Beehives & Beekeeping Supplies. Top bar Hive handmade from cedar in the US. Bee Home | Bee Pictures | Hive Plans | Record Keeping | Top Bar Hive | Widow Top Bar Hive | Top Bar NucBeekeeping Articles | Magazines | Books | Videos Bees Home > Top Bar Hive The top bar hive is not a new concept.
Historical reference to the top bar hive date back to the 1600's. Top Bar Beekeeping. One of the great things about beekeeping is the many ways that bees can be housed.
The Kenya-style "top bar" hive is a lower cost alternative to the standard movable-frame hive, but produces less honey. I experimented with top bar hives in the early 1980's, and then used them when serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Fiji. I still occasionally maintain one or two Kenya-style top bar hives.