.Thelatterpartofhisbookfocusesoncontemporaryconservationconcernsforthebeesandtheconnectedimpactonhumanpopulations.Packerusesacademicresearchofhisown,butalsothatofmanyothercontemporarymelittologists(thosewhoseacademicstudyfocusesonwildbees)throughouthisbook.Itisoneoftheonlyfulllengthcontemporarypublicationsonthetopicofwildbees.

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Honeybees

The Beekeeper’s Handbook, Third EditionbyAlphonseAvitabile,DianaSammataroandRogerA.Morse

Agoodbeekeepingbookishardtofind.TheBeekeeper’sHandbookisareliabletextforbeginningandadvancedbeekeepers.Asyourpracticegrowsthisbookcanstaywithyou,asthereisalwaysmoredetailedinformationtoexplore.The Barefoot BeekeeperbyP.J.Chandler

PhilChandlerisanoutspokenTopBarbeekeeperfromtheUK.Hisworkchallengestraditionalbeekeepingmethods,seekingholisticapproachestokeepingbeeswithintoday’seconomicandagriculturalrealitiesthattendtodefineapiculture.HisbookTheBarefootBeekeeperiswrittenforbeekeeperswithageneralknowledgeabouthoneybees.ItisoneoftheonlybeekeepingbooksthatfocusesonTopBarbeekeeping,teachingthebeekeepertodrawuponagroundedknowledgeofbeesbeyondalistofseasonalinstructions.Clan ApisbyJayHosler

Thiscomicbookdepictstheevolutionofbeesandthedailylifewithinahoneybeecolony.Thisuniquesourceoffersanaccessibleaccountofthebasicsabouthoneybees.Thevisualcharacterizationofhoneybeesexplainsoftenforeignandcomplexphenomenonwithinthehive,likeswarming,inajoyfulandaccessiblefashion.

Honeybee DemocracybyThomasD.Seeley

HoneybeeDemocracyisanexcitingreportonTomSeeley’sin-depthresearchonswarming.Hisresearchdetailstheprocessofswarming,howaswarmchoosesandfindsanewhome,andhowtheygetthere.Awindowintothemagicofhoneybeecolonies,thisbookwillinspireandenlightenanyonewhofindsintrigueinsideahoneybeehive.Following the Bloom

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Thank You!