To be more specific, I think the hive looks great but I was wondering what your plans are for this hive.
Are you following the warre' method or just some of it or none of it?
I ask because I am curious about that method and the idea of bottom supering.
So?
Natalie,
Thank you for your interest.
My plans include monitoring, educating from it, and using it as a point of interest for such items as my annual picnic, etc.
I now have bees in it. They are about finished with the first box and are starting the next.
I of course am not going to open the thing as Warre protocol calls for, that being like once a year. I would imagine that Warre, if he lived in today's world, may just as well opened it more times than his once per year. Warre was not exposed to mites, SHB, and other things of today. My bees are not just my business, but an item I get great pleasure from. So I'll just not open to make sure things are ok, but probably about everytime someone comes to the farm and asks me too. ;) We'll be ripping that baby open in the sustainable class I'll have in a few weeks.
I'll probably put in another one and not touch it, so I can defend against the forthcoming comments and criticism..;)
I'll already say one thing.....I don't blame Warre for not wanting to open it often. Unlike my trench hives, TBH's and other hive arrangements, the bees really attach the comb to the sides and the bottom (top of the next series of bars) in the Warre. I think opening it (splitting the boxes) will do devastating damage. I think this in part due to the smaller dimensions and rather short comb length. It's no wonder this thing fell by the way side for so many years until someone dug up the plans and decided to market something different to be "special". ;)
Anyone in the area, stop on by. Have a look. Just another "unique" equipment setup, that no doubt has been overhyped as things before it.
And don't get me wrong. I have stated many times that I agree with many of the principles that Warre put forth. And many of those same principles are well worth incorporating into hive management regardless of the equipment you choose.
Bottom supering can and will lessen swarming, although many things such as flow also plays into swarming. But bottom supering is not unique to Warre hives. So again, it is a principle, that if one wants to utilize, it is something that can be done with standard hives, such as with foundationless frames, etc. I am bottom supering this Warre hive.