How it Begins

I have thought about raising bees for many years. Actually as far back as the late 1980's. However, the impending invasion of "Killer Bees" here in Texas dampened my enthusiasm somewhat and so the project was put on the back burner. So, some twenty five years later, the urge arose once more to give it a try. After much research and zero desire to lift heavy supers, I decided on the top bar hive design.

With the assistance of my four year old granddaughter, I gathered the required materials and began construction. Looking at the list, the first number is the quantity of wood pieces needed followed by thickness, width, and length. The parts list was pretty much as follows*:

Hive Body

Sides and Ends  3 - 1" x 12" x 4'
Legs                   2 - 2" x 4" x 6'
Roof Frame        2 - 1" x 4' x 6'  sheet of plywood

Top Bars

Top Bars            2 - 1" x 4" x 12'   (makes about 30)

Hardware

Wood Screws     20+ - 2 1/2"

Bolts                   8 - 1/4" x 3"

Washers and Nuts to fit the bolts

*This list is made from one I used when I built it 5 years ago. I made some changes, such as the roof, but the basic hive body, legs, and top bars should be accurate. I will build another in the future and go step by step through the process.

This hive was so special to me that I just couldn't bring myself to put it out so this is where it sat for the next five years.