A Warre hive is a vertical top bar hive that is simple to build and easy to use. The cost is about one-third to one-fourth the cost of one standard ten frame Langstroth hive. A Warre (pronounced war-ray) hive is simple to manage and maintain. Also known as tiered or supered supered top bar hives, a vertical top bar hive is such as the Warre hive is friendly to the bees since they are allowed to draw out their own comb, thereby ensuring a hive environment that is healthier and better suited to their own needs.
Characteristics of the Warre hive
Warre hives have a simple hive box with no frames. The bees draw down their own comb from top bars affixed to each box. The quilt provides a layer of insulation to the hive. It sits under the roof on top of the uppermost box, as you can see below.
Warre hives are easy to build from materials available at your building supply shop. The Warre hive is designed so that it will not take enormous amounts of time out of your busy schedule. In short, the Warre Hive is a good solution for those who are interested in keeping bees simply, naturally and wholesomely without harsh chemicals or medications.
Description of the Warre hive
The Warre Hive comprises tiers of identical boxes fitted with top-bars, but no frames. Its essential design and usage features can be summarised as follows:
Image and description courtesy of the Warre English Portal
- hive-body box internal dimensions 300 x 300 x 210 mm, with projecting handles
- eight 36mm centred 24mm wide top-bars resting in rebates in each box (NO FRAMES)
- wax starter strips under each top bar (NO FOUNDATION)
- flat floor, notched with a 120mm wide entrance, alighting board
- coarse weave cloth covering the top-bars of the top box
- 100 mm high ‘quilt’ boxed with wood, filled with straw, sawdust, wood shavings etc., retained with cloth
- gabled roof containing a ventilated ‘loft’ and separated from the quilt by a mouse-proof board
Here are some more features of the Warre Hive:
- the bees build natural comb in the first (top) box and extend downwards into further boxes
- new boxes are added at the bottom
- one or more boxes of honey are harvested from the top after the main flow
- the bees winter on two boxes of comb containing a minimum of 12 kg stores (France)
- honey is harvested by draining, or by centrifuging combs in baskets
- at the spring visit, the hive is expanded by one or more boxes, containing with starter strips or comb
History of the Warre hive
The Warre Hive (also known as the People’s Hive) was developed in France by Emile Warré (1876?-1951). Warré developed the People’s Hive after experimenting with over 350 hives of various designs and types. It was his goal to find a hive system that was simple, natural, economical, and bee-friendly. The result was the People’s Hive (Ruche Populaire). He outlined the construction and operation of the hive in his book “Beekeeping for All.” This book is available in English as a free download. If you are interested, English Plans for the Warre Hive are also available.
Warré is not alone in his findings, though. In 1783, a German beekeeper named Johann Ludwig Christ developed a beekeeping system almost identical to that of Warre. And in Japan, many beekeepers still employ a similar system of beekeeping that has been in constant use since the Edo period of Japanese history (A.D.1586 to A.D.1911).
I want a Warre hive…Where Can I Get One?
Currently, there are no US or Canadian suppliers of ready made Warre Hive parts and supplies. In fact, there is only one commercial supplier in the world at this time; Herr Thuminger and Associates. They are located in Vienna, Austria and can deliver ready made hives and hive parts to most of Europe and the UK. For beekeepers in North America there are two options: build your own, or download the plans and have a carpenter build a hive for you. Hopefully in the near future beekeepers in US and Canada will have the option of purchasing ready made Warre Hives from a North American supplier.
More Info
Check out the Warre English Portal for more info.
41 responses so far ↓
Peter // May 28, 2008 at 3:43 am |
I’ve been keeping bees for the last ten years, here in New Brunswick, Canada. My bees are housed in the conventional Langstroth style hives. Over the past several years I’ve watched as the ” Hobbyist ” beekeepers have been infected by diseases I attribute to the pollination beekeeping industry. Varroa is a real problem in our region now, although I’ve relatively little in my apiary. I can’t reconcile myself to having to so heavily medicate my bees against so many ailments when my goal is to produce as ” pure and natural ” a product as possible. For this reason I intend to build a few Warre hives for next summer, and I am very happy to have newly discovered this website. It will be of great value.
I’m looking forward to the Warre Hive step by step construction guide.
Peter
Oxbow Apiary
New Brunswick, Canada
Charles // June 26, 2008 at 7:40 pm |
I agree w/Peter. Nice to find this site, & I’m looking forward to the plans. I would very much like to keep a hive or two of bees in Warre hives starting in 2009–to compare and contrast with the hive I have currently housed in a Kenyan top bar hive.
