Yield of Warré hive

[gmonag]

If you feed a Warre hive, surely the honey will be adulterated?

 

[jantref]

You will also gain muscles and a bad back if you have to lift them all on and off as proper warre beekeeping says.

You are right. But i have seen some interesting uplifting mechanics on the internet. So i might copy one of those

 

[jantref]

Well, In this instance it's the beekeeper's choice but believe me if they can get their hands on it bees are more than happy to take syrup -Langstroth writes about masses of bees descending on a local confectionary shop. You can even now buy 'bee feeders' which you fill with syrup and hang in the garden. I saw one in action last summer, covered with bees (no doubt spreading all sorts of nasties between themselves) all day long, the owner actually complained that it was costing a fortune to keep up with them. All of that said, I appreciate your decision not to feed syrup -just so long as you're not planning to watch a colony starve to death if it runs on hard times.

To start with the last. No i won’t let them starve. I have a responsibility!
But i don’t agree with you that happiness is the same as good for them. By no means i will give the impression i know it better than you. But if i look at people, kids and adults, loads of them don’t choose healthy food. They choose for fast food, sweets etcetera. So why would a bee not be enticed by easy, sweet food...

It's a financial move on my part in the sense of being a cost saver.
I refer to using warre boxes because I don't want to be accused of trying to invent a new hive, infarct Warre had no claim on that approximate size of box -he was actually very late to the party, +/-100 years after Bevan who himself wasn't the first.

You yourself seem not to be too tied to the method, one box underneath and others on top (Warre himself admitted that section racks had to go on top) so there's some flexibility in his ideas.
Personally I'm a scavenger of both, information and experience, who sees no need to be tied to a snapshot from the 1940s. That's like reading Manley's books and then saying we should keep old brood comb as long as possible; I've done just that, said that, then I woke up and started living in the present.

I agree with you. Now i am reading a lot. Discuss with members at this forum. A lot of information and inspiration. But in the end i will mix it with my own experiences and i’ll see where it leads to. It’s an interesting journey!
Thanx for your response!

 

[jantref]

If you feed a Warre hive, surely the honey will be adulterated?

That’s something i don’t know. Maybe @rolande knows?
I see you use rose hives. That’s a special method too! But because you split the brood my feeling is it is more disturbing for the bees... But i guess there will be advantages too

 

[rolande]

That’s something i don’t know. Maybe @rolande knows?

Depends if you're tied to the 'method' or not, surely?

 

[B+.]

That’s something i don’t know. Maybe @rolande knows?
I see you use rose hives. That’s a special method too! But because you split the brood my feeling is it is more disturbing for the bees... But i guess there will be advantages too

When does your course start Jan? It would be wise to take advice from your instructor about what is done locally.

 

[gmonag]

That’s something i don’t know. Maybe @rolande knows?
I see you use rose hives. That’s a special method too! But because you split the brood my feeling is it is more disturbing for the bees... But i guess there will be advantages too

I've never kept bees any other way, but it does seem to work for me.

 

[jantref]

When does your course start Jan? It would be wise to take advice from your instructor about what is done locally.

Coming wednesday it starts with some theory lessons online. Depending on covid status and measures the practice lessons will start in april or july. The teacher has a lot of different experiences. He lives and keeps bees in the place where i live. But he also teaches farmers in Africa how to keep bees. So a man with a lot of knowledge under a variety of circumstances.

 

[gmonag]

Depends if you're tied to the 'method' or not, surely?

Well, let's assume you are (not you personally, the Warre hive keeper). Would feeding adulterate the crop?

 

[Boston Bees]

Well, let's assume you are (not you personally, the Warre hive keeper). Would feeding adulterate the crop?

Yes, would. It's an issue with the Warre method. So is keeping varroa treatment away from the honey crop.

Warre did feed his bees of course - he published plans for a large feeder which goes on top of the hive, or a small feeder that goes underneath. But only for use in emergencies, or to pull a weak swarm up off its bootstraps.

As for late winter emergency feeding, I think his approach was "If they eat more than 12kg of honey during a winter, they shouldn't survive anyway" (to paraphrase)

 

[Gilberdyke John]

No, not yet. ☺ I will. But i have also seen some nice uplifting systems

 

[jantref]

Well i meant the ones shown here: Warre lift

 

[gmonag]

Well i meant the ones shown here: Warre lift

Are you sure thats not a Guillotine?

I like the weighing option.

 

[Boston Bees]

Are you sure thats not a Guillotine?

It was adapted from the design for one, if the blurb is right. Which is a bit scary

The need for such devices does put me off the Warre method a bit I have to admit .......

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

It was adapted from the design for one, if the blurb is right. Which is a bit scary

The need for such devices does put me off the Warre method a bit I have to admit .......

I don't know, I think that mr Guillotine's device would be a welcome form of entertainment at the moment

 

[jantref]

Have you worked out how heavy a 70mm box would be?

One empty layer 12-sided of 21 cm high and 70 mm thick of Douglas fir will weigh 3,5 kg. So two layers plus roof will weigh around 10 kg. I don’t know how much the comb will weigh. It will contain per layer a max. of almost 0,5 m2, a total of 1m2 of comb. Plus of course the bees .
Anyway, it will be no problem with two people.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I don't know, I think that mr Guillotine's device would be a welcome form of entertainment at the moment

Just as well I can knit. I can record proceedings.

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Well i meant the ones shown here: Warre lift

Yes but my version has more applications Engine change anyone?

 

[Ian123]

Natural beekeeping........oh buy a Crane, I don’t think there’s any WH method that can’t be transferred to standard hives or any of the principals . Most warres I’ve seen have been expensive and given the construction wonder how long they would last.

 

[jantref]

Natural beekeeping........oh buy a Crane, I don’t think there’s any WH method that can’t be transferred to standard hives or any of the principals . Most warres I’ve seen have been expensive and given the construction wonder how long they would last.

Well wait and see . I don’t buy a cheap material WH for big money. I will make a long lasting not so expensive hive. And i will keep you updated at this forum how things will turn out