How to convert bees from frames to top bars the easy way!

This method is a big improvement on the old "crop-and-chop" technique, and can be used to make several nucs from a single colony, or to populate a full-size top bar hive using a frame hive, but without the destruction of frames.
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[@andrewallason4530]

As per your comment at 5:35 about using metal runners to reduce friction, you might try just pushing a thumb-tac into either end of the top-bar where they rest on the runners.

[@goodcitizen3780]

Mr Chandler you've done it again. Excellent video. I always love the respect you have for every individual bee, even the "little cronies".

[@silvanawirepa8851]

Could listen to your voice all day. Gorgeous and so informative. Like your approach very much. Good bless

[@erikamikunda8880]

I have been reading your book on balanced beekeeping 1. I have liked it so far and I have gotten many methods to try from this book.

[@rapier01]

This was a great informative video. You really seem to know what your doing with these types of hives Phil. I learnt some valuable things. Thanks

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

Glad to be of help.

[@thuffman44]

I really like this type of modified style hive. Thank you for sharing your details. I subscribed for sure. Looking forward to following your progress. Cheers from Southwest Florida, USA 🐝🐝🐝☮️☯️

[@PaulOtis]

Well done Phil. I have learned a lot from your videos.

[@WoolieBsApiary]

i do this with a modified langstroth box. i never use a bee brush Les Crowder taught me to use sprigs or tall grass to get the bees off the frames. you can us it and have 10000 bees in the air and never get stung. bee brush = mad bees

[@carolannjacques268]

I learned a lot here! I recently purchased a top bar but I think I have to wait until next year to start it. I was wondering how you made the nucs and here you are!

[@andrewallason4530]

Just a thought from an absolute newbie. If I build a top bar hive (or other design) and put in a feeder jar, putting the TBH on my property near where two neighbours keep their hives, could I attract a swarm and get a ‘free’ colony. Beekeepers in my area are very adverse to selling these days, due to the many issues with the industry.

[@MySliceOfHeavenoutdoors]

this super cool guy Paul from Pine City Apiary sent me your way. Never seen anyone make anuke before. Pretty cool

[@hannadrechsler2302]

I am curious what would happen if you leave the top bars in the square hive for longer. Would the bees then attach the sides of the comb to the hive? In my top bar hive the bees hardly attach to the sides and I have not had any cross combing. I have seen that here in Germany it is possible to buy top bars for the more common hives - Dadant etc. Wonder what they would be used for.

[@13thbiosphere]

There is absolutely no advantage to full frame why do they do it, 95% of hives in Australia are not top bars, the education you're providing is very valuable

[@real-bee-boy]

Hi, I'd like to ask if you think there is specific way or condition that making bees build workers' room, not drone room. I have tried to make honey comb with some empty frames, but it's been failing since they always build drone's rooms. I tried the same way you did on this video like putting empty frames between combs.

[@JimLaddie]

Just added reflectix to the hives two days ago. I could feel the warmth when I put my hand in the void beyond the follower board. I have two entrance holes open in the main hive. Won't get too hot in the summer, Phil? I'm on Vancouver Island so similar climate to yours but getting up into the mid twenties in the Summer.

[@joescheckler9953]

On the top insulation - the Aluminum side reflects heat - and so it should bee below to reflect the heat back downwards.

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

Both sides are covered with aluminium foil.

[@AntPDC]

@@BarefootBeekeeper Thinking aloud here Phil, but does Reflectix induce condensation with all that nectar being evaporated in the frames below? Perhaps not since Reflectix maintains ambient temperature owing to the air pockets. Still, I wonder about it interfering with ventilation flow overall.

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

@@AntPDC convection takes care of it. A good read is Constructive Beekeeping, by Ed H Clarke (free download from my site).

[@hmeternicht]

Very good and I practice this method. We will have to try it this spring. since in these parts we are already leaving everything ready for wintering, a question, form a new queen in this way? thank you very much Phil Chandler for sharing his knowledge !!! Muy bueno y practico este método. tendremos que probarlo esta primavera. ya que por estos lares ya estamos dejando todo listo para la invernada, una pregunta, forman una nueva reina de este modo? muchas gracias Phil Chandler por compartir su saber!!!

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

If I had moved the queen to the nuc box, the bees in the hive would have made several new queens, so yes, you can make more queens this way, although they may not all be good ones.

[@Conna169]

Also wouldn’t the water create humidity for them therefore making them work harder to try fix instead of building?

[@MansfieldPestControl]

Fantastic.... will certainly subscribe.. keep up the fab vids.

[@gervaseevans4856]

Enjoyed your video and gentle way of explaining. Thank you. Would the bees have been able to raise their own queen from the eggs laid by the old queen?

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

Most often, yes

[@Conna169]

If there is no queen cups and no queen, how do they get a new queen?

[@grahamtapper3383]

Hello Phil, I like this video a lot and I think it will help me split one of my top bar hives into two. With an empty hive near to hand I already tried once to split last year but my attempts to persuade the queen into the plasti clip keeper failed-she was far too agile and quick for me.

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

Hi Graham, when this madness is over, we will have do make another video of your hives!

[@ME_MeAndMyBees]

I saw on KZbin somewhere, if you open the Queen Clip "open wide" aka like JCB digger scooping snow, you can very carefully come up from behind the Queen (if she's not right at comb edge) and scoop her and lots of bees, all together. They buffer her from any damage, and they will pass through the clips bars, and She 👑 won't ! Hope this helps ! 😏 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

[@grahamhill880]

Hi Phil, Hope this question finds its way to you on an older video of yours but thought it best to place on a video where the question has relevance. I'm an avid watcher of your very informative videos so thank you very much for such a range of instructional and knowledge building topics. I have been considering keeping bees for several years now and am now in a position to do so. I have always gravitated back towards using a TBH even when there have been very knowledgeable people I have spoken to who have offered that start with a national hive to start and then transfer if you still feel you want to go topbar. I have just reserved a nuc (Jan 2021 for June) and thought about how I could convert a 5 bar national nuc to a TBH from the off as it were. Do you think it is feasible to carry out this within the poly nuc or would you suggest setting up an intermediate such as your hive in this video? I was wondering whether the bees would be able to cope with the move to me and then the time it would take to begin their topbars within a confined poly nuc? Any help would be very much appreciated. Kindest regards. Graham

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

You could do it with s poly nuc, I think. Probably a double decker.

[@ME_MeAndMyBees]

Why not do what Phil did in reverse ? Use the Frames of bees you have in said purchased equipment. And, take out two outer frames, and add a Top Bar, zip tided under a 'spare' faux Hive frame.... As the bees build up the TB's, remove another 'real' frame, and place in outer position. Then by default the centre frames will become TB-esq. (Trim square comb to 'Fan TB shape', and transition them to real TBH ! )😉 *Any bees remaining, shake back into box, use comb and stores (later, zipped to a TB for bees to utilise, to feed them up etc...) Hope this helps... 🤗 A Horizontal Langstroth user, who has to cobble non Lang stuff into inside Lang.... And sequence them to outer position over time ! Or you could Cut out Comb from each Frame and Zip Tie in place to a TB. (*Like those doing cut outs using Rubber Bands into frames ! *) TBs will take zip ties, or wire instead.... In your example.* 🤗 🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝🐝

[@Majorme2]

What was the oil you add to the water spray.? Thank again for you vids

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

I mostly use peppermint.

[@Majorme2]

Ok I appreciate your response. Again someday I’ll like to visit.

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

@@Majorme2 you are welcome to do so.

[@michaelpisapia]

@@BarefootBeekeeper what are the proportions of your peppermint oil to water mixture?

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

@@michaelpisapia 15-20 drops per litre, but it's not critical, as peppermint has been researched with bees and found to be harmless even in much larger doses.

[@kerstinlangdon4401]

what is the ratio of Peppermint oil to water, please? Is it Essential Oil? Thank you.I like your honest beekeeping.

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

About 10-15 drops of peppermint essential oil in a litre of water. It's not scientific, just add enough to make it strong enough to mask the alarm pheromone. Peppermint is harmless to bees, according to the research I have read.

[@kerstinlangdon4401]

@@BarefootBeekeeper Thank you watching your quadratic hives at the mo

[@buttsbeesllc4063]

@@BarefootBeekeeper I have used this for many years and it helps with SHB as well

[@ryanalexander3088]

@@buttsbeesllc4063 shb?

[@buttsbeesllc4063]

@@ryanalexander3088 small hive beetles !

