Top Bar Hives
What is a top bar hive?
A top bar hive is any hive that uses only bars of some sort, usually with a starter strip of foundation, popsicle stick or wedge from which the bees build their own comb. Top bar hives do not use foundation or frames like traditional Langstroth, WBC or other more commercial hives.
Most top bar hives are long, and are often called horizontal top bar hives, as the bees build their comb horizontally rather than vertically. Most horizontal top bar hives are 3 to 4 feet in length, 15 to 20 inches in width and 12 to 16 inches in depth. Bars are usually 1 3/8” to 1 ½” wide to accommodate bee space between the combs. Depending on the width of the bars and length of the hive, the number of bars range from 20-40 in each top bar hive.
Entrances vary dramatically depending on personal preference. Some beekeepers use entrances in one end of the hive, others one or multiple entrances along the side, and some simply leave a gap between the bars and the end of the hive through which the bees come and go.
More top bar hive information:
