On the Garden Path Carolyn Herriot
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ORGANICS
Urban beekeeping
his year, a sharp decline in the bee population in my garden, eerily noted by the lack of the buzz of lively bees, made me quite concerned so I happily agreed to the installation of a Kenya top bar hive (Ktbh). In the process, I am learning about natural bee keeping. Top bars are “slats” to which bees attach and build a honeycomb. They are usually made from wood and rest across a long box or trough, the cavity of which contains the bees’ nest. The design of the Ktbh (an inverted trapezoid when seen in cross-section) allows the bees to maintain the natural shape of their comb. Honeycomb in natural nests is built in the shape of a “U,” wider at the top than at the bottom, more stable when supported along the top edge. Each top bar with its comb, built from scratch by the bees, can be removed from the hive for examination, so the bees are disturbed less as the honey is collected and the hive is worked. Important tips for building a Ktbh 1) The width of each top bar is equivalent to the natural width of a comb plus a bee-space (35 mm or 1 3/8 inches for European honeybees). 2) An outer lid or covering is provided over the bars for additional protection from the elements in the dormant season. 3) The sidewalls must be on a minimum 120-degree angle or the bees attach the combs to the walls. 4) Ideally, a 1/8-inch wire mesh is installed at the bottom to insure debris falls outside the hive. There are many advantages to this method of natural beekeeping for urbanites that are happy to work the hives for frequent harvests of honey. To construct the Ktbh requires the purchase of few building materials and a minimum of carpentry skills; bars can be cut from recycled or purchased lumber. A Kenya top bar hive is relatively low-tech to build and a top quality hive can be constructed for around $150. The combs can be removed easily for harvesting honey. With a top bar hive, it is not necessary to destroy the colony of bees to harvest the honey, nor are the brood combs disturbed. No specialized equipment is necessary. Comb from the Ktbh is simply cut from the top-bars and placed in buckets; later the honey is extracted by squeezing. Because the harvesting of the Ktbh does not require the use of an extractor, smaller, more frequent harvests are possible. Honeybees forage within a 3.5 km radius from the hive, which increases food pollination close to home. Top bar hives offer novice and hobby beekeepers an inexpensive and uncomplicated way of keeping bees that produces smaller amounts of honey and large amounts of beeswax. As we go through seasonal shifts in climate, honeybees need our help and it’s pretty cool to harvest honey from the fruits of your labours. j
Carolyn Herriot is author of The Zero-Mile Diet: A Year-round Guide to Growing Organic Food and The Zero-Mile Diet Cookbook: Seasonal Recipes for Delicious Homegrown Food (Harbour Publishing) http://earthfuture.com/gardenpath/ November 2 012
common ground
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