Forget beekeeping ideology, I’m a pragmatist. And here’s what I’ve come to realize about the benefits and drawbacks of top bar and Langstroth bee hives.
[Download the PDF version with more notes]
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Characteristic | Top Bar Hive | Langstroth | Notes |
Easy on your back | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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A TBH is a dream for anyone with back problems. |
Hive management | ![]() |
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To me, TBH requires more time to manage due to frameless combs and non-moveable boxes. |
Ventilation | ![]() ![]() |
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Lang hives make better use of the chimney effect by allowing heat and moisture to rise up and out of the hive if you’re using a ventilated top cover. |
The naturalness factor | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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There is something so lovely about watching bees hang comb according to their own whims. |
The beauty factor | ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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Personally, I find TBHs gorgeous. |
Standardization | ![]() |
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Langs make it easy to lend out brood comb to a friend in need on the other side of town. |
Cost | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
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I know a guy in town who builds his TBHs for $20 a pop. |
Harvesting honey | ![]() ![]() |
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There’s nothing like the ease of harvesting honey from a Lang using a clearing board and extractor. |
Moving hives | ![]() |
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Langs are far easier to deconstruct and move across town if you happen to have a too-assertive hive in a densely populated part of town. |
Build Your Own | Several options for TBH plans | 10-frame Langstroth plans (PDF) |
The Verdict?
I started my beekeeping adventure 3 years ago with 2 TBHs. Last year, my husband and I switched to Langstroth hives for a variety of practical reasons perhaps idiosyncratic to us and our lifestyle. It was a tough decision for me as I learned the craft with TBHs and felt a strong emotional pull to their beauty.
Though I continue to harbor an aesthetic love for TBHs, for now we’ve found it easier to work Lang hives in the city with our full-time jobs.
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