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honey bees

Warré Hives For The Beginner

Posts: 32

Location: Minnesota

posted 11 years ago

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I'd like to start reading up on Warré hives. If some of you who have already done this research could supply me with some of your favorite links, I would greatly appreciate it.

Thanks.

Quintin

Cj Sloane

pollinator

Posts: 3738

Location: Vermont, off grid for 24 years!

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posted 11 years ago

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PDF of his book available here

My project thread
Agriculture collects solar energy two-dimensionally; but silviculture collects it three dimensionally.

Quintin Holmberg

Posts: 32

Location: Minnesota

posted 11 years ago

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Thank you, Cj. I was making my way through that website but had totally missed the ebook link on the left.

Quintin

tel jetson

steward

Posts: 3706

Location: woodland, washington

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posted 11 years ago

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David Heaf's site (warre.biobees.org, which you already seem to have found) probably has the best collection of information and links available.

David's books are also excellent. better, I dare say, than Warré's.

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edwin lake

Posts: 44

posted 11 years ago

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I like Michael Bush's The Practical Beekeeper. He doesn't advocate Warre per se, but I like his ideas and you can incorporate Langstroth's medium 8 frame boxes into a Warre design as they are just about the same size as what Warre recommended. I just built a Warre quilt with a telescoping top to fit the top of the langstroth 8-frame medium hive boxes. It also solved the problem of removable frames, which are required in NC to be legal.

tel jetson

steward

Posts: 3706

Location: woodland, washington

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posted 11 years ago

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edwin lake wrote:It also solved the problem of removable frames, which are required in NC to be legal.

movable frames aren't required, just movable comb. if the combs are relatively straight, they can be removed from top bar hives for inspection in a fairly simple fashion, no frames required. just need to sever the connections to the wall of the hive first and avoid rotating the comb about its weakest axis: the top bar.

of course, ensuring straight combs is easier said than done. instead of adopting one of the more harmful of beekeeping innovations (movable frames), I recommend a program of benign criminality: thoughtful camouflaging of unregistered hives. not nearly as difficult as one might think. just remember that loose lips sink ships and honey bribes can be very effective.

find religion! church
kiva! hyvä! iloinen! pikkumaatila
get stung! beehives
be hospitable! host-a-hive
be antisocial! facespace

Emily Cressey

Posts: 45

Location: Lynnwood, WA. USA

posted 11 years ago

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I am building a Warre' out of 2x4 lumber. It's going to be 4 boxes and heavy - there is no way I will be able to Nadir it when it is full...

Can you just stack it with all your boxes - all 4 in my case - and leave it there all year?

I plan to do a Spring Honey harvest, so I would just (once a year) take apart all the boxes - unstack them and put them on the ground so I could put that 4th box back in the bottom of the stack.

Would that work, or would it be too disruptive to the bees?

Thanks,

Emily

I am an urban homesteader helping my son recover from autism using the Domancic Method of BioEnergy Healing as well as tons of other biomedical approaches and therapies. I support the cause as a freelance Web Designer and Marketing Consultant.

tel jetson

steward

Posts: 3706

Location: woodland, washington

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posted 11 years ago

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Emily Cressey wrote:Would that work, or would it be too disruptive to the bees?

if it's just once each year, I think you would be fine. you'll need to build more than four boxes so that you have some empties to replace what you harvest. if you get a vigorous colony and a strong nectar flow, it might be beneficial to have more than four boxes on the hive at one time, as well. as many as six is reasonable, though things get rather precarious beyond that.

find religion! church
kiva! hyvä! iloinen! pikkumaatila
get stung! beehives
be hospitable! host-a-hive
be antisocial! facespace

Emily Cressey

Posts: 45

Location: Lynnwood, WA. USA

posted 11 years ago

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Six??

I like the way you think. With so many of the beehive kits being sold with just two boxes, I thought I was being optimistic with 4.

I am in the Seattle area, I see you are also in Washington. I suppose that makes us neighbors - so thanks for the neighborly advice, Tel.

Emily

R Scott

pollinator

Posts: 4140

Location: Kansas Zone 6a

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posted 11 years ago

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Bigger hives space is supposedly harder to heat in the winter, but I don't see wild hives the size of their logs or wall spaces.

The extra thickness of 2x lumber should be a little warmer. How harsh are your winter?

I am liking the idea of "set and forget" as "beyond zero treatment"

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