Hello, folks.
I am a complete newbie so any advice is good. Because I could build them pretty much for free, I made a Warre hive last winter. I am in Australia, and very used to making my own things.
After a very slow, cold, wet start to the warm season, the person I was buying a swarm from came through on Tuesday. The weather was warm, but not hot.
He installed the swarm after checking them in the nuc - they were docile and very eager to climb into the hive. The guy said he had never seen a Warre before. They had been in a possum box (sans horrified possum who apparently left at speed) one night and already drawn quite a quantity of brand new comb.
I had no top bars for one box(I'm making more tonight) and told him we should just put the roof back on with one super full of frames, but he said a Warre hive needed the empty box below.
I wasn't in the mood to argue then, as he has decades of experience on me, but when I crack the hive this lovely warm weekend to check there are eggs...er. Shouldn't I install bars in the bottom box? Or remove the empty box?
What's best for them?
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