Back in February, I listened to a podcast interview with Matt Reed of Beethinking.com. He talked about the Warre Hive. Now I didn’t really want to get into another type of hive, but it sounded so intriguing and easy to use, I decided to give it a try. I liked the idea that the boxes stacked in a vertical orientation, mimicking a hollow tree. It sounded like the most ‘natural’ type of hive that wasn’t actually a tree. I also liked Matt’s approach of not using any chemicals inside his hives. So I ordered a kit with observation windows and a screened bottom in case I wanted to do a mite count.
I didn’t want to order package bees because they might not be acclimated to the wet area we have on the Oregon Coast. I had passed up the ordering date and was nervously waiting for my bait hives to catch a swarm, but nothing was happening. Then I got the call about a swarm that had just formed about an hour ago. I threw everything into the car and was on my way.
I anxiously wait. The bees don’t build into the bottom box. I consult the forums where suggestions are made to add an empty box overhead. “The bees don’t like having an empty space over them.” On July 23, 2012, I add a third box, this time on top.
I consult the forums…”can a Warre get through the winter on only one box?” It’s getting late in the summer and my efforts to get them to build either on top or in the bottom box have been fruitless. The answers seem to imply I’m a reckless beekeeper if I don’t consider feeding them.
After looking at the forums, I found the answer. Build a feeder that is accessible from the outside. If it becomes necessary to feed the bees I can do it without opening the hive up to the cold air. The hive is kept intact with no extra holes drilled into it for the sugar water.
I want to thank Colobeekeep for providing photos of how he built this.
I really DON’T want to resort to feeding them. From what I read, sugar raises the pH of the hive making it more susceptible to Nosema, but I also don’t want to lose this little hive. I definitely won’t use High Fructose Corn Syrup because it is made from GM corn which is treated with clothianidin, a systemic insecticide highly toxic to bees. I’ll pay close attention to the honey stores by looking through the observation window. If they get low I’ll be able to supply either 1:1 or 1:2 sugar water without opening the hive.
This short video looks into the Warre hive through the observation window (slight reflection issues) to see waggle dancing and daisy-chaining. The last frame shows the natural comb built as a result of the daisy-chain.
More Waffling…After going to the work of building the ‘side feeder,’ I observed the comments made about moisture in the hive. Well, I’m not going to say we live in a rain forest, but we do get buckets in the winter time. Should I worry about the moisture issues…yes. Okay, I’ll build an over-the-top ‘dry sugar’ feed frame.
When I checked with some coastal beekeepers at the bee meeting, they said they feed with sugar syrup, no problem. “Don’t you worry about the moisture issues?” “No.”
Bear in mind that sugar syrup isn’t so useful to the bees during winter. if syrup is fed too late in the year the bees will have insufficient time to evaporate the excess water, and the syrup will be stored and could ferment, causing digestive problems for the bees when they come to feed on it later.
Also, your bees will be clustering during the winter and won’t be able to move to the feeder. What most beekeepers I know do during winter is provide a slab of fondant over the top of the brood nest. You can buy fondant from a bakery, make it at home or purchase Ambrosia fondant, a sucrose, fructose & glucose fondant paste.
Hope your hive gets through the winter healthy and well.
Thanks for your comments, Emily. While I was thinking about them all day, I talked with another beekeeper in my area that confirmed exactly what you said. Especially since we have so much rain, it’s important not to add more moisture to the hive in the form of sugar syrup.
What time of year would you add the fondant? I’d like to go as long as possible without feeding them, but I also don’t want to lose them.
Yes bees can winter in a single box, I am running warres too, I had at least two hives winter in a single box, then one of those hives produced three vigorus swarms that are doing very well. I think to get them to move you need to move a frame or two into new boxs during a flow.
I have a Warré stocked with a swarm that only built out one box, too! Thanks for this post. And Thanks, Sam, for your suggestion. I’m using a “Mountain Camp” feeder for my bees this Winter, and if they don’t move down in the Spring, I’ll definitely give your method a shot. Quick question. Do you remove the empty bottom box for the Winter?
Thanks for commenting HB. I looked up “Mountain Camp” feeder as I was unfamiliar with it. That uses dry sugar, right over the hive. That’s going to be my backup plan. Since you’re in Denver, you’ll probable start feeding early. I’m hoping to stretch out the start feeding date by a several weeks if possible. We don’t get much snow, just lots of rain.
Hi Sam,
I had heard about the moving a frame or two down, but I didn’t want to break a comb to do it. Maybe I should have done it before they built so much comb.
I’m glad you’ve had success in wintering over single box hives. Did you feed them?
looks like your gettin some good help there Pat. was just checkin in. h
Hi Hal,
I’ve gone to Plan Bee…am mixing up Del’s sugar paddy recipe. I couldn’t find any stinging nettle leaves, but found some extract (expensive). Not all of us are lucky enough to have it growing close! I’ll place the paddy on top of the top bars the next sunny day.
Haven’t read previous comments, so please ignore any repetition…
Your bees are going to need their generated body heat to survive the winter (and we all know that heat rises; ) so, as they haven’t moved into either upper or lower box and it’s too late in the year for them to need the extra space, do be sure to remove the empty boxes, okay? It’s much better for them to overwinter in a single chamber hive and, come spring when the danger of rodents moving in is long past, you can put an empty underneath for the queen to occupy – once she’s well on her way to filling their current super with eggs and brood (but before the bees decide they need more space and decide to swarm). Bee well, Deb
Thanks for the advice…I have removed the two boxes and made a sugar pad to go on top. The pad is made from “Del’s recipe” that includes essential oil and stinging nettle. Del is probably the only other Warre hive beekeeper around here within 50 miles.
While I am very reluctant to feed sugar to the bees, I’m hoping they will exhaust the honey before they need the sugar and build up next year so they won’t need sugar again.
Pat
Haven’t read the whole thing yet, must look up “Del’s recipe” (could you pass me a link by any chance?) but, just from what you’ve mentioned here, it sounds very interesting. I agree about feeding sugar syrup BTW – zero nutrition for your bees – and corn syrup is a definite no-no! Hopefully all of this worry is for nothing and you won’t need to feed until spring, if at all. I really like the Warre hive’s “quilt box” idea too; very similar to the D E Hive http://www.beeworks.com/d_e_hive.html