Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum
BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => TOP BAR HIVES - WARRE HIVES - LONG HIVES => Topic started by: Tihomir Mackic on August 04, 2009, 07:37:13 am
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Is it better to cross boxes on Warre hive ("cold"-"warm" crossing) or it is not to much important?
Has someone tried to compare the behavior of bees in crossing and non-crossing hives?
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Not important.
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I have both of mine the warm way, but since the bottom box is normally open, I doubt it has any affect. I also doubt anyone has enough Warré hives (at least those on the forum) to make any reasonable comparison. I have a bunch of Langstroth's in both configurations and there is no discernible difference that I have noticed.
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I posted this question, because some beekeepers say that the movement of bees is better when the boxes was cross. Bees from a row of box below can easily go to any row of the above box.
First (below) box is cold way and upper is warm way oriented.
Inner dimensions of my hive is 300x300mm, so I could rotate them in both directions.
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Oh, you mean alternating each box, warm to cold to warm... Sorry, I did not understand.
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I thought that was what you were asking.
Are not the bees drawing their own comb and placing the comb as they see fit anyways with passages, communication holes, etc., with a Warre hive. They are with mine.
The whole concept of a cold or hot crossing probably goes in the face of Warre's protocol anyways in that he had strong opinions on opening the hive, heat retention, etc. He designed his hive very specifically to have heat retention, and not have beekeepers break the propolis seal every week. His entrance is located well below the brood comb and he kept under supering so "space" was always present, for eliminating swarms (I think bogus) and to keep congestion down. It's not like there should be a "draft" issue, that's for sure.
With all that said, and if you actually picked a location void of wind, with a southern exposure, and kept undersupering, I can't see if it would make a difference in any "cold-warm" considerations. As for bees easily traveling from one box to the other, they leave ample portals and holes to do what they want as they construct the natural comb. I could see that point perhaps in a standard frame, especially with plastic foundation. But with a Warre, and the way the bees make the comb, I am not convince one bit that it makes a difference to stagger the boxes.
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I could see that point perhaps in a standard frame, especially with plastic foundation. But with a Warre, and the way the bees make the comb, I am not convince one bit that it makes a difference to stagger the boxes.
I have modified warre, like Roger Delon hives, with frames. I need to know does it make difference in this standard hive with frames?
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No it doesn't matter with standard (framed) hives, at least not from what I can tell.