# Top Bar Hive Flow Forum **URL:** \ **Category:** Flow Hive\ **Created:** [May 3, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671 "2015-05-03T18:08:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Elizabethh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/elizabethh/32/229_2.png) [@Elizabethh](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Elizabethh)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 6:08pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/1 "2015-05-03T18:08:08Z")
A Forum for Top Bar Hive Flow BKeepers ---
**Author:** ![Elizabethh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/elizabethh/32/229_2.png) [@Elizabethh](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Elizabethh)\ **Post date:** [May 3, 2015, 6:17pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/2 "2015-05-03T18:17:40Z")
[http://forum.honeyflow.com/t/a-warm-welcome-from-flow-hive/32?u=elizabethh](http://forum.honeyflow.com/t/a-warm-welcome-from-flow-hive/32?u=elizabethh) This Forum will follow the Flow Hive Guidelines! ---
**Author:** ![SowthEfrikan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/sowthefrikan/32/343_2.png) [@SowthEfrikan](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/SowthEfrikan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 1:46am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/3 "2015-05-04T01:46:49Z")
Now this forum is going to be fun. Flow hives on top bars? I don’t see how without dismantling the roof on mine. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/jake/32/17_2.png) [@Jake](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 3:29am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/4 "2015-05-04T03:29:24Z")
I imagine there would be a few modifications to match up to a top bar hive, all do-able with a few tools. @ymcg our website guru uses top bar hives and is planning on adapting his to work with the flow hive. I’m sure he’ll keep us updated when he gets time. ---
**Author:** ![ymcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac91a4/32.png) [@ymcg](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/ymcg)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 7:52am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/5 "2015-05-04T07:52:17Z")
I have a plan underway to ‘super’ the Flow onto a Top Bar Hive, well add it to the end so I don’t have to change all my bars (and defeat the purpose of light-weight top bar beekeeping). Here goes: A normal Lang box on left, and a small TBH on right: ![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/321/df3ad503bfef303c.jpg) I cut a large hole in the end of the TBH: ![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/322/3e9d3448b0e17f38.jpg) and in the Lang so they line up: ![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/324/396c5edc14727596.jpg) add Flow frames ![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/326/21965b3a06146745.jpg) and a queen excluder if you like (I prefer not to) ![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/328/17a5baa403005a33.jpg) view from inside, with a small hive beetle trap showing on the floor ![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/327/077910add8475dad.jpg) view from the Lang end ![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/330/faf19277889af7ca.jpg) view from TBH end ![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/329/08817b374b461f01.jpg) the complete bits ![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/332/4419f92f0b9cb7b9.jpg) Now to add bees! ---
**Author:** ![Ken\_Grady](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/ken_grady/32/24084_2.png) [@Ken\_Grady](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Ken_Grady)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 10:07am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/6 "2015-05-04T10:07:13Z")
That looks like an interesting project.I have just finished building my top bar hive while I wait for my flow hive. I would like to upload a few photos. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/jake/32/17_2.png) [@Jake](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 10:20am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/7 "2015-05-04T10:20:39Z")
Hi @Ken_Grady, Welcome to the forum. It doesn’t usually take long to become a trusted user. If you keep looking around the forum and do a couple of replies you will soon be able to add images. It is easy to upload images, just drag and drop them in when you are writing a reply. ---
**Author:** ![Ken\_Grady](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/ken_grady/32/24084_2.png) [@Ken\_Grady](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Ken_Grady)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 10:28am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/8 "2015-05-04T10:28:55Z")
Hi Jake I didn’t realise it was that simple, thank you for the heads up. ---
**Author:** ![ymcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac91a4/32.png) [@ymcg](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/ymcg)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 10:55am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/9 "2015-05-04T10:55:00Z")
Thanks @Jake I was wondering about that with images… and @Ken_Grady the upload was super easy, just drag n drop! ---
**Author:** ![Stuart\_Birnbaum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Stuart\_Birnbaum](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Stuart_Birnbaum)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 2:48pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/10 "2015-05-04T14:48:07Z")
Hi. I live in Helotes, Texas (a small suburb of San Antonio). When I lived in Michigan I had 6 hives (30 years ago) and now that I recently retired am getting back into beekeeping largely because the flow hive should minimize the heavy lifting and honey extraction labor. I was going to wait until I receive my flow hive but my wife and I decided to start a Kenya top bar hive now. I have been thinking of ways to link the flow hive when I discovered others are also working on the idea. It will be some time before I can try to link, but I will keep that in mind as I design and construct a new TBH. ---
