Beemaster's International Beekeeping Forum

BEEKEEPING LEARNING CENTER => TOP BAR HIVES - WARRE HIVES - LONG HIVES => Topic started by: BjornBee on April 05, 2009, 11:27:40 pm

Title: New Warre hive
Post by: BjornBee on April 05, 2009, 11:27:40 pm
This was todays project. Bees go in Tuesday.

(http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x236/BjornBee/beepictures254.jpg)
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: fermentedhiker on April 05, 2009, 11:49:28 pm
Looks very nice.  Be sure to keep us updated on your impressions as the season progresses.
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: slaphead on April 06, 2009, 01:31:51 am
Very nice.  Are those observation windows?

SH
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: BjornBee on April 07, 2009, 08:28:23 am
Very nice.  Are those observation windows?

SH

No...they are huge entrances....  :-D Joking of course.

Yes they are. I will place black foam in the windows and secure with an outer panel.

Bees go in today... :)
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: Natalie on April 07, 2009, 09:57:38 am
Thats real nice looking, I will pm you my address so you can send me one over. ;)
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: bee313 on April 14, 2009, 05:29:28 pm
That looks great. I'm hoping to build one this weekend. Did you use standard dimension lumber?
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: RyanB on April 14, 2009, 08:30:16 pm
Very nice!  I dont suppose you have some clear plans for construction?  I've looked around. I saw an anglish translation for the Abbe Warre book but it was still a bit confusing. I would love to make a few of these this summer for next year.
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: davedill on April 14, 2009, 10:24:51 pm
Is it possible to put a Plexiglas window or side on a standard Lang box?
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: the.hines on May 04, 2009, 02:10:58 am
I too would like to try and build one of these this summer. I am always looking for something that looks good in the back yard. Would love to see some plans for this?
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: BjornBee on May 05, 2009, 12:29:36 pm
Thank you for the comments.

The plans I followed are here....

http://thebeespace.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/warre_hive_plans_english.pdf
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: Natalie on May 05, 2009, 01:26:39 pm
Mike, are you following the exact warre' method or are you modifying it?
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: Robo on May 05, 2009, 01:49:35 pm
Mike, are you following the exact warre' method or are you modifying it?

Some may construe it as hypocritical if he is.   Especially after the strong opinion against Warre's principle of not opening the hive. :-P

http://forum.beemaster.com/index.php/topic,18242.0.html

Quote from: Bjornbee
One of the talking points about the warre hive, is that you should not open the hive but for couple times a year, etc. Which is crap to me
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: BjornBee on May 05, 2009, 08:27:03 pm
Mike, are you following the exact warre' method or are you modifying it?


Of course it is modified. I do not think Warre had the quality wood, glue, Plexiglas or fabric, among others things, that we have today... ;)

Of course Warre, had no v-mites, t-mites, SHB, systemic neonicotinoids, etc. So for those fanatic Warre followers, or the occasional nitpicker of my previous comments, they are no more like Warre than I am... ;)

The dimensions were exact to Warre criteria with the exception of bottom boards which called for less than an half-inch thick, and I used standard 1 inch (3/4") wood. But this gives others reason to dismiss my findings as they can nitpick such variances in construction. ;)
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: Natalie on May 05, 2009, 08:31:57 pm
 To be more specific, I think the hive looks great but I was wondering what your plans are for this hive.
Are you following the warre' method or just some of it or none of it?
I ask because I am curious about that method and the idea of bottom supering.
So?
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: BjornBee on May 05, 2009, 10:09:33 pm
To be more specific, I think the hive looks great but I was wondering what your plans are for this hive.
Are you following the warre' method or just some of it or none of it?
I ask because I am curious about that method and the idea of bottom supering.
So?

Natalie,

Thank you for your interest.

My plans include monitoring, educating from it, and using it as a point of interest for such items as my annual picnic, etc.

I now have bees in it. They are about finished with the first box and are starting the next.

