TBH Frames?

[pargyle]

They look really good Tom .... should work fine I would think.

Bill Bielby reckoned that his catenary hive (where the bees were allowed/encouraged to build comb in the same catenary shape as they do in the wild) produced some of his best results in terms of both honey production and bee characteristics. Only problem with the hive was the complexity of construction of both the box and the frames ...

 

[Tom Bick]

Thanks Phil the frames will defiantly work its just a case of the time to make them outweighs the extra time inspecting without them. Something I have learned over the past couple of years is the first few inspections on a TBH are awkward, but after that become easier and it was the first couple of inspections of my hive and the one I am looking after prompted me to try the frames. I think they may be good in the long run and surprisingly easy to make. I have also learnt that the use of spacers in TBH is perhaps a good thing and should experiment with them.
Don’t know this Bill Bielby and at first thought you were referring to the comedian.

 

[pargyle]

Bill Bielby ... A great Yorkshire beekeeper ... sadly no longer with us:

http://www.ybka.org.uk/william-bill-broader-bielby/


His book 'Home Honey Production' (Long out of print) is worth a read if you can find it ... if not I'll lend you my copy. I found it in a junk shop in Sheffield and being a bee book womble coughed up 50p and claimed it ! Its' obviously pre-varroa but you'll find some really prophetic comments in there ...

Two copies on ebay at present £2.99 with free postage:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Home-Hone...-/111169336901?pt=Fiction&hash=item19e2357645

 

[ugcheleuce]

His book 'Home Honey Production' (Long out of print) is worth a read if you can find it...

We can all find it:
https://archive.org/details/Home_Honey_Production

 

[Tom Bick]

Thanks for that ugcheleuce and page 32, 33 and 47 with perhaps more references to the catenary hive, just goes to show there is very little new.
Pargyle it looks as though he still used foundation in his catenary hive and made reference to lining the top bars north, south and I may just give that a go to see if the bees prefer it.
Dropped in a couple of the frames into a 2nd TBH yesterday as they are expanding fast. Brace comb is still an issue for me but after a few inspections its not as bad as the first two and to be expected perhaps.

 

[pargyle]

We can all find it:
https://archive.org/details/Home_Honey_Production

Thanks Sam ... hadn't picked up that there was now a digital copy ... useful.

Page 43 and Page 44 are good ...

Phil

 

[Tom Bick]

These TBH frames are working out all right at the moment easy to lift out and no great disturbance to the bees without cutting the inevitable brace comb. I managed to break a comb in my other TBH the other day so may try a bit of fishing line on a couple of frames to strengthen the combs.

 

[drex]

I find brace comb is not inevitable. Mine look just like your picture but without the frame. I use a "frame stand" if I have to do anything to the comb. Not had any combs break for last two years. My tbh is full apart from one bar. Still no queen cells. Will split over weekend

 

[madasafish]

I mend TBH combs with rubber bands.. Don't have many breakages as I have grown more experienced in handling them.

 

[Tom Bick]

The broken comb was a one off thankfully a new piece of comb and full of honey so as a result easily broken off I decided at that moment it would go down well on my toast.