Andre // November 15, 2008 at 11:17 pm |
I plan on starting beekeeping this spring with 2 Warre. I read the “Apiculture pour tous” (Beekeeping for All) e-book, and also looked at a few improvements made on the Warre hive, by Marc Gatineau, Freres & Guillaume, Gilles Denis (who uses Warre hives professionally)…
I am glad to find fellow North Americans using the Warre hive.
Andre
Gold Bar, WA, USA.
Nick // November 17, 2008 at 10:39 pm |
Andre – Looks like you have been doing a good bit of research. There are many great variations on the basic Warre Hive which we feature here.
Thanks for the link to Gilles Denis. I put it on my Links Page. Good luck with your beekeeping adventure!
James // December 18, 2008 at 1:12 pm |
Can you help me with something. Perhaps I’ve missed something, but does each “box” have a floor. If so, how do the honeybees get from box-to-box vertically?
Thanks.
Nick // December 18, 2008 at 3:49 pm |
James – There is only one floor at the bottom of the hive. All the hive boxes stack on that. That way the bees can climb throughout the hive by slipping in between the top bars. Look at the Warre Hive Installation to see how the hive goes together.
Paul // January 3, 2009 at 2:37 am |
You wrote: “In 1783, another French beekeeper named Johann Ludwig Christ developed a beekeeping system almost identical to that of Warre.”
I think he was from Germany
You wrote: “was developed in France by Émile Warré(1876-1951)”
1876? where did you get that birth year ?
Nick // January 5, 2009 at 3:36 pm |
Paul – Thanks for the tip! I have edited the page accordingly.
One of my readers sent me a comment containing what they thought was Warre’s birth year. Thus it should be formatted like this: (1876?-1951) Again thanks for your help!
Andrew // March 3, 2009 at 1:53 pm |
I keep colonies of bees in the New Forest ,England. I am concerned at the way we have interfered with the bee. So I am building 3 Warre hives as a test for this years arrival of the inevitable Spring swarms. Very exciting. Thank you for the links to the great plans
Nick // March 4, 2009 at 10:03 am |
Andrew – Thank you for you comment. And you are welcome for the plans.
Chris De Vere // October 9, 2009 at 8:40 am |
Andrew
I also live in the New Forest. I started beekeeping this year, 2009. How did you get on with your Warre hives? Did you move any existing colonies from larger hives into the Warres? Or did you just collect swarms?
With kind regards
Chris.
Andrew Sheerin // October 12, 2009 at 12:06 am |
Hi Chris.
I lost 5 put of my 12 colonies last winter, so I decided a change was needed. That’s why I built the Warres. I also use commercials, the 5 I lost were put out as bait hives and all filled within a few months. The Bees seemed less willing to use the Warre’s at first. So I picked up 2 late swarms which are now happily in the Warres.
I have not inspected the hives yet, but froom the amount of bees going in &out and the weight of the hive, hopefully all is well.
Speak again soon
Kindest Regards
Andrew
Bob Groves // December 17, 2009 at 4:28 am |
Hi,
I’m another New Forest beekeeper building a Warre hive. Chris and Andrew we ought to get together and discuss things and see how the hives progress in 2010. Please contact me.
Bob.
Trackback // March 23, 2009 at 4:38 am |
[...] due a parlare di Apicoltura Naturale in Italia) sarà che mi sto lanciando nella costruzione di un’arnia Warrè ma la trasformazione sperata sta già avvenendo. Non muovo passo senza registrare lo sviluppo delle [...]
Steve Conlon // March 31, 2009 at 5:34 am |
If one embraces the concept of a top bar, then what is the problem with bottom bars and end bars? As I look at this phenomenon of people embracing the top bar concept, I can see that foundation is a discussable subject, but end bars and bottom bars have no impact on the bees but make the bkpr’s manipulations much easier and possible.
Nick // May 8, 2009 at 1:22 pm |
Steve – Thanks for your thoughts Steve! Bottom and end bars create a lot of empty space in the beehive. In a top bar hive the comb is built right up to the sides of the beehive. In a frame beehive, there is quite a bit of empty space caused by the extra wood surrounding the comb. This empty space must be heated by the bees, resulting in less efficiency than if that empty space was eliminated.
