Warre Hive Build

My first package bees will be here in roughly two months. I’ve been building a second Warre beehive for two reasons. First, it would be nice to have a backup. Second, if I’m fortunate enough to find or lure a swarm, there will be a home for the additional bees.

I started cutting parts sometime around late January to February. I work kind of slowly, so this, for two years now, has set me up to go into panic mode come March.

This March is a bit different, as this hive is finished in pure tung oil.

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The above photos are after the first and second coats, respectively.

I wasn’t sure of the best way to feed a new package of bees. I bought a plastic hive-top feeder, just to have something on hand. But other than that it for sure had to be hive-top, I was still deciding on the type of feeder for sugar water. Then I saw a Fat Bee Man video on his no-drown top feeder. The design is brilliant! It is designed for Langstroth hives, but the concept can be easily used to build them for Warre hives.

That is the concept I went with. The pine legs of the bee ladder will sit in liquid, so I coated them with beeswax. That ought to at least get them through a season. I used a BPA-free Rubbermaid container. Also, there isn’t currently any #8 hardware cloth in our local stores, so I doubled up #4, and staggered it. My feeder doesn’t have vent holes, as I’m unsure if that would be a good idea in a Warre style hive. I’m also still researching whether this should have the cloth and quilt over the top of it, as they would go on a regular hive box. This feeder should allow for filling it without disturbing the bees.

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The feeder only has one coat of tung oil on it, but will ultimately have at least two before the season. Other than the quilt, the rest of the hive has three coats of tung oil. I’m hoping that’s enough to go into spring.

All that’s left for the main hive body is to cut cedar into feet, and attach them, and cut top bars.