Top Bar Beekeeping Forum

[moersch51]

Hi all-

I just built my first couple of boxes for the Warre' hives I plan for the Spring. I didn't incorporate the view window, and I made a small alteration in the top bar rests and top bar thickness.
I made the top bars 12mm instead of 8, and the cut for the rests is 14mm instead of 10. I like a bit more strength in the bar, and I plan to cut a bit deeper groove on the underside to use beeswax strips as a comb guide rather than a wax bead.
I used thick lumber, 38mm. So instead of adding handles onto the sides, I cut hand holes into the wood approximately 20mm deep. This was to facilitate wrapping the hives for winter with light insulation.
I believe I can easily adapt any hive lifter I construct to accommodate this type of handle. Comments?

John

[Scut Farkas]

I like your ideas. Be sure to let us know how that all works out. I'm especially interested that you used thick wood. 38mm wood is appriximately 1.5 inches - which is the actual size of a board nominally called 2 inches in the US. I was wondering if the boxes were too heavy or if you are having any other issues with them.

[chaindrivecharlie]

Hey Brother beek's, 1.5 inch thickness is what I have been comtemplating for my warre hive box's. Being i'm in wisconsin where the winters can be long and cold too. I have seen some langs built this way for extra insulation in winter. What is the norm for winter wrapping in Your area, I am new to beekeeping in the north, Florida boy I am.
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chaindrivecharlie

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[biobee]

[zaunreiter]

Hi Phil,

I hope you do allow me one correction. The bees don't bother at all the gaps between the topbars and still do cross combs. They simply don't care about straight lines. Only starter strips can get the comb straight. Of course this is what I observed and hasn't to be rule for all locations and bees of the world. Here the bees build the comb as they want it. Gaps are not a problem.

See:



Regards,

Bernhard
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~ back to the bees ~

[biobee]

I stand corrected! That will teach me not to speak about that which I have not seen for myself.

I wonder if the size of gap makes any difference?

Given that the Warré is a 'leave well alone' style of hive, where we care more about the bees' freedom to organize themselves as they see fit, I wonder if the whole notion of top bars is out of place? Perhaps we should offer them another kind of matrix altogether - such as a latticework of woven strips, with appropriate gaps for free passage?
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The Barefoot Beekeeper www.biobees.com

[geowend]

[zaunreiter]

geowend,

don't think about arranging combs this or that way. It's not worth the effort. Any comb setup is an adaption to local parameters in any single hive. So in one hive you find this sort of comb (brood and honey) in another hive some other comb style.

Even in a single Warre hive you find different comb arrangements in every single hive box.

The bees do know best how a healthy hive climate is created, by arranging combs, cell sizes and comb spacing. And not to forget the orientation of the hexagon.

(See Ian Rumsey on hexagon orientation, scroll down a bit)

http://www.beedata.com/apis-uk/newsletters/apis-uk1203.htm

http://www.beedata.com/apis-uk/newsletters04/apis-uk0204.htm

It is a lot I learned through fixed comb beekeeping about how modern beekeeping with frames and foundation influences bees.

If possible I recommend to set up a hive with fixed comb and observe yourself. There are lessons to learn straight from the bees

@Phil: There are several trials on different styled "topbars" already on the way. There are topbars which themself have drilled holes in them. And here is another one.



Future research will bring more light into this and will show if such topbars work or not.

Regards,

Bernhard
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~ back to the bees ~

[biobee]

I just found this:



see http://albios.it/en/pages/veter/veter.htm (scroll to bottom of page)
_________________
The Barefoot Beekeeper www.biobees.com

[zaunreiter]

And another one to confuse the beginner




If confused, stay with the original Warre hive plan. It works very well.

Bernhard
_________________
~ back to the bees ~

[banjostu]

I'm especially curious about the hexagonal and circular-hole top bar ideas... please be sure to update us on how those go.

1. I nearly done with my first batch of warre's. Pretty much straight from the "Beekeeping for all" specs. Wondering if you all prefer a certain method for pinning the top bars, but it seems like there might be easier methods than glaziers pins.

What about a dab of hot was to keep the bars from sliding around, and a template to keep them placed at the right spacing?

2. I'm also thinking that a removable hatch in the back of the floor would be really nice for inspections (even if I have to lie on the ground). I've got some ideas, but has anyone found an easy to build, robust design for that?

Almost spring...almost.

Stu

[biobee]

[banjostu]

Yes, it looked like Bernhard had done something interesting, with the back hatch. I think I see it now.

I might have to try the wax tacking technique. We'll see how it goes...

Thanks.

[zaunreiter]

This wasn't me This picture is from another Warre beekeeper. We share photos at the Yahoo mainlinglist.

See Ian Rumsey's Pure and Simple Beekeeping as well. He has a very interesting floor setup. An empty hive box with a removeable back wall. This way you can look after the debris on the floor and with the help of a mirror one can watch the comb from below.

I'm thinking about including that into a Warre hive.

Regards,

Bernhard
_________________
~ back to the bees ~

[Hoskald]

Quick question, I am about to tear down a building in my backyard since it's starting to cave in. The roof insulation is 2" thick hard foam board. I started toying with the idea of using this to make a couple of Warre's. Anybody see the downside? (And there always are some, just gotta weight them).

Cheers,
Hos
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