Warre Hives.

[Dishmop]

Interested to hear how other members got thier bees into a Warre hive.

 

[Brosville]

The classic way is using a swarm - with two boxes, remove several of the bars from the top box, and spread some fresh grass over the bars mounted at the top of the box below (to act as a shock absorber), then position the skep/box over the top, and give it a whack or two until the bees are in the hive - replace the bars, add the quilt and roof, job done!

 

[oliver90owner]

I think the 'classic way' would be to run the swarm into the entrance (in the evening, preferably, as less likely to immediately abscond).

Sloping board, white sheet, invert skep or box to get bees on sheet, watch them (and see the queen, most likely) crawl up into the entrance.

More 'classic' than just dumping the bees in the top of the hive (which I often do, BTW).

Regards, RAB

 

[Chris Luck]

See the Queen walk up? I've never seen the Queen walk up, surely she is smuggled in and not the first to go? Otherwise I prefer to walk them in, but I guess I just enjoy watching them. As far as absconding goes, I just screw a Hornet grill across the entrance for a couple of days to keep the Queen at home.

Chris

 

[justme]

Hornet grill, dont think we have them here, yet....

 

[oliver90owner]

I've never seen the Queen walk up, surely she is smuggled in and not the first to go?

Certainly not the first to go, but to suggest she is 'smuggled in' is totally wrong. She will not be covered by worker bees, so will walk over them if not with them. Easy to spot if one is observant. A virgin or a scrub queen may be more difficult, but still easy enough usually. After all, they are spread out over a large area and can take some time to enter the new premises.

Regards, RAB

 

[Chris Luck]

Hmmmm.

Chris

 

[RoofTops]

I've seen queens walk in, it is easiest to spot them when they are a different colour to the rest of the bees.

 

[Hivemaker.]

Rab i agree with you,the queen can often be seen walking in with the rest of the bee's when hiving in the traditional/classic way,providing the person who is doing the looking knows what a queen looks like of course. I have heard that the AHB will smuggle a queen into an already occupied hive though.

 

[Chris Luck]

There you go, must be me then or something odd about the bees in this region, a bit like the big "V" thing.

Chris

 

[Dishmop]

I know how I did it but what did others do who bought their bees in a national nuc?

 

[happyculteur]

Perhaps you could try this, with suitable modifications for a nuc.

http://www.dheaf.plus.com/warrebeekeeping/national_to_warre_adapter.jpg