Warre hives.

[Curly green fingers]

Hi, an elderly gentleman has been using these hives for a while , but due to ill health is having to give beekeeping up , there local darkish girls as I can see and I've been asked if I want them , there's three colony's all on two bb how much should I be paying for them.
If I have them I want to transfer them to bs nationals.
Your thoughts please..

 

[Poly Hive]

I asked pretty much the same question though with the difference I was pricing up Nats with a nuc in them. The consensus was £225 or so.

PH

 

[Ian123]

If your the buyer my first question would be how much he wants....some will ask double what they are worth, some will be giving them away. Nothing to stop you coming back with an offer

 

[oliver90owner]

On the price of fondant some people pay, they may be worth £250 each, perhaps £300.

 

[Millet]

On the price of fondant some people pay, they may be worth £250 each, perhaps £300.

That is how much i paid for my last car..

 

[rolande]

IF the combs are all (or mainly) built neatly from individual topbars (or if he uses frames) then transfer should be easy; all other things being 'ok' then ph's price seems fair. If they're just a jumble of combs built in all directions then think of a number and halve it.

 

[viridens]

2 BB's? All proper Warre boxes should be the same size.

It seems you are interested in the bees and not the hives, but 'The Peoples' hive' as Warre called it obviously works as a system, and boxes have a value. Boxes can vary from cheap home made (Warres are easy to build) and expensive commercial, and windows in boxes are not unusual.

Transfer is not easy. You will be moving between a foundationless topbar system and National frames, which in my experience is a pain and a mess in either direction, and disruptive to the colony.

As to the price, ask, haggle and trade. You may have skills that this "elderly gentleman' would appreciate and swap for, gardening, lawn mowing or whatever.

Good luck.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Transfer is not easy.

What's difficult about a modified Bailey change? you just sit back and let the bees do the work.

 

[Murox]

The People's Hive has three forms: fixed comb, ordinary frames and open frames with closed ends/sides and no bottom-bar. Internally the boxes should be 207.5 mm high and 335 mm wide and the same long. He probably has at least one more box per hive somewhere so have a chat about all of his gear. As has been pointed out the Warre hives do have value even empty. Offer a fair price and give him some honey each year as a goodwill gesture. Transfer to nationals does not have to be too hard or traumatic.

 

[Ian123]

Jkbm is correct let the bees do the work....simply cut a piece of ply to external dimensions of largest box, then cut hole to internal dimensions of smallest box. Simply stack on top and feed them up..1 of those wire excluders are good for sliding between once Queen is up..those warred are small boxes though so maybe a bit more of a balancing act

 

[Brian Bush]

What's difficult about a modified Bailey change? you just sit back and let the bees do the work.

I agree

 

[Curly green fingers]

Thank you, as far as I'm aware there full frames , I didn't get to look inside yet at the state of the comb
But observed the bee's flying bringing in pollen, which made me think there queen right at least .
He has spare hive equipment he said I could have for free if I bought all three .
So at dinner time I've phoned him and offered him £800 the bee's are in two year old hive body's not home made . And there's enough spare hive equipment for all three .
I've said I'll give him honey as s good will gesture from each hive in the future seasons ,and I plan to leave them in the warre hives .
I'm picking the bee's up on the weekend from Llangollen .
Cheers

 

[Murox]

Thats a very generous and kind offer; hope it all works out well for you.

 

[Ian123]

Lol I remember paying £50 each for 2 wbc hives with bees.....Christ am getting old

 

[Beefriendly]

Thats a very generous and kind offer; hope it all works out well for you.

I have some poly National hives complete with bees and last years queens (good natured and prolific). I'll throw in a spare brood box, three supers and a proper miller feeder....yours for £400 each.
For a grand I'll deliver.

 

[Curly green fingers]

So is that two colony's £400 each £200 for delivery.

 

[viridens]

Good luck giving Warres a try. David Heaf's site & Biobees are good sources of information if you have not already found them.

Plenty of boxes are useful for a colony that does well. The volume of a Warre box is around 19l compared to a National super around 24l, a brood around 36l.

What's difficult about a modified Bailey change? you just sit back and let the bees do the work.

Using a Bailey-style transfer between systems is a good way as long as the bees cooperate. I have had to resort to shook swarm/chop & crop when they didn't after months of trying, including adding drawn comb and trying a nadired box in case they preferred moving down.

£800.... let me know if you need any more...

 

[Curly green fingers]

Thanks again I'm really looking forward to getting them , by what I was told on the phone there's enough equipment to keep me going sound promising .
I have my concern were to site them now maybe not at a hill apiary .
I would like now to try and get some cut comb going.

 

[Beefriendly]

So is that two colony's £400 each £200 for delivery.

Yup. Serious offer.If you are interested PM me.
Poly hives are Paynes.

 

[Curly green fingers]

Yup. Serious offer.If you are interested PM me.
Poly hives are Paynes.

Thanks for the offer , I've bought quite a few nucs already , with these and the splits I plan to do this season plus the warre hives I think that will do for a bit.
I will pm you to discuss other matters though
Heather honey .