Comments on: Warre Hive http://thebeespace.net Smart, Simple & Sustainable Beekeeping Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:52:21 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.com/ By: willie http://thebeespace.net/warre-hive/#comment-2961 willie Fri, 30 Jul 2010 03:52:21 +0000 http://thebeespace.wordpress.com/?page_id=6#comment-2961 Margie: Thanks again for all the help. Margie:

Thanks again for all the help.

]]> By: Margie in AK http://thebeespace.net/warre-hive/#comment-2959 Margie in AK Fri, 30 Jul 2010 00:43:46 +0000 http://thebeespace.wordpress.com/?page_id=6#comment-2959 Willie, I nadir (Latin, lowest point) also. If you're in one of the '48, you guys still might have a ways to go with your foraging window for the bees. They will be putting their stores overhead for the winter; that's just what bees do. If there is still another full box of food below what you're pulling off of there, you might consider putting the wet box back on the bottom. Either way, the girls will clean things up; whether its set back on, or left out for them to clean up. It depends on what you've got for extra equipment; not everyone has extra, so they have to quick turn the supers for harvest, and get them back onto the hives. If letting them clean out a wet super, make sure it's at least 20-30 ft away, so it doesn't induce robbing activity. Takes them a few hours if the weather is good. ;-) Willie, I nadir (Latin, lowest point) also. If you’re in one of the ’48, you guys still might have a ways to go with your foraging window for the bees. They will be putting their stores overhead for the winter; that’s just what bees do. If there is still another full box of food below what you’re pulling off of there, you might consider putting the wet box back on the bottom.

Either way, the girls will clean things up; whether its set back on, or left out for them to clean up. It depends on what you’ve got for extra equipment; not everyone has extra, so they have to quick turn the supers for harvest, and get them back onto the hives.

If letting them clean out a wet super, make sure it’s at least 20-30 ft away, so it doesn’t induce robbing activity. Takes them a few hours if the weather is good. ;-)

]]> By: Willie http://thebeespace.net/warre-hive/#comment-2956 Willie Thu, 29 Jul 2010 15:10:12 +0000 http://thebeespace.wordpress.com/?page_id=6#comment-2956 Margie; Thanks you so much for taking the time to help me out. I will look on U-Tube. Normally I put new boxes on the bottom, but you feel we should put the wet box back on top? Margie;
Thanks you so much for taking the time to help me out.
I will look on U-Tube.
Normally I put new boxes on the bottom, but you feel we should put the wet box back on top?

]]> By: Margie in AK http://thebeespace.net/warre-hive/#comment-2951 Margie in AK Wed, 28 Jul 2010 07:43:12 +0000 http://thebeespace.wordpress.com/?page_id=6#comment-2951 Will, this is one of the few times you would use a smoker to drive the bees downward into the lower supers. Your smoker should be up and cookin' before you start. DO TAKE CARE not to set your smoker down where you would knock it over or cause a grass fire. I set mine in a milk crate with an old pie tin in the bottom. Cheap insurance. Ideally, you should have a wire cutter or guitar string to pull between the super and the one beneath it to break the comb loose from the topbars below. This keeps you from tearing up comb. Do this slowly; the bees will move out of the way. If you can't do this, take your hive tool and lift/offset the super slightly to break the super/comb loose. Remove the quilt/roof, topbar cloth, then smoke the bees across the top edge of the super to start driving them downward. Once it appears you have most of the bees driven down, remove the super. Cover it up with another topbar cloth, or have some cardboard handy to cover the super to minimize robbing. Get the other topbar cloth back on the hive, and close it up. You can set your wet box back on the bees for them to clean up and rebuild comb; just make sure you leave a nice strip on the topbars for them. There are lots of beek videos out on YouTube to check out too. The main thing is that you need to know EXACTLY what to do with the super once you've removed it from the hive, so choreograph your tasking. ;-)) Will, this is one of the few times you would use a smoker to drive the bees downward into the lower supers.
Your smoker should be up and cookin’ before you start. DO TAKE CARE not to set your smoker down where you would knock it over or cause a grass fire. I set mine in a milk crate with an old pie tin in the bottom. Cheap insurance.

