We were sad to have our hive swarm at the end of the season this year, but there were a few benefits to that experience. One of the most important is feeling prepared for next season, and knowing the signs of a coming swarm. Additionally, we were able to harvest the hive of honey that otherwise we’d leave for the bees to overwinter with.
Harvesting honey from a top bar hive is a more simple process than with a traditional Langstroth hive. With the more well known hive design, the honey has to be spun out by a centrifuge. In a top bar hive, the honey is simply crushed out of the comb. This can be done by a number of methods, we were able to use a special extractor designed for this type of hive.
It was incredible to me how fresh and fruity the honey was. Unlike honey that has sat on a store shelf in a plastic or glass container for weeks, fresh honey is full of the flavors of the flowers it came from. Our honey was mostly harvested from the middle of the hive, meaning that the bees foraged it during the height of summer. With our hive placement this meant a bouquet of apple blossoms, day lilies and clover.
The lack of bees will also make moving the hive to our new farm much easier. A beehive containing bees can only be moved after dark, with the entrances covered. If you attempt to move it during the day, not only will you face the wrath of the bees, but the ones out foraging will not be able to find their way back to the hive. Moving at night means the bees are asleep, and they will return to the hive after foraging the next day.
We’ll be observing the weather at our new farm this winter to see where to put the hives. Beehives in Maine need to be placed in a relatively windless spot to keep them from having to experience too much of the winter weather. This is also why our hive has the top painted black: to help it absorb heat in the colder months.
While we move the hive and install a new colony of bees, we will be happily enjoying the fruitful honey from our harvest.
Don’t forget you can find us on facebook at daysferryorganics, or on instagram at usethepigs.
Questions? Feel free to leave a comment or email daysferryorganics@gmail.com!
Linked to the Homestead Blog Hop!
Day's Ferry Organics 
Isn’t it amazing, you are so right: fresh honey is so fruity and different and wonderful. I had no bees this year, but I am looking forward to getting more this spring (already in a waiting list). Honey on!
Ooooo, I loooove honey!! I’ve been very interested in bee keeping, but I’m not sure if I’ve got what it takes!
It has been a wonderful experience. We seem to have gotten lucky and have very calm bees. (Only stung once when I waited to late in the evening to freshen up the wintergreen oil used to chase off hive beetles.) Even though I don’t have a top bar yet, I feel it is the easier of the hives to take care of. You should check for any local beekeeper associations and attend a few meetings. I think you would enjoy it…and if you try it and don’t like it…there is always seems to be some one to come a take them off you hands. Good luck .
Thanks you! We are excited to try again next year. I’ve heard great things about our local bee association, so I’ll definitely have to check them out!
I never knew that about the wind…great tip. Thank you for linking up to the Homestead Blog Hop
I am looking forward to getting a top bar, we have two Langstroth’s now which are just getting established so we missed out on getting any honey this year. We think we can split the hive come spring, that is my goal anyway.