55 gallon barrel hive with center split

Would it be problematic to make a top bar hive with a split down the length of a 55 gallon barrel?  It would decrease the top bar width from 24" to 12".

Since barrels are 3' tall, I'd cut a piece of plastic 3' by 1' and somehow attach it vertically down the length of the barrel.  2 top bars would rest on each side of the plastic. Since the plastic is thin, I'd need to attach a wider platform piece for the top bars to rest on it (since the 2 top bars meet on top of this plastic).

The comb would be smaller on each side hopefully. Not sure how the bees would like it. I could have 2 follower boards.  And maybe only use one side until it is full, then the bees wrap to the other side.

I've got no experience, but I read a lot, and can't find anything on this topic.  I want to use a barrel for ease of construction and so SHB can't get into all the cracks of wood.

Any insights into this?  Thanks!

I believe that brood nests are approximately spherical in shape, so the smallest dimension of a hive sets the limit of a brood nest size. cutting the barrel in half like that would dramatically decrease the size of the brood nest, which would then limit the rate that bees are born and replaced.

You would lose the insulation qualities that wood would have. That might be bothersome during summer and winter extremes.

what's the motivation behind the idea? maybe we can brainstorm some other ways to accomplish what you're after.

What is SHB? - never mind, found it.  Bees seal the cracks in the wood themselves, so I wouldn't be too concerned about that.  They do a good job too, considering how hard it can be to separate boxes.

The biggest problem I see with using plastic is that it doesn't breathe.  Also, as tel said, the combs would be very small.

if the bees would take to it it might work, I'd be more inclined not to split it but to put rails on the two long inside edges and use it like a dadant top bar hive. bees hopefully if your lucky organize brood on separate bars than honey stores. that's the benefit of having a queen excluder so you don't have eggs and larvae in the honey comb. when I had bees at my previous house, I got started when wild swarm took over a gas barbecue grill, every time the swarm would split I'd gather them and drop them into home made traditional style boxes, I was able to rob lots of honey from them over the years

also I might add, I don't know where your at or if you have had bees before but many of the most southern states have africanized bees and in a lot of these places even the tamest wild bees have been dna tested and found to be hybrid mix with African bees, get a good quality suit and gloves and be sure all zippers and flaps are closed these hybrids will attack you as a swarm once one stings you and hormones are released. Ask me how I know

My motivation in using barrels is : I have a lot of them; ease of making; robust (no cracks warps, rotting).  

The reason I wanted to split down the length is to reduce the comb size, and weight.  I too thought of hanging the bars lower, and on the inside of the barrel. That will leave a space under the rails (rails being inside the barrel).  Will that cause any bee problems?

Barrels have a diameter of ~22". The comb depth would then be 11" high.  Maybe cutting the barrel less than half would reduce the size?
It could be reduced to 10" high.  The length would almost be the same, 21.6".
It could be reduced to 9" high.  The length would be 20.5".

I'll wear a bee suit and gloves (maybe nitrial gloves?); I'm inexperienced.

With the larger top bar area, I wasn't inclined to think moisture would be as much of a problem. I guessed it would escape the topbars...unless propolized along the entire top.  I think wood might *absorb* some moisture, but can it really escape the wood then the outer paint layer? (Shared experience needed.)

I'm just north of Austin, Texas, so I don't know if the insulation of a barrel is adequate.  Some winters, it can dip to 19°F, so a blanket might be necessary even for wood hives.  Probably, even at higher temps, a blanket would be necessary, more so, than for wood.

There are only ~5 people on YouTube / instructables showing barrels as hives (There was even a Make magazine write-up). Plenty of people comment they will build one, but not a lot of results are shown.  I'm thankful for everyone's ideas of what might work/not work.  If we ask more of these, maybe someone with barrel experience will find them and share their results!

It would be good to know what other "normal" barrel problems there are before trying a split topbar, or a reduced half barrel, especially since I'm inexperienced.  Maybe a newb, like me, shouldn't attempt it without more experience!  Maybe someone with more can attempt and share results. :-)

Btw - I'm TheRainHarvester on YouTube.

