Comments on: The Floor – Warre Hive Construction Guide

By: PJ

PJ — Sun, 11 Mar 2012 06:09:03 +0000

I tried a couple of years ago with a long Top Bar Hive, with a few frames of bees, but it did not go too well. They did not make it through the winter. The Warre Hive seems like it will be much cozier for the bees, So I am going to try again and hope to get a better start.

If you are just beginning with your Warre Hive – should you use Two Hive boxes, as I was thinking, reserving the others, or only use One, as shown in the “installing section” and wait to add the second box?

A local Beek has Nucs with mixed race bees but I don’t really want to start my bees already with large Cell frames. Should I try to order from a small Cell supplier, like those mentioned in the Warre Site, or will a regular package with an Italian Queen serve me just as well? I would prefer to pick them up rather than have them mailed.

Also with a new Hive, should you start with 2 # or 3# package of bees. I was not certain because the hive is smaller.

By: Nick

Nick — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 18:31:48 +0000

Hi Ellis. I have a plan in the works, I just haven’t had a chance to finish it yet. I hope to have it done in the next month so keep checking back.

By: ellis chaples

ellis chaples — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 02:51:14 +0000

could you show how to build a screened bottom board for a warre hive

By: Nick

Nick — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 05:04:49 +0000

Hi John thanks for the compliments. I build the floor as per the plans by Émile Warré. The landing board is also used as support for holding the 2 floor pieces together. Here’s some food for thought – in the original plans, in beekeeping for all (page 44), the floor consists of 3 boards so the landing board went all the way to the back helping hold all 3 pieces together. The way I build them I have 2 pieces. Could the landing board be shorter because of this? Absolutely…

By: John

John — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 15:27:04 +0000

Hey Nick,
Great site, I am in the midst of building my first Warre hive! Question regarding the landing board. Why does it need to be a long as it is and extend all the way underneath and flush with the back edge of the floor? Seems like it could easily be have that length. Great site, answered a lot of questions for an inexperienced woodworker like me. Thanks for the effort!

By: dave

dave — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 14:51:24 +0000

dont forget the landing lights? sorry Have been watching the bee movie too much

By: Denise Chevalier

Denise Chevalier — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 16:03:44 +0000

A small group of us are building 4 hives and it’s going very well, thanks for the plans. About the entrance — the chisel cut is 90 degrees on our floors, how did you get the angle at 45 degrees? It’s a nice detail. Did you rasp it away to 45 after the initial wood removal? Exact description would be appreciated! (Even though it doesn’t matter to the bees…)

Also, do we need a queen excluder? And are there construction plans for the bee feeder? thanks!

By: chris

chris — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 19:30:11 +0000

so will the bees build their comb down on to the bottom board?

By: Logan MacGregor

Logan MacGregor — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 01:39:13 +0000

It doesn’t matter. I built two Warre’s like you mentioned, and both refused to build down when I added a new box underneath according to the Warre method. I even baited one by bringing a comb down and they still wouldn’t go. My Kenyan Top Bar Hive is performing beautifully, so I’m sticking with Langstroths and horizontal top bar hives. Sorry, but in my experience Warre isn’t worth the effort. I’ll be giving away my Warre boxes with the observation windows. Nice site, I hope others have better luck but I don’t want to do Warre boxes any more.