Also, there is the whole concept of “manipulations.” Do we really need to manipulate the beehive? Is it healthy to open the hive and move the comb around? Beehives in the wild survive without our manipulations. The concept of natural beekeeping focuses on non-manipulation and non-intrusion. Top bar hives are a good fit for this overall approach to beekeeping.
Kirsten // April 26, 2009 at 7:22 pm |
Thank you so much for this website! I am new to beekeeping and just completed building three Warre hives –they are very beautiful! I live on the western slope of the Tetons in Idaho and am hoping this will be a good hive for our harsh climate. Speaking of harsh climates, I have a few questions for you. Our bees are due to arrive tomorrow evening. Yet it is snowing heavily outside
! We have been struggling with what to do with our new package of bees. Our choices are to 1) go ahead and install the package into their homes outside 2) install them in their hives but keep them in our sunroom/greenhouse (~50 F at night). Do you have any recommendations? I have decided to feed them dry table sugar (or Fondant if I can get it) and also include sugar syrup to cover all bases…. really this is a rude awakening to the learning process, so any advice is greatly appreciated!
Thanks!
Nick // May 8, 2009 at 10:26 am |
Kirsten – Installing the bees and then keeping them in the greenhouse sounds like your best bet. You will need to move the bees eventually. Move the hive at night when the bees are all inside the hive. Then, keep the doors and windows of the greenhouse tightly shut to prevent the bees going back to the old hive location.
Ideally, you will want to move the beehive quite a distance away from the greenhouse when the time comes to do the move.
Mandie Young // April 27, 2009 at 8:19 am |
Hi there from North Yorkshire in the UK.
My kids and I are starting to keep bees this year, with a donated hive from Freecycle, some internet-downloaded factsheets, a very helpful neighbour, and (hopefully) lots of luck.
My neighbour suggested that we looked at top bar hives, and the Abbe Warre hive in particular, as a more sustainable way to keep bees. We have just printed off your plans this afternoon, and my son, daughter and I will start building our first Warre hive this weekend.
THank you so much, not just for the plans, and the construction tips, but for the helpful advice and links.
Kind regards
The YOUNG family
Richmond, North Yorkshire
Nick // May 8, 2009 at 10:21 am |
Mandie – Thanks for your kind words! Sounds like you all are really getting into the spirit of Natural Beekeeping. I wish you good luck for your first year of beekeeping.
Kirsten // May 15, 2009 at 9:53 am |
Thanks so much for your reply Nick! We ended up hiving them in the enclosed room and then moved them outside a few days later when the weather was a bit warmer. It is still cold at night (30’s and even high 20’s F at night) but warm 55-60 F in the daytime. I fed them with bakers sugar on the top bars for a week or so and now am feeding them with yard feeders (upside down jars outside of hive) of sugar syrup. They are now returning covered in pollen and all seems well. As it gets warmer I will wean them off of the syrup. I do not like the bottom feeder (we built from the plans) because it seems to extend the bottom box which allows combs to be drawn out deeper, and if you don’t watch it then when you go to put another box underneath, the combs are too long. This happened to me and I accidentally broke a brood comb. Now their comb pattern seems to be off so I am wondering if I should remove the comb that I broke and left in the hive. Although I have not tried it yet, I will think about the top feeder in the future, although hopefully I will not have to worry as next year they will have their own stores and not be a new package. Has anyone else used the bottom feeder and have similar issues?
Thanks so much for your website! It is daunting to be new to beekeeping, and more so to have a hive that not many other beekeepers out there are using. Thanks for providing a site for us all!
-Kirsten
Nick // May 28, 2009 at 9:31 pm |
Kirsten – Congratulations on your new beehive! It sounds like your queen is doing well and hopefully your new baby bees will be hatching soon. Thanks for your kind words. I am glad you enjoy the site.
Don’t worry about the broken comb. Just leave it and let the bees take care of it. They may remove it, or incorporate it into the rest of the comb structure. I had someone else tell me that their beehive built some comb into the bottom feeder too. So, I guess the trick is check the feeder every couple of days to make sure the bees are not building comb into the trough.
Deborah // May 26, 2009 at 6:38 pm |
Hi, Nick! Your site has been the most inspirational of anything I have explored these days. I finally got my bees three days ago. Unfortunately, I ordered a Langstroth hive at the same time as the bees in January right before I ran across your site. So, as much as I’m excited about my bees, I’m a little bummed about all the drawbacks of the Lang. The beekeeper who sold me the nuc of bees and equipment said that I should feed my bees sugar syrup until the middle of the summer and pollen patties for the rest of the year until Christmas. Does that sound right to you? I notice that you recommend feeding them honey, but how do I know that it’s not contaminated with foulbrood or something else? Anyway, I gave them the sugar syrup, but they seem to be all too happy to stay inside the hive gorgeing on the syrup than in foraging when I still see black locust and white clover blooming. Should I take away the syrup? I don’t feel comfortable feeding them sugar when it’s so devoid of nutrients.
