Warre Dadant adapter- 3 frames ok ?

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charentejohn

New Bee
Joined
Apr 27, 2019
Messages
61
Reaction score
17
Location
Central France
Hive Type
warre
Number of Hives
2
I will be populating a Warre next spring and am making the bits for it.
I can buy an established swarm on Dadant frames (would be the same with any similar ones) and wondered if 3 frames in the adapter would work ok.

I have made a 5 frame Nuc box that fits on the Warre and that will work ok. The person supplying the frames next year does 3 or 5 frame options.
From my point of view 3 would be better as I want them to move down into the Warre during the year, so the less dadant frames they fill the better.
As dadant are basically 2x the size of a warre then a 3 frame nuc is about the same volume as a Warre hive body.

I assume this will not be a problem in that the top box will be long and thin. The install will be in April / May (weather permitting) so they will have all year to extend down.
Hopefully at the end of the year I can remove the adapter and they will be in 3 Warre boxes going into winter. If not the adapter will stay till the following year. Just considering the hive sizes.

I will be using the warre quilt and cloth in the adapters so there will be no bee space above the frames, for winter heat considerations.

Any thoughts appreciated. I have attached a photo of the hive and adapter as they will be.
 

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You say you want them to move down into the Warre, but in the picture is not the Warre on the top? It would then be acting as a honey super.!
Did this with a National and it worked a treat.
 
Yes, I decided it was easier to keep the Warre roof and quilt rather than make a new one. So the lid of the adapter roof has a warre sized square on top as in the photos.

An alternative I should have mentioned is using the 5 frame adapter (x2) and putting in two Dadant frames with Warre frames attached and the rest blanked off. So they could expand into them but easily moved to the Warre later.

Summer not problem and if I start them in May they will be well into the two Warre boxes by summer. We can get real cold snaps here -16c sometimes but usually just morning frosts by then, and I will be feeding them.

I am assuming that with only 3 Dadant frames it will be ok to remove them and tha adapter by August ? and nadir a 3rd box at the same time.
 

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Last edited:
It’s your hive and your choice but it seems a lot of effort and chance that things won’t go to plan. Why not simply populate with a swarm.
 
Fair point but basically I was late gettting all ready this year.
Someone did bring a swarm but it was queenless so they all left, shame as a good natured lot despite their problems.
I was also a bit late for a package of bees, some still selling but not with a great reputation.

Never had to populate a hive so no experience but the sequence seems to be. Swarm is good as local but may also just leave. Package is an unknown quantity in many respects, this would be a last resort for me.
Buying on frames is a solid system. Bees are invested in it, loads of stores and brood with a laying queen. Should stay put and, in the case of my local source, of a known 'free range' type.

As I am having to wait till next year I will go with the Nuc of frames system I think. She describes the bees as Buckfast(ish) as they can mix with locals but she has (I think looking at google earth) about 40+ hives so a closed community and high chance of mating with similar drones.
In french just use google translate https://s1dabeilles.jimdo.com/ the photo on the page shows no hives but google earth shows loads. She just breeds to sell using splits. She did not want to sell me one now as she is worrried that they will not establish in time for winter. Borderline but obviously welfare over profit.
 
We did a chop and crop when we put ours in originally.
A nice messy business, but you save the majority of the brood and stores.
 

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