1. Who are some tbh beekeepers with whom to correspond and get help if needed?
2. Are there workshops or seminars on beekeeping in tbh's?
3. What information on thb beekeeping can I find on the internet?
3a.What are some references that may be useful for tbh beekeeping?
V. MISCELLANEOUS QUESTIONS RELATED TO TOP BAR HIVE BEEKEEPING
1. Who are some tbh beekeepers with whom to correspond and get help if needed?
Well, I'm generally available to try to answer your questions based on my somewhat limited experience. Contact me at:
Joel Govostes has been very helpful to others in the past. His email address is:
[Tim Haarmann] Don't hesitate to list me as someone willing to answer questions. Especially relating to TBHs out here in the west (New Mexico,USA).
2. Are there workshops or seminars on beekeeping in tbh's?
Yes. There is a great deal of training being done in developmental beekeeping in several areas of our planet, and much of this centers around tbh's.
There are some tbh beekeepers who have done workshops and made presentations at club meetings. One outstanding individual who has done this is Dr. Wyatt Mangum of North Carolina State University. I attended his presentations on the Kenya tbh and on his beekeeping museum which he gave at the annual Beekeeping Institute at Young Harris College, GA USA. He is superb. I don't know what he charges for his presentations, but I'll bet that you'd find it worth every penny.
Incidentally, Wyatt Mangum gave an informative workshop on producing and judging (evaluating, selecting) queen cells. He uses his tbh's to produce the queen cells. This was an afternoon presentation at the Young Harris seminar that was targeted for smaller groups with more directed interests. Good information!
I have heard of of an individual who does a workshop on tbh beekeeping who is out on the west coast, USA if I recall correctly. Can't recall a name...I don't have any more information on this.
[Tim Haarmann] As to the above question, there is a person out here that every now and again gives workshops. In fact, you mention him in your FAQs--Marty Hardison. Coincidentally, he is my nearest neighbor up in the Jemez Mountains (1 hour outside of Albuquerque). We have a Jemez Mountains Beekeepers Association headed by Marty. Most of the 1/2 dozen beekeepers use TBHs. It was Marty back in 1990 that showed me how to make a TBH because he knew I was headed to the Peace Corps in Paraguay and would be using TBHs to keep bees.
3. What information on tbh beekeeping can I find on the internet?
Here are some good URL's to get you started:
http://nanaimo.ark.com/~cberube/ktbh.htm
This is good information on Kenya tbh's provided by Conrad Berube.
http://www.xs4all.nl/~jtemp/my_tbh.html
This website shows Jan Tempelman's Kenya TBH which he has at his home in Rotterdam. The hive is of special interest since he has a "viewing port" along one side of the hive. He uses plastic to cover the side. The entrances are 2cm sawtooth notches down the side with the bottom projection. He told me that the cover was made using "bitumen with small rocks" and was waterproof. Visit Jan's site and look at his splendid photos. He appears to use top bars that have a triangular area which projects downward.
http://home.earthlink.net/~jcaldeira/beekeeping/kenya.htm
This link is to a page on KTBH's that is on John Caldeira's splendid webpage on beekeeping. There is a lot more information on that page than just tbh beekeeping. His photographs are excellent.
Here are a few references that may help you if you can get yourhands on them. They're books and magazines, not ASCI text files. ;)
Crane, Eva 1990. "Bees and Beekeeping: Science, Practice and World Resources." Comstock Publishing Associates, Ithaca, New York. ISBN 0-8014-2429-1. This magnificent work has much on tbh's, especially "Part III Beekeeping with Simpler and Cheaper Hives" p. 291-313. (an aside comment: If I could have but one book on beekeeping in my library, this would be it.)
Gentry, Curtis l984. "Small Scale Beekeeping." Peace Corps Information Collection and Exchange Manual M-17. Peace Corps, 806 Connecticut Ave., N.W., Washington, D.C. 20526. This is a wonderful publication with excellent information and especially delightful illustrations.
The following journals have articles of interest:
Brown, Ron. "The Top Bar Hive." The Beekeeper's Quarterly, No.44,Winter 1995/96. p.28-29. Instructions for making a quaint, Kenya tbh from sawmill slab offcuts. The end result is a bark covered hive that resembles a log, a hive that would blend well into a garden setting.
Three references from Nicola Bradbear's "Beekeeping and Development: The Journal for Sustainable Beekeeping":
December 1994, No.33: Hardison, Marty. Queen Rearing in Top-BarHives. p.3. Marty cuts strips of combs and attaches them to the bars. I've tried this, and it works well for me.
Same issue, but p.8-9. Hertz, Ole. The Top-Bar Basket Hive. This article shows work by a Danish group with Gambia beekeepers. Hives are woven from palm leaves or grass then plastered inside with wet cow dung. The hives are dried then smoked with burning cow dung and herbs.
March 1996, No.38. Liseki, Stephen D. Sugar Feeding Using a Top-Bar Feeder. p.4-5. Stephen describes making a feeder the width of a top bar and made to fit down inside the Kenya tbh. It is much like the frame feeders used in conventional hives.
June 1996, No.39. Mbobua, Stanely K. Facts About "A Frame For The Kenya Top-Bar Hive"...a reply to previous articles. p.3-4. Stanley replies to articles by Luckhurst (B&D35) and Clauss (B&D36) about trying to make frames for tbh's. Stanley shows a frame for producing attractive triangular sections of well-filled comb honey.
Beekeeping and Development has established a web site which is excellent. There are links to the latest news in developmental beekeeping, their book store, etc.
Here are some additional articles that you may be able to find:
Berube Jr., Conrad. 1989. "The Kenya Top-Bar Hive as a Better Hive in Developing Countries." American Bee Journal, August 1989 525-527 (note: there is a link to this article on this webpage).
Roling, Michael. l986. "A Novel Inexpensive Hive for Teaching." Gleanings in Bee Culture, January 1986, 22-24.
Roling, Michael. 1988. "Pail Hive II." Gleanings in Bee Culture, August l988, 466-467.
Krell, Rainer. 1990. "Kenya Top Bar Hive or Top Bar Hive for Developing Countries?" American Bee Journal, February 1990, 133-134.
Mangum, Wyatt A. 1987. "Building a Regular or Observation Kenya Top Bar Hive.", Gleanings in Bee Culture, November 1987, 646-648.
Honey pop is a "naturally carbonated" drink made by using honey, water, some beverage base, and a yeast. The result is a refreshing, bubbly drink that has a trace of alcohol...or more than a trace depending on the amount of honey you use, and how long you allow the yeast to operate. If you use too much honey and too much yeast, you will not have honey pop, but rather you will have honey "BOOM" for the bottles will explode.
A recipe for honey pop was posted by John Iannuzzi on BEE-L some time ago. You will also find recipes and instructions included in the beverage bases that can be purchased at businesses that sell home brewing supplies. Root beer beverage base is often found in grocery stores.
I have ordered beverage bases, yeasts, and other supplies from: E.C. Kraus, P.O. Box 7850, Independence, Missouri 64054. Write for a free catalogue, and Ester will be happy to send you one.