Top Bar Hive Refurbished

My new bees will be coming Thursday (maybe… a blizzard is predicted for tomorrow, so we’ll see if that slows him down).  Newbees, happy dance!  Newbies!  La la la…

So, I’m refurbishing Messopotamia, my secondhand top bar hive… and since it’s all pretty now, I think I’ll have to rename it!  There were holes in the screen on the bottom… but now it has new screen.

I wanted a way to keep those *&^^%$^ mice out, and the plugs for the holes were simply a pain, so I made up something there too.

This gives me three options.  I can have the opening, cover it with wire mesh, or close it with a piece of wood.  I ‘think’ it’ll work, but you better be wearing gloves!  My hands are really trashed after this project because… I’m thinking… you know, there’s really not much to Messopotamia… I could build another one just like it!

Of course, I said that.  Sigh.

Now, don’t get me wrong… I’m an affiliate for BackYardHives.com, and if you have the money and want something utterly gorgeous and very, very, well made… well, you just go buy one through the link on my sidebar!  I could NEVER EVER make something so nice as my Golden Mean Hive.  One of the appeals of top bar hive beekeeping, though, is that you can build your own out of scrap material, even if all you have is straw and manure!  Seriously!  So, I made a decision to make another one instead of buying one.

It’s not done yet, and I’m trying something a little different (of course I am, when do I ever do anything SIMPLE????)  but it’s just the roof and I think if Vernon helps me router out the lid, that could go together pretty fast.  If the eco floor doesn’t work out, I can add just a 1×6 to the bottom and it’ll be good.  I know I must be talking gobbledygook, but I’ll do another post on it later.

I’m just excited!  If I can get something together tomorrow after work, maybe I could buy TWO new packages of bees!!!  YIPPPEEEEEEEEEE!

Here’s the beginning of the new one, with Messopotamia sitting upright behind it.

Ideas for names anyone?  I need two… they match!

Find me here!

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