Inside My Top Bar Beehive

05/06/2010 Filed in: Bee keeping

After some delay due to adverse weather I finally received my package of bees from Easybee products ltd.

I was told to watch their video on installing their bee package. Luckily for me I had also done a lot of research on the net and watched several different Youtube videos.

The Easybee instruction video says nothing about removing the plastic cover over the end of the queen cage to expose the fondant plug. They were also to my mind extremely rough with the package. They must have squashed several bees banging the box on the hive!

Watch the clip here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjLVt_ui22s&feature=related

After getting my bees home I prepared my hive by removing half of the bars. I then sprayed the bee package with syrup (50:50 sugar, water mix) and put it to one side. I made sure I had my bee brush and filled the feeder jar with more syrup then carried everything down to the hive.

I had to say I was a little nervous as I kitted up with my bee suit. I sprayed the package with more syrup then gingerly lifted the flap on the corex box so I could slide out the queen cage.

The bees were quite calm and only a few came out clinging to the queen cage. I checked her Majesty was alive after shaking off the clinging bees, removed the plastic cover covering the fondant plug and then wired the cage to the fourth bar from the end. I picked up the corex box and tapped it on the ground to ensure all the bees were in a heap on the bottom of the box.

I poured the bees into the hive. It is quite amazing they actually pour out of the box like lose sand. They started to crawl up the sides of the hive. I carefully brushed them aside so I could replace the topbars. Once all the bars were in position I slid the follower boards up against them closing the bees off. I opened only one entrance hole (The hive has three) so the bees can defend their new hive. I placed the feeder jar over the feeder block then replaced the roof and left them to it.

Feeder jar filled with syrup and placed on the feeder block

The package box I placed in front of the hive, as there was still a few bees clinging to it. I hoped they would find their way into the hive eventually. The feeder bottle in the package was almost empty so I just disposed of it. A couple of hours later I checked the corex box and found it to be empty. I cleaned the box and stored it away as it would be useful for holding swarms or as a temporary Nuc.

Three days later I lifted the hive roof and gently slid the topbars apart so I could remove the queen cage. The cage was empty, the bees had released Her Majesty. They had taken all the syrup so I refilled the jar and closed up the hive.

Yesterday the bees had been in the hive for ten days. The day was sunny and warm so I though I would take a peek and see how things were going. The bees had been coming and going every fine day and bringing back a lot of pollen so they definitely looked like they were going to stay.

I lifted the roof and moved the follower boards so I could look in without disturbing them. (a real advantage with a topbar hive) I was pleased to find they had been very busy!