Top-Bar Hives Cut Beekeeping Costs

2013 - Volume #37, Issue #5, Page #09

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Beekeeping does not have to be expensive or require heavy lifting, says Wyatt Mangum, an experienced beekeeper, speaker and promoter of what he calls “top bar hive” beekeeping.
  Mangum has worked with bees for 48 years, including owning 125 traditional frame hives at one time. He’s now a passionate promoter of top-bar hives.
  “Essentially they are horizontal instead of vertical,” he says, noting that they were used by the Greeks in the 1600’s .
  With traditional hives, beekeepers need to lift supers that weigh 30 to 80 lbs. to check the bee brood at the bottom. In top-bar hives, bees enter through holes on the end and can be checked by pulling out the brood combs at the end, with no heavy lifting.
  Mangum also places his hives on wooden stands about 30 in. tall so he doesn’t have to bend over to lift.
  The second big advantage of top-bar hives is the cost.
  “I can build a top-bar hive from recycled wood for as little as $5,” Mangum says.
  His website shows photos of 11-in. tall hives made of old 2 by 4’s, good-quality scrap wood and even sunflower stalks or cane wired together for side walls. Inside, wood strips (top bars) securely hold strips of beeswax for bees to start their combs. The bees build the combs vertically until they look like slices of bread in a loaf.
  Mangum says he rents his hives for pollination, which can net $40 to $60 per hive. With protective metal roofs, he says his inexpensive hives last up to 20 years. Entrepreneurs who do not have a lot of money can start a successful business inexpensively, he says. His website includes information on how to build bait hives to attract bees and eliminate the need to purchase a hive. People from all over the world adapt the information to build hives with materials they have on hand.
  Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Dr. Wyatt Mangum, P.O. Box 903, Bowling Green, Va. 22427 (tbhbookqueries@gmail.com; www.tbhsbywam.com).

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Top-Bar Hives Cut Beekeeping Costs MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous Beekeeping does not have to be expensive or require heavy lifting says Wyatt Mangum an experienced beekeeper speaker and promoter of what he calls “top bar hive” beekeeping Mangum has worked with bees for 48 years including owning 125 traditional frame hives at one time He’s now a passionate promoter of top-bar hives “Essentially they are horizontal instead of vertical ” he says noting that they were used by the Greeks in the 1600’s With traditional hives beekeepers need to lift supers that weigh 30 to 80 lbs to check the bee brood at the bottom In top-bar hives bees enter through holes on the end and can be checked by pulling out the brood combs at the end with no heavy lifting Mangum also places his hives on wooden stands about 30 in tall so he doesn’t have to bend over to lift The second big advantage of top-bar hives is the cost “I can build a top-bar hive from recycled wood for as little as $5 ” Mangum says His website shows photos of 11-in tall hives made of old 2 by 4’s good-quality scrap wood and even sunflower stalks or cane wired together for side walls Inside wood strips top bars securely hold strips of beeswax for bees to start their combs The bees build the combs vertically until they look like slices of bread in a loaf Mangum says he rents his hives for pollination which can net $40 to $60 per hive With protective metal roofs he says his inexpensive hives last up to 20 years Entrepreneurs who do not have a lot of money can start a successful business inexpensively he says His website includes information on how to build bait hives to attract bees and eliminate the need to purchase a hive People from all over the world adapt the information to build hives with materials they have on hand Contact: FARM SHOW Followup Dr Wyatt Mangum P O Box 903 Bowling Green Va 22427 tbhbookqueries@gmail com; www tbhsbywam com

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