I of course am not going to open the thing as Warre protocol calls for, that being like once a year. I would imagine that Warre, if he lived in today's world, may just as well opened it more times than his once per year. Warre was not exposed to mites, SHB, and other things of today. My bees are not just my business, but an item I get great pleasure from. So I'll just not open to make sure things are ok, but probably about everytime someone comes to the farm and asks me too.  ;) We'll be ripping that baby open in the sustainable class I'll have in a few weeks.

I'll probably put in another one and not touch it, so I can defend against the forthcoming comments and criticism..;)

I'll already say one thing.....I don't blame Warre for not wanting to open it often. Unlike my trench hives, TBH's and other hive arrangements, the bees really attach the comb to the sides and the bottom (top of the next series of bars) in the Warre. I think opening it (splitting the boxes) will do devastating damage. I think this in part due to the smaller dimensions and rather short comb length. It's no wonder this thing fell by the way side for so many years until someone dug up the plans and decided to market something different to be "special". ;)

Anyone in the area, stop on by. Have a look. Just another "unique" equipment setup, that no doubt has been overhyped as things before it.

And don't get me wrong. I have stated many times that I agree with many of the principles that Warre put forth. And many of those same principles are well worth incorporating into hive management regardless of the equipment you choose.

Bottom supering can and will lessen swarming, although many things such as flow also plays into swarming. But bottom supering is not unique to Warre hives. So again, it is a principle, that if one wants to utilize, it is something that can be done with standard hives, such as with foundationless frames, etc. I am bottom supering this Warre hive.
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: Natalie on May 05, 2009, 11:29:04 pm
Are you saying that you are using topbars instead of foundationless frames in this hive? I am assuming thats what you mean by them making a mess of it.
I use foundationless but have the bottom bars on the frame so it does not cause any problems.
I am also seriously considering bottom supering some of my hives.
So for the one hive you are leaving it closed up and going by the "warre' book" and the other you are just using the hive design and possibly bottom supering (?) and you will compare the differences?
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: BjornBee on May 05, 2009, 11:38:56 pm
Natalie,
No. The Warre hives only uses a top bar. I was just comparing and suggesting that foundationless frames can achieve the same desire but would be a whole lot easier. The smaller box of the Warre design as well as the comb length thus far has the bees attaching much comb to the sides and the top of the bars of the box below.
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: TwT on May 05, 2009, 11:53:00 pm
looks nice Mike and looks like a good job done also, what about a few picture of it taken apart so I can see what you got there, looks real nice from the first pic.
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: dragonfly on May 11, 2009, 03:41:10 pm
That's absolutely beautiful BjornBee. :)
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: KeyBeeper on December 11, 2010, 04:30:00 pm
This was todays project. Bees go in Tuesday.

(http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x236/BjornBee/beepictures254.jpg)

What is the logic behind the window placement?  It looks like the window will cause the observer to stand in the bee's flight path.  Does the alignment of the comb or some other factor come into play?
Title: Re: New Warre hive
Post by: bigbearomaha on December 11, 2010, 04:53:55 pm
I think it looks very good Mike.

I agree that in the over 50 years since his last book many things have changed.  Construction materials, environmental issues, etc...

One thing  I don't get is how seemingly one dimensional people seem to think Abbe Warre was in the operation of his hive.

For anyone who has actually read the book, cover to cover, like I have and I am sure Mike has, we see that Warre covers the use of frames inside the hive, the use of feeder boxes on the hive, opening the hive more than once or twice a year and methods of harvesting honey.

He does specify his preferences and for the times, his points are not un-warranted.

I find his central design and ideas to still be relevant and with some modifications to take these modern issues into consideration, still a viable and practical hive and methodology.

Is it for everyone? no.  It never was, as no hive/system fits every beekeepers situation.

Again, nice looking setup.   

As to the window placement, The bottom can be turned to place the windows at the side of the hive instead of the front (giving the option of having comb be "cold way" or "warm way" also described in Warre's book).