Top Bar Beekeeping

Since we have about 2 acres of meadow we let go to 'the weeds' every year and only bushwhack it once late fall we get tons of flowers. Mostly golden rods and other more weed designated, but also black eyed susans, daisies, milkweed, wild strawberries and whatnot's. With all those flowers we get tons of insects (and birds, including nest hummingbirds!) and the buzzing of all those busy bees made me wonder about bee keeping.

I've asked around town for bee keepers to set up hives on the back lot without much success, apparently west hill is too far for most Ithacans. Then I found the article "Keeping Bees using the Top Bar Method" in Mother Earth Magazine (see picture). To me, it reads like building a bird house, but for bees, and only taking surplus honey when available, without interfering with hive life. No expensive setup to buy and maintain, with just enough honey for a family to cope with!

The Barefoot Beekeeper book and website has lots more information, including a free eBook on How to Build a Top Bar Hive. I'm collecting materials to do so before spring arrives, and look forward to start utilizing our weeds in a new, but very old, and yummy, way!