Nick // May 28, 2009 at 10:14 pm |
Deborah – I think your beekeeper friend was drinking a little too much mead.
You can remove the sugar syrup. You don’t need to feed sugar during the summer. As you can see, your bees will ignore it. They are not dumb; they know when there is better food to be had. As to pollen patties in fall? Do plants produce pollen in the fall? No. So, feeding pollen patties up to Christmas is definitely “out of season” for the bees. It is best to let the beehive live it’s life season by season. Each season affects the beehive in different ways, and each season is important. Strive to maintain the rhythm of the cycle of the year.
Rob // May 27, 2009 at 2:15 pm |
I am curious and interested with the bar top hives. I have looked into setting up several unique types of top bar hives, but I always come down to the same questions. Frame manipulation is made much more difficult with the brace comb being drawn out clear to the sides of the hive. I think it is important as beekeepers to establish good beekeeping practices. Keeping track of the hives queen, observing the brood pattern, making sure of adequate honey and pollen stores, observing the amount of drone comb, requeening when needed. All these things are part of beekeeping rather than “bee-having” for lack of a better term, and I am curious as to how easily these things can be accomplished using the warre type hive?
Nick // May 28, 2009 at 10:53 pm |
Rob – Thanks for your question! To answer your question I am writing another blog post. Thanks for your inspiration!
Rob // May 29, 2009 at 6:49 am |
Thanks Nick, I am looking forward to the blog post. Thanks too, for the website, a lot of time has gone into this and I appreciate it.
Nick // May 29, 2009 at 6:34 pm |
Rob – Thank you Rob for your kind words!
Philip // July 14, 2009 at 7:43 am |
Hello Nick,
Thank you for posting info on the Warre hive.
I started beekeeping this spring, read about top bar hives, Gunther Hauk, Rudolf Steiner, and decided to build my own hives. I have copied the
one-room “Golden Hive” design I found at the Melissa Garden site and have 2 of these hives going, and also another top bar hive I purchased at
Beekind in Sebastopol, CA. I have windows in all my hives so I can watch my bees and see how they draw comb. I also captured a swarm in a
June that is flourishing. I’ve read that when bees are allowed to draw their own comb, and control the size of the cells, there are less Varroa mites, which is the case with my hives. I am building a 4th hive and this one will follow the Warre design,
but I wanted it to be a “hybrid” of sorts so I can either put on Langstroth frames one way or top bars the other way. This way I can combine a nuc
or other combinations with others. (I know several beeks that use Langstroth hives, but only use starter strips) I am making a screened bottom and will have an inspection board below that. Photos available. My question is, if you start with a broodbox and add another box below, how do you harvest honey from the top?
Vicki // July 25, 2009 at 10:53 pm |
Hi;
I’m in BC but will b moving to NB in a couple years. Once there we have gardening plans, etc & I was extremly interested in starting 1 or 2 hives.
Sustained hives sound like the ideal situation for me AND the bees. Just my speed!*L*
I was wondering about good starter tips & knowing anyone in lower NB that has an apiary; but, also, how the honey would b potentially harvested in a top feeder.
I was at a local apiary’s tour & they, as a comp., don’t use the Warre method. If u harvest from the top, is there then no more larva there,etc & is then “just storage” because the hive is on the “bottom” & is continuing to move on down as they build?
Too, what is the best method for having/building a viewing window? Any links I’ve seen so far have dumped me at french sites &b I get lost. ( the french isn’t so good anymore after 15 years out west…. :S
Philip // July 26, 2009 at 9:57 am |
Vicki,
This is my method for creating a viewing window:
chose a side of the hive that is at the side or opposite of the entrance, and center its dimensions. Say 4″x12″. Next you will need a drill, jigsaw and router. Purchase a piece of plexiglass that is 4″x 12″ (or whatever size you want). Measure a rectangle that is 3/4″ smaller than your glass, 3-1/4″ x 11-1/4″, and cut out this hole using the drill at the corners to start your jigsaw cut. Next, you will router out a 3/8″ wide lip by 1/8″ deep lip on the inside. This is where the glass lays.
