The BackYard hive is hand crafted with care to provide you with the best possible

home for your bees.  It includes precision-milled top bars, an important feature

that helps encourage the bees to construct perfectly parallel combs.  Another

special feature is the glass observation window that is built in to the side of

every BackYard hive.  This window allows you to watch the progress of your

hive without having to open the top every time you want to take a look. 

To learn more about the features of the BackYard hive, click on the

'more details' link below.

Price: $295.00
Size: 36” L x  14 1/2” W x 9” H

More Details... 

Add to Cart:  Within US | Canada & Mexico | International

The Golden Mean BackYard Hive

 The Golden Mean Hive has a larger volume than the Original BackYardHive, it is deeper yet shorter in length. After accidentally creating some hives in Golden Proportion several years ago and watching year after year how much honey these hives produced, we figured we should take a deeper look as to why this may be occurring. We then studied the width of the honeycomb the bees drew out and we measured the width of the bee. All these measurements were coming out in Golden Proportion. The top bars are based on the size of the bees and our observation of how far apart the bees build their combs. Then PHI was used to build the dimensions of the hive.

We love this hive as it produces more honey! And with the larger volume colder climtes can benefit as it can hold more bees and honey to overwinter.

We used the pentagon to derive angles because the pentagon is the geometric representation of the golden mean ratio PHI. Length of the hive is PHI times width : i.e. the length of the hive is in PHI ratio to the width.

The same great craftsmanship is used: milled hardwood top bars, observation window, falseback and entrance reducer.
The only difference between the Golden Mean Hive and the Original BackYardHive is the volume.
The wood is from lodge pole pine from beetle kill wood, we're taking a bad scenario and turning it into
something positive! 

Price: $350.00
Size: 28 ½” L x 18” W x 10” H

  
Add to Cart:  Within US |Canada & Mexico  | International  

New DVD: Alternative Beekeeping Using the Top Bar Hive and The Bee Guardian Methods

A Vision Evolved

Since we started Backyard Hive over seven years ago, we’ve conducted many beekeeping workshops, sold hundreds of hives, attended beekeeping conferences all over the world and answered thousands of questions from beekeepers just like you.

In that time, we’ve learned a lot! We’ve honed our technique and evolved in our approach to beekeeping. We created the Bee Guardian movement (www.beeguardian.org) and crafted better hives as we observed our bees’ behavior. We’ve solved challenges faced by ourselves and our fellow Bee Guardians. And as we looked back, we realized it was time for that knowledge to be compiled and passed on to you.

More Details...

Price: $19.95

Add to Cart: Within US   |  International

Top Bar Hive Plans -Build it Yourself!

 NEW! Now more detailed hive plans created by a professional architect, Corwin's father, Jack!
We offer Top Bar Hive plans for both our Golden Mean hive and the Original  BackYardHive. The plans provide all of the measurements, specifications, and materials you will need.  Of, course, we can't supply the time, tools, and expertise, but if you are ready to tackle the project, these plans will help.

We offer 3 ways to get the plans:

-The Plans only

-The Plans & all the Hardware you will need (Hardware consists of all the screws and window latches)

-The Plans, hardware & full set of top bars. The triangle top bars are the hardest part of the hive to create yet offer one of the greatest benefits for you and the bees. [this option, like the others above, does not include the wood for the hive, nor the window]

Prices:    Golden Mean Top Bar Hive -

             Hive Plans Only: $9.95   Within US | International
 
             Hive Plans & Hardware: $16.95   Within US | International  

             Hive Plans, Hardware & 18 Top Bars: $84.95    Within US | International  

Prices:    Original BackYard Hive -

             Hive Plans Only: $9.95   Within US | International  
 
             Hive Plans & Hardware: $16.95   Within US | International  

             Hive Plans, Hardware & 24 Top Bars: $95.99    Within US | International  

 Pre-Built Top Bars for Your Self-Built Hive

NEW! If you choose to build your own hive based on our Top Bar Hive Plans (listed Above)  we suggest that you purchase these pre-made top bars.  A set of top bars are offered as a package with the Plans (please see above). But if you choose to purchase additional sets of top bars to build more than one hive, please see the options for top bar sets below.

You also can purchase single top bars below as well.

Our Top Bars are a "triangle" top bar, which allow the bees more surface area to attach their comb and  as a result they draw straighter, more stable combs. The top bars are milled from hardwood. We have had excellent success with the bees drawing absolute straight comb on these new top bars that they are the only top bars we offer.

Packages of top bars can be purchased with the Top Bar Hive Plans above.
Or you can order the top bars in singles.

Bar Dimensions: 1 3/8" width


Prices:    Original BackYardHive Top Bars (14 1/2" bars)

              Single Bar: $3.50   Within US | International

              One Set of 24 Top Bars: $78.95  Within US | International
 
                                              

                 Golden Mean Top Bars (17 3/4" bars):

                              Single Bar: $4.00  Within US | International

                         One Set of 18 Top Bars: $69.95  Within US | International
                       
                         One Set of 36 Top Bars: $134.90  Within US | International   

                         One Set of 54 Top Bars: $198.90  Within US | International  

                         One Set of 72 Top Bars: $267.90  Within US | International

Hardware Only
                       Set of screws, drill bit head and latch set for window cover- 
                                 COST: $5   Within US | International
  

Hardwood Spacers Only
        Golden Mean Spacers- 9 spacers-  (18" length)
             COST: $5 Within US | International  

        BackYardHive Spacers- 12 spacers-  (14 1/2" length)
            COST: $5 Within US | International 

 More Details about using Spacers                                         

The Rustic Roof for your Top Bar Hive

 This Rustic Roof offers great protection from the elements and insulates your hive in the summer and winter. The roof fits over the normal lid of the Original BackYardHive or Golden Mean Hive.

