Top Bar Hive Dimensions

The cover extends over the entrance and it remains accessible since the width of the top bars is 3 8 allowing the cover to be 3 8 raised from the hive body.

Top bar hive dimensions. Your top bar hive needs some type of roof to go over the flat lid of the hive. This bar can be temporarily used in a langstroth hive and its size falls within the range of bar sizes currently used by most american top bar beekeepers. The top bars are usually 1 inches to 1 inches 32 35 mm wide depending on local conditions and the type of bee to be housed. Combs can be handled individually.

The ideal length to look for is no less than three feet even longer is better. Simple and i hope effective. Whether it is a cathedral hive or a regular top bar hive proper ventilation from a roof is needed. A very good idea.

Most available top bar hives are too small to allow a strong colony to thrive. This unique component is what gives the top bar hives its name. The only measurement that really matters is the length. Design elements of the golden mean top bar hive dimensions.

The decimal equivalent of 3 16 1875. Each top bar is laid across the hive with one end at the front of the box and the other at the back. We are showing here the dimensions of our follower board since that exactly matches the interior size and shape of the hive body itself. Our hive bodies are 40 long 18 wide and about 19 deep allowing ample honey storage space to support the colony through winter with excess for the beekeeper to harvest.

Instead of using frames like a langstroth hive top bar hives have bars across the top of the hive body. In this thread several people mentioned that certain various entrances didn t work for them i m confused by that statement. With a top bar hive the combs can become very soft and fragile if the hive is overheating. Dimensions and features of the proposed standard top bar we propose a standard top bar with a main body that is 19 1 2 inches long by 1 1 2 inches wide by 3 4 inches thick.

So if we were to calculate the area of a gold star top bar hive it would look like this. A ventilated roof on your hive. In our experience colonies outgrow horizontal hives shorter than 36. Follower board a 15 inches b 6 1875 inches h 9 5 inches note.

The number of top bars the hive will accommodate varies with the width of the box but as a reference a 42 box will use 28 top bars. The beehive dimensions are wider but shorter than the more common langstroth. Top bar hives have no specific standards when it comes to the width or depth of the main body. If the body is shorter the bees will likely fill it with honey before having a chance to cap any of it.

Many beekeepers will use top bars that have a small comb guide hanging down.