Tag Archives: beekeeping

More Horizontal Top Bar Hive Construction

Posted on June 1, 2013 | Leave a comment

As livestock is an important component of sustainable farm design, I felt it important to establish livestock at Two Fish Farms this spring.  Honeybees seemed the ideal choice, as larger animals require investment in fencing for pasture and outbuildings for winter protection, as well as more regular daily maintenance than honey bees.Completed HTBH

This spring, I’ve been constructing horizontal top bar hives (HTBHs) for the farm as I’ve had free time.

I invested in two packages of bees, and the farm invested in another three packages of bees.  Packages are being sourced from Wolf Creek Apiaries and are expected this week. Continue reading →

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Horizontal Top Bar Hive Construction

Posted on March 18, 2013 | Comments Off on Horizontal Top Bar Hive Construction

Steller Apiaries in Jackson, Michigan hosts horizontal top bar hive (HTBH, aka Kenyan top bar hive) building workshops the first Saturday of the month  February through April, and my sister and I attended the March workshop.

HTBH assemblyWe’d already taken Steller’s introductory course on HTBH beekeeping and put deposits down on starter nuc colonies from Steller, so we were anxious to get our first hives built.

Keith and Jessica Steller are both very friendly and knowledgeable, and are a great resource for alternative beekeepers in southern Michigan. Continue reading →

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Beekeeping

Posted on February 28, 2013 | Leave a comment
Inspecting a top bar hive at Steller Apiaries

Inspecting a top bar hive at Steller Apiaries

I’ve created a page on Beekeeping, (and fixed the broken links initially posted, oops) and I’m very much looking forward to starting multiple horizontal top bar hives in 2013.  And not just because I can’t wait to make my own mead…

The page includes some general information, helpful tips, and links to local sources for package bees, hive building plans, and Michigan beekeeping organizations, just in case anyone else gets a case of honeybee fever…

And I just added a couple more links on a new alternative hive design that is very interesting, the Sun Hive (German:  Weissenseifener Haengekorb), a rounded Biodynamic design that is like a Skep hive, but uses crescent-shaped comb guides.

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