How to Harvest Top-Bar Beehives
A top-bar beehive is a type of man-made hive that originated in Africa. It consists an open cavity, such as a hollow box, covered with bars placed side-by-side --- hence the term "top bar." The bees build separate honeycombs that rest on each individual bar. When you want to harvest the honey, simply remove the bars containing the honeycomb that is ready to be harvested and leave the rest of the bars in place. This is less stressful to the bees than having all the bars removed.
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Instructions
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1
Look through the window of the box so you can view the honeycombs without touching or disturbing them. When all but three or four top bars have been covered with combs, it is time to harvest the honey. This generally happens in early spring and again during nectar season (either summer or early fall, depending on your climate).
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2
Remove the top bars containing honeycombs. Simply lift the top bar out with the comb still attached.
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3
Use a thin, sharp knife to cut the comb from any attachment points it has made with the underlying structure.
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4
Hold the bar so the comb is straight up; this will prevent it from falling to the ground while you're carrying it.
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5
Gently brush off any bees remaining on the comb with some loose natural grass.
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6
Put the comb into a crate that the top bar fits across.
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7
Repeat Steps 2 through 5 until all the top bars that you want to harvest are stacked on the crate.
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8
Gently brush off all the bees once again.
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9
Cut the combs off the top bar in a straight line using a thin, sharp knife, allowing the combs to fall into the crate. Do this as quickly as possible without hurting yourself or damaging the combs.
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10
Place a lid over the crate as quickly as possible to minimize the number of bees on top of the harvested honey.
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11
Replace the top bars back into their original position.
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12
Crush the harvested combs with a potato masher until the honey is liquid.
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13
Strain the honey into another bucket. Ensure that the straining mesh has a lot of slack in it, as the honey will sit on top of it for a long time. Honey takes a long time to strain; this process will take several hours. Let the honey sit on top of the mesh, unattended, and covered so bees can't get to it.
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14
Store this bucket overnight in an area that is warm and secure from ants.
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Tips & Warnings
Always use caution when working with bees.
