Note: most of these are sold locally and are picked up by appointment. However, we now can ship these to the lower 48 states!

Note: These are sold to fit our hives. However, we can make these to fit any top bar design you may have. All we'll need from you are a few key measurements.

Why do I need this?

Top bar hives and Langstroth hives are especially not compatible. Since local nucs are mostly created from local survivor stock in Langstroth equipment, special equipment like this is used to help transition the bees into a different shaped hive body.

Buying local nucs from regional beekeepers is an ideal way to start a colony. Whether its a proven overwintered treatment free nuc or one made that spring with a local queen, having local bees that are related to each other helps tip the odds in your favor for success. You can mail order a specific breed of bees too. Beekeepers should check that the queen has a proven laying pattern, have been bred for desirable traits, and have survived your local conditions. Find the bees you want, that have been treated the way you see fit, and help them transition into your top bar hive.

How does it work?

This comes with a 6 frame box. It holds the standard 5 frames from a Langstroth nuc and leaves room for one top bar. The bees start building comb on the top bar, then the bar is transferred up into the hive to help encourage vertical growth. It also comes with a roof for the nuc box, a smaller temporary bottom board for the top bar hive, and it's predrilled with instructions regarding installation, management, and gradual removal.

As the bees have access to the new hive above, they build new comb on the top bars. The Nuc box can remain under the hive for the summer. As the queen starts expanding the brood nest up into the new comb, the Nuc box can eventually be removed, leaving the queen and the rest of the colony to live in the top bar hive.

You also can contact our farm for tech support. We usually respond within minutes of getting an urgent request for help.