As you can see, Brenden chose to build his hive out of 3/4″ plywood coated with a weather and water sealant.  Plywood is inexpensive and durable, however it does contain glues which may over time emit gases into the hive.  Brenden said that does not bother him.  I happen to be a little leery of plywood, though.  To each his own!

It was very hot earlier this summer here in NW Oregon.  Brenden’s Warre hive had so many bees in it that they created a beard at the hive entrance during the high heat.  Honeybees will do this to help cool the hive.  My bees also bearded during the hot spell, but not as energetically as Brenden’s.  Brenden told me that he thought his bees were going to swarm, even though they had plenty of space to build honeycomb.  He snapped this photo of the bee beard.  That is a lot of bees!

There is so much flora and fauna in the city that Brenden’s Warre hive is now five hive boxes tall!  Each box is packed with honeycomb, honey, pollen, nectar and honeybees.  I bet that his neighbors appreciate the pollinating that the bees do for their flowers and gardens.  Who knows, maybe they will be interested in keeping bees themselves?  Having a beehive in every backyard would go a long way to increasing the numbers of honeybees in our cities and suburbs.

Thanks to Brenden for the great photos!

On Tuesday, April 22, 2008, I installed a package of bees in the first Warre Hive here in NW Oregon, USA. It has been one week since then, and the bees are happily living in their new home. They have been bringing in a good bit of pollen and and nectar. There is a creek in the gully near the hive, so I do not need put out any water for them.

I checked last night and they have already drawn out one bar of comb to the floor and are working diligently on the other comb. I will add another hive box within two weeks…possibly sooner depending on how good the nectar flow is, how good the weather is and how strong the bee package will turn out to be. There are so many variables in a honeybee’s world!

Installing a bee package is easy when the bees are calm

Two days ago I was able to install a package of bees which were purchased from Ruhl Bee Supply into a Warre Beehive which I had assembled. The bees were surprisingly calm, considering they had just made a long trip from Southern California. After I readied the beehive by rubbing the inside with beeswax, I set it up on a steady hive stand made of 4×4′s and 2″ lumber. Then, I sprayed the bees with a spray bottle containing a mixture of sugar and water in order to make sure they remained completely calm.

I removed four top bars of the first hive box, and opened the package of bees. I took out the Queen Cage and removed the cork plug which keeps her inside. I shoved a marshmallow candy into the end and placed the cage on the floor of the hive towards the back. The bees will release the Queen in their own time by eating the candy at their own pace.

The big moment arrived…emptying the bees into the hive

I took the package and inverted it over the hive box and shook the bees over the Queen Cage. A couple of taps on the end of the package loosened the grip of the remaining bees and I helped them into the hive with their sisters. I placed the empty cage on the ground leaning against the entrance of the hive so that any bees left in the package could find their way into the hive. I placed the cloth, quilt and roof on the hive box after replacing the top bars I had removed.

I placed some honey in a feeder dish nearby and then stood back to watch the new hive. Within 5 minutes, the sentinel bees had started to fan at the entrance of the hive. They were emitting a scent to draw in any bees that had become separated from the main cluster during the hiving process. After I was finished, I realized that this package installation was the fastest I have ever done, mainly due to the ease of use of the Warre Hive. It pays to use good equipment…especially when you are keeping bees.

In 2007, I discovered a new hive design

This spring (2008) I am experimenting with a new beehive design.  Since I started beekeeping, I have always used the standard ten frame Langstroth hive which is predominant here in America.  In the fall of 2007, I learned of a new hive design through the Organicbeekeepers Group on Yahoo.  This new hive design was named after its developer, Emile Warre.

Emile Warre was a Frenchman who used over 350 different hives in his effort to develop a hive which was simple, low in cost and of benefit to both the honeybees and the beekeeper.  Warre wrote a book which outlines his experiences and demonstrates his hive system, which he called The People’s Hive.  It has been translated into English by Mr. David Heaf of Wales and is available for free download.  Mr. Heaf is also the moderator for the Warrebeekeepers Group on Yahoo. I joined and learned much from the knowledgeable beekeepers on that group.

I began my adventure…

I read Warre’s book and my curiosity was piqued by his take on beekeeping.  I decided to take the plunge.  I downloaded the free plans for the Warre Hive, purchased some wood and nails and built a couple of hives for less than $65 dollars apiece.  I am pleased by how they turned out.  I will post some photos of them soon. I still need to paint them, and will put some bees in them in the very near future.