You can build a Warre Hive for free! Don’t you just love it when you get great ideas? I know I do. This idea is a really good one too…
We all want stuff for free. So what if you could build a bee hive for free? That’s right…no materials cost, no wood cost, no glue cost. Free.
Free Beehives?
Would you do it?
Here is the basic idea…
Just build two hives and sell one.
All you have to do is this:
When you cut a piece of wood, cut one extra.
When you glue one side, glue one extra.
When you nail a board, nail one extra.
When you finish your Warre beehive, you will have one extra!
Then, sell it for whatever you feel is a fair value.
You could sell on Craig’s List. Or eBay. Or to your next door neighbor.
In the end, you will cover your hive costs.
Who knows, you might even make some money!
If you do this, let me know how it goes…I would love to hear from you!
14 responses so far ↓
Robin // February 12, 2009 at 11:23 pm |
…or alternatively, use an old pallet for your wood and then you are recycling. See http://tinyurl.com/derxvn (links to BioBees.com)
Nick // February 14, 2009 at 11:13 am |
Robin – Great idea! Thanks for your comment. I think that is worth a future blog post.
JanedaPain // February 15, 2009 at 1:53 pm |
We are hosting an event to build a bee hive, it is a part of our urban sustainable plan. Thanks for the tips and really through instructions. We are going to try to build several Warre Hives at our RUST-E Bee party…thanks!!!
Nick // February 16, 2009 at 10:15 am |
JanedaPain – Hey, that is great! Can you give me a link to your Bee Party? I will be glad to do a blog post on it. Might help you to get the word out.
roy rayner // August 23, 2009 at 9:03 am |
please mail to me a complete set of beehive constructin pans. Sincerely. roy rayner 2117 south 48th. st. omaha, nebraska 68106
gary peek sr // October 22, 2009 at 8:14 pm |
yes, very interested in building bee hives and interested in organic bees ? need all the help i can get (retired) cabinet maker. live on a farm and raise acres of sun flowers
Michael Hyland // December 2, 2009 at 4:42 am |
I am a ‘new’ beekeeper of only 2 season’s experience and I have 2 commercial hives. I have never liked opening the hives because it seems obvious that this is going to stress the colonony. I have just read about the Warre system and it just ‘feels right’. I live in Devon (near Newton Abbot) and would welcome any advice about building a hive (I would find it easier it there was one to copy so would be happy to buy one ) and using this system. Is there anyone out there who can help? Anyone who would like to sell one? I don’t fully understand about what you do to get the bees to build without frames and how the honey is extracted
Michael
Scot McPherson // December 2, 2009 at 11:33 am |
Michael,
Download the plans from this website. It makes it really easy to understand how to cut and assemble the lumber. Very simple very clean design drawings.
Nicki Penaluna // February 7, 2010 at 10:16 am |
I have standard hives designed to take frames. They were built by my husband. Can I convert them to Warré style hives? He can make the top bars for me and do any alterations necessary. We have lots of wild swarms around here and I am keen to house a few.
nicole // February 17, 2010 at 6:40 am |
this is crap what you are giving me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Scot McPherson // February 17, 2010 at 8:04 am |
Nicole, what is you exact complaint?
Nicki Penaluna // February 18, 2010 at 1:15 am |
I’d love some feedback on my query – I need to put my colony in a new brood box this spring. They were given to me by a friend and I want to change them over to a new hive. I’d love to change to TBH . Can I get some advice from anyone. I have standard national boxes built by my husband. The internal dimensions are slightly smaller than the national because he used thicker timber for insulation. What do you think would happen if I put a brood box under the colony with Warré type top bars and no frames. Would it be a disaster. I hate opening the colony and so do my bees – they are very productive and very strong and I don’t want to lose them or mess them about.
Laura Workman // February 18, 2010 at 8:38 am |
Nicki, from reading “Beekeeping for All” just yesterday (such is my entire experience with Warre hives), it appears that the standard boxes are too large to work effectively as Warre hives. It seems as though it would be much, much simpler to just start from scratch and build Warre hives. Then you could maybe sell your standard hives to recoup some of the expense!
Nicki Penaluna // February 18, 2010 at 11:05 am |
Thank you for that comment Laura. I shall probably build some hTBH like Phil Chandlers. They will be easier for me than the Warré hives. I was just trying to utilise what I already had – but take your point – I can probably sell them quite easily.