I use a silicone sealer and six tiny brass screws to make sure it’s secure. On the outside, you’ll need to make a window cover, 4″ x 12″, with a 3/8″ x 3/8″ routered edge that will fit into the “porthole”.
You can make supports or attach hinges to hold the bottom, and create a simple latch at the top.
What Should We Build? | Chiot's Run // July 27, 2009 at 11:50 pm |
[...] in an additional 40 sq feet (perhaps sweet corn)? Mr Chiots and I have also considered building a Warre hive. We are hoping to get yet another hive of bees next spring and we really want to try the Warre top [...]
eric de lorimier // August 6, 2009 at 1:21 am |
hi,Nick
i have build Warre hives and i am very happy whit it .For now i made 8 and will transfer all my 10 langstroth into Warre . I will come again and again to your site
Eric
ste Julienne Qc Canada
Annie // August 13, 2009 at 9:49 pm |
Nick,
I built one of your hives hoping to catch a swarm this summer. A friend called with a hollow tree that they wanted cut down but it had a hive of honeybees in it. I was able to get the bees into my new Warre hive along with some of their honey and brood. I am very excited about my first beekeeping experiences. I do have a few questions though. It is mid August and although we were able to get some honey and brood it didn’t fill up the box. Should I wait a few weeks and check again to see if they need another box on the hive or just put one on to begin with? I want to make sure that they’ll have enough honey for the winter but I feel like they’re getting a late start because we moved them so late in the season. Also, should I be feeding them?
Thank you so much for all the wonderful information and the time you put into this awesome web site!!!
Annie
Eugene, OR
Chris De Vere // October 9, 2009 at 8:36 am |
Hello Nick
Thanks for your site. I started beekeeping this year, and built a National hive. I am pretty new to all this but the more I read about beekeeping the more I really like the idea of the Warre approach. But how do I move my bees from the National into a Warre? What about all their brood and stores?
Any advice would be appreciated.
With kind regards
Chris.
Jim Spice // October 12, 2009 at 10:42 am |
Hello Nick,
I’m very interested in the warre hive, but have a few concerns if you or anyone can comment.
Is it possible to lift several boxes without seperating them to place one underneath.
If one can remove a box of honey from the top can this be done easily. I can imagine pulling a chese wire through the join.
Do we still treat for Varroa in any way and would an open mesh floor go against the warre principle.
And above all what happens when the Bee inspector calls and wants to remove comb.
Regards Jim.
BillSF9c // November 5, 2009 at 3:00 pm |
Jim, Warré was in France when he did all these studies. You can well imagine that someone keeping bees elsewhere could have vastly different weather & issues. Some folks do add a screened bottom. you could start w/o one, and build it to use if & when you want to try that. often beeks will not use these in the winter, anyway.
There is a lift that is like a cross between a hand-truck and a forklift that can be made, or a friend can help you lift the boxes. Each will be about 50 lbs/25 Kg, if full.
The “traditional” nailed in top bar, need not be nailed in. You can resort to a variety of simple measures. Then they are like any Top Bar hive, but with less weight of comb to break off the Top Bar than many large top bar hives have.
Margie in AK // November 5, 2009 at 11:05 pm |
To add to Bill’s comment, I removed the bottom bars from my frames and used starter strips this year. The bees finished drawing out the comb. This setup is a Guillarme (sp) frame, which allows the frame to be removed without breaking comb attached to the walls, as you still have sidebars in place.
Personally I wouldn’t allow an inspector to handle my frames; I’d be happy to that myself; they’re *my* girls, afterall.
On the screen bottom, you can also make a solid insert for it as well; this is a good way to check your hive health without opening stuff up, so think about making the bottom with a drawer or slideout type option for use when doing a mite count.
Beehives - Page 2 - Woodwork Forums // November 17, 2009 at 3:52 am |
[...] to build a bee hive. I'm building a Warre hive, which is a vertical top bar hive like this one : Warre Hive The Bee Space there is also the Kenyan top bar hive like this How To Build A Top Bar Hive by Philip Chandler in [...]
Happy New Year 2010 « Imladris Gardens // January 1, 2010 at 12:51 pm |
[...] which then led me to look for more information about the Warre hive. You can find more information here. Overall it looks interesting and I may consider trying it — probably not next year but [...]
Warre Hive Construction « Bay Branch Farm // February 1, 2010 at 9:43 pm |
[...] think The Bee Space has done a nice job summarizing what a Warre hive is. There are links to Emile Warré book [...]