Ideally, you should have a wire cutter or guitar string to pull between the super and the one beneath it to break the comb loose from the topbars below. This keeps you from tearing up comb. Do this slowly; the bees will move out of the way. If you can’t do this, take your hive tool and lift/offset the super slightly to break the super/comb loose.

Remove the quilt/roof, topbar cloth, then smoke the bees across the top edge of the super to start driving them downward.

Once it appears you have most of the bees driven down, remove the super. Cover it up with another topbar cloth, or have some cardboard handy to cover the super to minimize robbing. Get the other topbar cloth back on the hive, and close it up.

You can set your wet box back on the bees for them to clean up and rebuild comb; just make sure you leave a nice strip on the topbars for them.

There are lots of beek videos out on YouTube to check out too. The main thing is that you need to know EXACTLY what to do with the super once you’ve removed it from the hive, so choreograph your tasking. ;-) )

]]> By: Willie http://thebeespace.net/warre-hive/#comment-2950 Willie Wed, 28 Jul 2010 04:29:07 +0000 http://thebeespace.wordpress.com/?page_id=6#comment-2950 So do you try to get the bees out of the upper box before you take it apart or just have at it. So do you try to get the bees out of the upper box before you take it apart or just have at it.

]]> By: Margie in AK http://thebeespace.net/warre-hive/#comment-2949 Margie in AK Wed, 28 Jul 2010 03:15:16 +0000 http://thebeespace.wordpress.com/?page_id=6#comment-2949 Here you go Willie; scroll down. http://warre.biobees.com/methods.htm I usually buy food grade buckets or the like from a local restaurant equipment supplier to save on freight from the '48. I usually put up my honey as either chunk or comb honey. A comb cutter for the latter can be purchased through someone like Brushy Mountain Bee. Regardless, count on making a mess, LOL! I buy the foil oven bottom liners to use for my cutting, and feed the leftover mess back to the bees; they'll clean it all up. Here you go Willie; scroll down.

http://warre.biobees.com/methods.htm

I usually buy food grade buckets or the like from a local restaurant equipment supplier to save on freight from the ’48.

I usually put up my honey as either chunk or comb honey. A comb cutter for the latter can be purchased through someone like Brushy Mountain Bee.

Regardless, count on making a mess, LOL! I buy the foil oven bottom liners to use for my cutting, and feed the leftover mess back to the bees; they’ll clean it all up.

]]> By: Willie http://thebeespace.net/warre-hive/#comment-2948 Willie Wed, 28 Jul 2010 00:16:57 +0000 http://thebeespace.wordpress.com/?page_id=6#comment-2948 This is my first year of bee keeping and I am having great sucess with 2 Warre Hives. Both are on there 4 box and it is only mid summer. But, I have not found anything about harvesting the honey in a Warre Hive. Does one have a link or ideas about Harvesting the Honey. This is my first year of bee keeping and I am having great sucess with 2 Warre Hives. Both are on there 4 box and it is only mid summer.
But, I have not found anything about harvesting the honey in a Warre Hive. Does one have a link or ideas about Harvesting the Honey.

]]> By: Matt Reed http://thebeespace.net/warre-hive/#comment-2680 Matt Reed Thu, 13 May 2010 04:10:40 +0000 http://thebeespace.wordpress.com/?page_id=6#comment-2680 If you're looking for another supplier of assembled and unassembled Warre hives, as well as horizontal top bar hives, feel free to take a look at our site or send us an e-mail: http://www.beethinking.com Cheers, Matt If you’re looking for another supplier of assembled and unassembled Warre hives, as well as horizontal top bar hives, feel free to take a look at our site or send us an e-mail: http://www.beethinking.com

Cheers,
Matt

]]> By: Margie in AK http://thebeespace.net/warre-hive/#comment-2663 Margie in AK Wed, 05 May 2010 00:32:47 +0000 http://thebeespace.wordpress.com/?page_id=6#comment-2663 My top bars aren't nailed in. Like a few other Warre-ors I know, I put a small kerf notch in the end of the bars, and have brads nailed onto the rebate to maintain spacing. This allows the hive to be inspected, which is required in some states/countries. My top bars aren’t nailed in. Like a few other Warre-ors I know, I put a small kerf notch in the end of the bars, and have brads nailed onto the rebate to maintain spacing.

This allows the hive to be inspected, which is required in some states/countries.

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