I am just north of austin. I have 2 top bars. One in the shade, one in full sun. That is my current experiment. My mind tells me to shade a plastic hive in this climate. I can't help but think some fumes will rise out of plastic with 100 degree sun beating on it. I am trying to imagine me putting a barrel over my head when it is hot and see how the breathing goes. I imagine some off smells but it is just speculation

My previous comment (insulation) was based on metal barrels. I missed the part about it being plastic.

It would be good to know what other "normal" barrel problems there are before trying a split topbar, or a reduced half barrel, especially since I'm inexperienced.  Maybe a newb, like me, shouldn't attempt it without more experience!  Maybe someone with more can attempt and share results. :-)

I'm originally from Austin. Besides the problems already mentioned I would expect others with using barrels. It seems like there would be a lot of empty space which makes it harder for the bees to regulate hive temps. Wasted bee energy=less honey & less baby bees. I think the bottom would be difficult for the bees to keep clean. Again, wasted bee energy & possibly additional disease & pests. Adding a screened bottom might help.  A smaller 20 gallon barrel in deciduous tree shade (like seeds ... full sun doesn't usually mean full TX summer sun) might have a slightly better chance of success. Bottom line though ... I think it might be a toxic solar wax melter in Tejas summer & a condensation nightmare in winter. The typical gulf moisture followed by northern cold fronts is not a good combination for bees. Seems like barrels would be adding additional problems for a new beekeeper which sometimes has a fairly steep learning curve. My 2 cents worth.

Chris rain wrote:The reason I wanted to split down the length is to reduce the comb size, and weight.

and why do you want to reduce comb size and weight?

The common problem with the few that have showed them was that the combs are tricky to handle, and heavy.  But good point, maybe that is less of a concern than experimenting with split top bar, or less than half a barrel!

Chris rain wrote:The common problem with the few that have showed them was that the combs are tricky to handle, and heavy.  But good point, maybe that is less of a concern than experimenting with split top bar, or less than half a barrel!

I wasn't suggesting that it's a bad idea to reduce comb size. it's a good idea sometimes. folks use shallow supers, for example, because they're a lot easier to move around as a whole box. even a big single comb won't be too heavy, though.

you will want to make sure that the top bars are very stout and don't bend under the weight. bending can be disastrous, as it will lead to the comb unzipping from the top bar either inside the hive or when you remove it for harvesting.

bees are a labor of love, you can spend a lifetime keeping bees and continually learning more about them. if your new to beekeeping you might start out with traditional proven hive box designs either top bar hive or the box style. they not hard to make out of scraps of wood and there are lots of free plans and designs on the Internet. there are lots of reasons why bees will suddenly die off or disappear and the least variables you have the better. nitrile gloves? you will want to invest in proper goat skin or rawhide bee gloves
I got my stuff from humble bee and if you watch their web site they often have clearance sales on stuff. its a one time investment and honey washes off easily with warm water. I have got to believe that the bees in Austin area have been effected by africanization. You need to take this seriously people have been killed by these bees. There are however some people that have been keeping bees for many years and they can scoop up a split swarm with their bare hands I knew such a person. But once one bee stings and that hormone is released an attack swarm quick follows. I've been stung right through the leather gloves before and had to retreat and quickly gobble antihistamines preventing going into shock and having to be hauled off in an ambulance.
Beekeeping is a hobby with great benefits. you just need to keep yourself safe if at all dealing with aggressive africanized.
In fact if you capture a splitting swarm attracting them with lemongrass oil  or by just coming across a swarm while workers are searching for a safe location for their queen many bee keeping instructors suggest replacing the queen with a proven variety which can be sourced through beekeeping clubs or from  online sellers.

I would worry about moisture and mold in a plastic hive.  That's already something to consider in a conventional wooden hive.  But a plastic hive will likely increase this threat.  You'd need to drain excess moisture effectively.  

Also you'd want to use a flat roof top so they don't try to build comb in the top of the barrel.  You'll want a flat wooden top on your hive.  It should overhang to keep the elements out, so it will shade and shelter your barrel.

If it's a clear barrel you'll want to paint it, they like the dark.