Top-bar Hives

The most basic legal way to keep bees in the United States is to use a top-bar hive.

It is actually against the law in most states to purposely keep honey bees in hives without movable frames.

In a top-bar hive, there are no foundations or frames, but only bars across the top of each hive body. This style of hive allows (and requires) bees to build their comb entirely on their own, at least the first time. Once they have combs built, they can reuse brood combs.

It is actually against the law in most states to purposely keep honey bees in hives without movable frames because they cannot be opened and examined for brood diseases, especially American foulbrood.

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Two top-bar hives with a sugar water feeder in between.

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Combs built inside a top-bar hive with no frames or comb guides.