Chucky Mama Posted September 15, 2009 Author Share Posted September 15, 2009 Thanks for your kind words, Chucky Mama - and yes, it is I. There is nothing wrong with being a beginner - we all have to begin somewhere. It's a fascinating journey and I'm sure you will enjoy it. It is easy to get confused and bamboozled by all the jargon, the hardware and the complicated manoevres indulged in by some experienced beekeepers, but beekeeping can also be simple and cheap, as I set out to prove. Good luck with it, and feel free to ask for help. Well done you It is so refreshing to have such an enthusiast willing to share their secrets and ideas without making me feel frightened or silly asking questions. I think that you have a very appealling writing style. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted September 17, 2009 Share Posted September 17, 2009 Fascinating. I'd not considered TBHs before. But having seen them "in action" I might consider having one as a second hive just for the bees. Once I'm a bit more experienced I might have a go at building one from scratch. Good excuse to go out and buy a mitre saw. It will be saving money....honest! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beesontoast Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Fascinating. I'd not considered TBHs before. But having seen them "in action" I might consider having one as a second hive just for the bees. Once I'm a bit more experienced I might have a go at building one from scratch. Good excuse to go out and buy a mitre saw. It will be saving money....honest! You will certainly save money. I think you will also be pleasantly surprised by how much information you can get about the state of the colony without having to dismantle their nest. Using my two-follower system, you can get a good view of both ends of the colony with virtually no disturbance. If you incorporate an observation window, you can see even more. IMO these hives are very suitable for beginners, particularly from the POV of removing the need to lift anything or spend a lot of money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pdcambs Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Hi Phil From the bees perspective, would you say a TBH is more or less bee friendly than a Warre Hive? Peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beesontoast Posted September 18, 2009 Share Posted September 18, 2009 Hi Phil From the bees perspective, would you say a TBH is more or less bee friendly than a Warre Hive? Peter Hi Peter, Good question. I don't want to get into a TBH v Warré war - here or elsewhere - but FWIW, here is my current thinking. If we take 'bee-friendliness' to include: a. freedom to build comb as they please b. least disturbance to bees during management operations c. best environment for atmosphere maintenance then both are well ahead of any framed hive, but when it comes to choosing between them using these criteria, it's a close call. The Warré certainly does a better 'hollow tree' impression, but you can look at a TBH as a hollow tree laid on its side - and really that it is what it represents in essence. The Warré - in its original form - is probably better at retaining the hive atmosphere (nestduftwarmebindung) but only if it is not opened, and the TBH can easily have insulation added above the bars to bring it level in this respect. In terms of disturbance of bees, that really depends on management technique, although it has to be said that the Warré is designed to be left undisturbed throughout the season. However, if you choose to do any internal inspections (or if the bee inspector insists), or if you want to do swarm control ops such as artificial swarming or queen-raising, then the TBH wins hands-down due to the beekeeper never having to split the colony horizontally: bars are removed one at a time as required, and many times the bees hardly notice. If combs are not required to be removable, bees have more freedom of comb building in a Warré, as TBH users will usually want to maintain straight-ish comb to allow easy inspection. When it comes to honey harvesting, Warré users take whole boxes at a time, and so some disturbance is inevitable, and comparable with that you would expect when removing a super from a National. TBH honey is harvested one comb at a time and causes very little commotion. So you pays your money and you takes your pick... but I must say from my single full season with two Warré hives alongside my dozen TBHs, I have seen nothing yet that would persuade me to abandon the TBH as my favourite hive. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MedusA Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 Thanks Phil, I think you've convinced me to have a go at a TBH next season. Couple of questions.... 1. With a TBH, is it as simple as putting in a swarm to a virgin hive and they will start from scratch or do you need something to motivate them to build? 2. How do you treat for Varroa etc? Sorry if it's obvious and I seem a bit dense or you feel I'm being cheeky and trying to save myself the effort of trawling the internet for answers, but you do seem experienced in this area and I'd rather ask someone on a forum I trust. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beesontoast Posted September 21, 2009 Share Posted September 21, 2009 1. With a TBH, is it as simple as putting in a swarm to a virgin hive and they will start from scratch or do you need something to motivate them to build? 2. How do you treat for Varroa etc? Sorry if it's obvious and I seem a bit dense or you feel I'm being cheeky and trying to save myself the effort of trawling the internet for answers, but you do seem experienced in this area and I'd rather ask someone on a forum I trust. Bees need no motivation: you will never see anything so busy nor so well-orchestrated as a fresh swarm building comb! It is a good idea to rub the inside of a new hive with beeswax (and, if possible, propolis) to make it smell like home. Other than that, leave it to the bees. The only Varroa treatment I have used for the last 5 years is powdered (icing) sugar, lightly dusted onto the bees on the combs. I use an old Japanese powder blower, but a sprinkler sold for dusting cakes will do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MaggieMcHen Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 I had thought to build my own but have decided to buy a ready made TBH. (Maybe make a second when I really get expert) Have found a supplier in Cornwall and I am thinking to start next spring. Recommendations from the experts please: - should I get a TBH soon, set it up sans bees so that it becomes less 'new' over the winter, or wait until the spring and set it all up bees and all? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
beesontoast Posted September 22, 2009 Share Posted September 22, 2009 An empty hive will most likely get damp and smelly over winter if left outside. I would wait until spring. If you want to apply a commercial preservative to the outside (only) then do it now and the smell will have gone by spring. I use a mixture of 1 part beeswax to 20 parts raw linseed oil on my hives, applied while still warm. It takes a while to dry, but it keeps the weather out and is non-toxic. Get hold of some beeswax - preferably with some propolis in it - and rub the inside of the hive in spring and you may attract a swarm - saves buying bees. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