Price: Fully Assembled - $65.00 for either size hive:

Fully Assembled -Original BackYardHive Rustic Roof
Fully Assembled -Golden Mean Rustic Roof

BackYardHive Top Bar Tool

 We've created a new hive tool for the top bar! Finally a sturdy tool

to scrap off comb and pry top bars loose all in one tool. Plus it looks
good! We figured that the top bar hive deserved a tool with a little

class. We were feeling left out since there are so many tools

to buy for the traditional hives we wanted a tool for the top bar hives!

It's made of forged steel and brass.

Pry top bars apart with the forged end.
 
Scrape comb and brace comb off the sides of the hive.

 Price: $32.00

 Add to Cart:  Within US | International

90-Degree Angled Top Bar Hive Tool -NEW!

This is a great addition to your hive tool kit! Designed as a supplemental tool to our main, original BYH tool sold above, the 90 degree angle of the flat blade allows you to get underneath the combs. 

The tool has 2 small metal beads welded on the bottom so that you can easily toe/heel step the tool across the floor in order to loosen any attachments at the bottom of the hive. The tool can also be used as an extra support when removing full combs as it can easily scoot underneath, acting as a seat when lifting the combs from the hive. 

Price:   $24.00   

Add to Cart:  Within US  

Bee Herding Tool  -NEW!

We've created another new tool for the top bar! Instead of brushing your

bees off a comb with a bee brush or grass, we "herd" them off of the comb
back into the hive with the new herding tool. We have found this is much less
agitating to the bees and it prevents the bees from flying all over in the air as they do

when you use a brush. With the herding tool, you gently herd
them off the comb, moving slowly, and push them back into the hive. Less stress for everyone!

Price:   $12.00   

Add to Cart: Within US   |  International

Insulation Panels for the Top Bar Hive  -NEW!

Insulate your hive in the winter with these well-crafted insulation panels. The panels are made from pine and contain blue foam insulation. They come in four parts: 2 panels to cover the sides of the hive and 2 panels for the front and back of the hive. Also included is a sheet of insulation to fit between the lid of your hive and your roof. The panels easily attach with latches and bungee cords (included).

Golden Mean- Insulation Panels
Price:   $55.00  

Add to Cart:   Within US   |  International

Original BackYardHive- Insulation Panels
Price:   $55.00  

Pure Beeswax  - 1 ounce bar

Beeswax - 100% Pure

Add to Cart: Within US  |  International

 
5 Bars of wax (1 ounce bars)

Price: $10.00
Add to Cart: Within US

Handcrafted Honey Jar

A hand blown glass jar with a honey dipper. Handcrafted by a local Colorado artist, this jar
can be filled with your favorite local honey!
This beautiful jar will replace that little plastic squeeze bear on your kitchen table.

Hand-blown Glass Jar & Stir Stick & Natural Cork Topper

Price: $29.95   
Add to Cart:  Within US    |  International
(honey not included)

Beekeeping Protective Gear

 These hooded bee suits and jackets are a lighter weight fabric but still offer the needed protection.
The veil is self supporting, two way zipper on hood veil, 2 layers of fabric on the hood, elastic writs and ankles all zippers are heavy duty.

Sizes tend towards men's sizes but you want the bee suit to

be roomie so go a size larger than you normally wear.

Prices:

Full Bee Suit $98.95   Within US   International
Half Bee Suit (Jacket) $68.95  Within US   International

Towards Saving the Honeybee

by Gunther Hauk

A book from a pioneer in the field of beekeeping addresses the current plight of the honeybee and that noble creature’s reaction to the past 100 years of hive mechanization and human manipulation. Hauk, a biodynamic gardener and beekeeper for over 25 years, approaches the bee “as a sick patient who has been trying for years to signal to us the deep crises of its diminishing life forces and its increasing inability to resonate with the environment.” Toward Saving the Honeybee presents the bee colony as a complex and delicate organism, with a life and vital functions far beyond the production of honey. Construction of the hive, colony hierarchy, swarming, as well as foul brood, mites and disease are all discussed in the context of the hive as a whole. Softcover, 80 pages

Price: $18.95   
Add to Cart:  Within US   | 

Meshing to Strain Honeycomb

When harvesting your honeycomb use this meshing to strain the honey,
seperating the comb from the honey so you are left with a delicious

jar of honey! See our article "A Simple Harvest" to see this technique.

Price: $3.99 1’x 1’ square (fits a half gallon "Ball" jar, as seen above)

 Add to Cart:  Within US   | International

Price: $5.99 2’x 2’ square (fits a 5 gallon bucket)

Add to Cart:  Within US   | International