[@bengibbon9229]

What does the peppermint oil do?

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

Masks their alarm pheromone.

[@bengibbon9229]

Thank you

[@Rushgamer-yw3lm]

Phil i was given some topbar hives this year . I am starting with my two langs . if my hives were strong enough to manage a walk away split could i use your method to accomplish this ? ;)?

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

Absolutely. It works really well, and has the advantage of leaving a viable colony in the original hive.

[@Rushgamer-yw3lm]

@@BarefootBeekeeper is there a link that has the measurements to make a proper topbar nuc for the woodworking newbie. even at 54 wood working is still a mystery! ;)

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

@@Rushgamer-yw3lm you could download my TBH plans and simply reduce the length of the sides to 9 inches, to hold 6 bars.

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

biobees.com/build-a-beehive-free-plans.php

[@davefoc]

Why top bars? Why the diagonal sides on the hive used for the nuc? Why if that trick with the water sprayer works so well, doesn't everybody do it? I've been watching bee videos for a couple of weeks and I was surprised to see so many things I hadn't heard of at all packed into one video.

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

These practices have developed over 20 years. People tend to do what they have been taught and don't always think for themselves. Top bar hives are simpler, need no frames, foundation, extractor, queen excluder, smoker, etc and they are easy and cheap to build.

[@michaelpisapia]

@@BarefootBeekeeper Thank you for an excellent video! Why do you not use a queen excluder? (I'm not even sure how one would fit in this shape hive.) I really like this type of hive as it eliminates the lifting and heaving of often quite heavy boxes. Do you post plans for building one of these?

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

@@michaelpisapia there are plans for top bar hives on my site at biobees.com

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

You can use a queen excluder in a TBH, but it has to be vertical, of course, and be a bee-tight fit!

[@defdave101]

Your top bars look the same size as the BS frames. All the top bars I've seen in a friend's hives are bigger. Are your TBHs a different size to 'shop' bought ones?

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

My top bars are the same length as a British Standard National frame: 17". If you otherwise use Langstroth hives, then you probably want to make your bars 19" long to ensure compatibility.

[@defdave101]

@@BarefootBeekeeper , is there not a 'standard' top bar length then?

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

@@defdave101 no. It makes sense to make them according to local hive standards, but there is no real need to make them any particular length. Once they get beyond about 20" they start to become unwieldy, however.

[@user-lt3gc9bs7w]

جميل تحيتي 👍👍👍👍🐝🌹🍯

[@kenthompson6539]

Try drilling a hole or holes in the top bar preferably the size of a bamboo Barbecue sqewer and push them to the bottom of the frame and this will support the comb

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

This is a top bar hive: there is no frame. I tried using wooden skewers to support the comb many years ago, but unless you align them perfectly vertical, the bees often build comb between skewers on adjacent bars, which renders them more of a nuisance than a help.

[@viscache1]

The ‘Conversion Hive’ seems like something that would be banned by the woke folk in America! I love that you have all these different hives. I have collected scrolls and ancient manuscripts for almost 50 years and hope to find old hive ideas for beekeeping once I have fully established my modern hives and learn much more about bees. I have seen other horizontal hives where the top has been hinged. This seems like the easier access for a beekeeper in wheelchair. Do you have any recommendations? I am not in wheelchair currently but understand it is coming. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and experience. Ps-I’m partial to my professional tailoring shears (designed for certain leathers) but the wetting idea to keep the blades from sticking is GENIUS! Sorry for another question….but…is it possible to start a war in the hive by shaking in bees from several different hives?

[@BlaineNay]

All top-bar beekeepers I know are going the other direction.

[@gechkogechev8801]

Био пчеларство с алуминиево фолио не се прави....

[@vegannursepractitioner9629]

I loved it till he shook nurse bees off of the grubs they were tending too, to be placed into a hive that's brood already had nurse bees clinging to. Now the brood left in the old hive do not have nurse bees attached, but counting on honey collectors to feed and tend to them? Of course people will say they are just fine, but then not understand why their colony is stressed, got infected with some disease, or died over the next year, etc. Anyway....

[@BarefootBeekeeper]

Some bees will revert to nurse duty as soon as they discover there are larvae to be fed. They can do all the work needed in a hive. This colony is still doing well.