**Author:** ![SowthEfrikan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/sowthefrikan/32/343_2.png) [@SowthEfrikan](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/SowthEfrikan)\ **Post date:** [May 4, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/11 "2015-05-04T17:57:22Z")
Please let us know if it works. ---
**Author:** ![Ken\_Grady](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/ken_grady/32/24084_2.png) [@Ken\_Grady](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Ken_Grady)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 6:14am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/12 "2015-05-05T06:14:52Z")
Hi Stuart, I have just finished doing exactly the same as you are intending to do by building a top bar hive while I wait for my Flow Hive to arrive, I will post a few photo’s very soon. Good luck with yours. Regards Ken. ---
**Author:** ![Ken\_Grady](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/ken_grady/32/24084_2.png) [@Ken\_Grady](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Ken_Grady)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 9:47am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/13 "2015-05-05T09:47:04Z")
![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/412/e3fd5f926dbacfb3.jpg) ![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/414/c57aedbd40b6cc68.jpg) ![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/415/ee87257bc1a68757.jpg) ![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/78/7ad343eab745c82e.jpg) ![](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/honeyflow/416/bda1829c85131792.jpg) ---
**Author:** ![great08](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/ecd19e/32.png) [@great08](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/great08)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/14 "2015-05-05T21:21:40Z")
I am considering just building a Lang. hive and using it as a vertical TBH/ Warre hive but with Lang. dimensions. I will add a quilt on top and everything else like in a Warre. I will let the bees build their comb from top to bottom like in Nature/a Warre too. Either that or actually building a Warre Hive and topping the hive with a small 3 row Flow box somehow. I look forward to seeing everyone’s pics and stories. Thanks, Marty ---
**Author:** ![ymcg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/ac91a4/32.png) [@ymcg](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/ymcg)\ **Post date:** [May 5, 2015, 9:31pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/15 "2015-05-05T21:31:05Z")
I just moved the girls into the modified TBH yesterday, now to wait as they build up to fill the hive, before I can add the Flow super at the end… its coming into winter here in Byron Bay Australia so we may have to wait till Spring sadly ;( ---
**Author:** ![SowthEfrikan](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/sowthefrikan/32/343_2.png) [@SowthEfrikan](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/SowthEfrikan)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 2:18pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/16 "2015-05-06T14:18:40Z")
Beautiful, love what you have done, basically taken the follower board concept and used it as queen excluder. How would a flow hive fit in this, however? Or are you not intending to combine the two? ---
**Author:** ![Ken\_Grady](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/ken_grady/32/24084_2.png) [@Ken\_Grady](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Ken_Grady)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2015, 7:55pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/17 "2015-05-06T19:55:24Z")
Hi SowthEfrikan, Thanks for the comments, no I do not intend to join them but just leave it as a top bar hive. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MrWolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b9bd4f/32.png) [@MrWolf](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/MrWolf)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/18 "2015-05-13T00:37:19Z")
Want to add to this discussion bymentioning a keeping method I’ve read about in the states that is referred to as a hybrid hive. The design & intention is that a TBH has Lang boxes on top of bars, where the brood is kept on bars & honey in the Lang to follow their natural urge to place honey above brood. And this supposedly helps with overwintering. This is really quite a simple method to integrate a flow hive into. The mod needs to be directed only at the roof design. Additionally this allows an opening in the top for direct nectar deposits at heavy flow periods & may negate need for excluder. ---
**Author:** ![Elizabethh](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/elizabethh/32/229_2.png) [@Elizabethh](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Elizabethh)\ **Post date:** [May 13, 2015, 2:06pm UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/19 "2015-05-13T14:06:24Z")
Nice! Are the round holes for the flow hive frames?? ---
**Author:** ![Ken\_Grady](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.honeyflow.com/ken_grady/32/24084_2.png) [@Ken\_Grady](https://forum.honeyflow.com/u/Ken_Grady)\ **Post date:** [May 14, 2015, 9:59am UTC](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671/20 "2015-05-14T09:59:59Z")
Hi Elizabethh, If you are referring to the photo’s with the round holes in the front, no they are the hive entry and exits for the bees to come and go. [Next page](https://forum.honeyflow.com/t/top-bar-hive-flow-forum/671.md?page=2)