The Warre Hive
The “Warre Hive“is often referred to as the “people’s hive. It was designed to make beekeeping simpler and more natural than other methods of the time. Developed by a French priest, Abbe Emile Warre, in the early 20th century, it offerred beekeepers an alternative to modern beekeeping practices. In this guide, we’ll look at how the Warre hive works along with some advantages and disadvantages.
First, it is important to remember that there is no one perfect type of beehive. Your beekeeping goals, the climate where you live and even your style of hive management must be taken into consideration when making a decision.
What Is a Warre Hive?
The Warre hive (WAR-ray) is often referred to as a vertical top bar hive. It consists of stackable square boxes that are usually made of wood.
French priest, Emile Warre designed the hive to require minimal disturbance by beekeepers. The philosophy behind the Warre hive was to allow bees to follow their natural instincts and rhythms, resulting in less stress on the colony.
He studied hundreds of hive designs from the early bee skeps to the modern Langstroth hive to search for the best design elements.
His goal was a cylindrical hive that mimicked the inside of a hollow tree. However, it was difficult and expensive to make round shaped boxes at the time.
So he used square boxes – closer to the tree shape than the rectangular boxes in use.
How a Warre Hive is Designed
A compelling feature of this hive style in its simplicity. In the wild, a bee swarm moves into a new location and begins to build comb down from the top. This is where the first brood nest occurs.
As the colony grows, the brood nest is moved down toward the bottom of the hive with honey storage on top. The simple parts of this hive make use of that natural bee tendency.
Base
The base is the bottom board of the hive. It provides an entrance for the bees to enter and leave the and is normally smaller than that of Langstroth hive entrances.
Hive Boxes
One of more boxes are added to the base for the bees to live inside. These square boxes are smaller than the bee boxes (supers) of Langstroth hives. They typically measure about 12” x 12” (but can be smaller).
It is customary to see outside handles on Warre boxes instead of the inset handles we commonly see. These wooden beehive cleats make gripping easier. I’ve added some to some of my hives.
Unlike conventional hives, each hive box of the warre design will be the same size.
As the colony grows, the beekeeper adds new boxes to the bottom of the hive. This process is called “nadiring”.
The bees are encouraged to expand downward – similar to a colony living in a hollow tree.
Top Bars instead of Frames
Inside the boxes are sets of top bars rather than full wooden frames. The bars run across the top of the hive box and provide a starting point for bees to build comb.
Warre hives are foundationless. The colony builds natural comb without the use of foundation sheets of beeswax or plastic.
Quilt Box and Roof
One distinctive feature of the Warre hive is the use of a hive quilt box. While these are sometimes used on Langstroth hives, they are commonly found on the Warre beehive.
The purpose of the quilt box is the act as an insulator. This helps the bees inside regulative temperature and humidity during the cold season.
The roof protects the hive from weather and a gap in the roof allows some hive ventilation to remove excess moisture.
How Warre Hive Beekeeping Works
The Warre system works a little differently than the more common Langstroth Hive. It is built on the idea of minimal hive disturbance to the colony.
You will not be frequently opening the hive and removing frames. The bees will decide what they want to put where with little input from you.
However, less management does not mean no management. As the beekeeper, you will still need to pay attention to colony growth, space and any honey harvest.
Warre hives are expanded by the process called “nadiring”. A new box is added to the hive when the bottom box is 80% full. This is the same ratio most often given for when to add another box other hives.
Colony Management Tasks
Typically, the beekeeper adds a couple of new boxes to the bottom of the stack in early Spring – part of Spring beekeeping management and removes a couple of top boxes full of honey in Fall.
Beekeepers still need to watch for common issues such as swarming, food shortages and pests like Varroa mites. The goal is to support the bees with as little intrusion as possible.
Harvesting Honey
Removing the honey crop is also much different than harvesting honey from standard Langstroth hives.
The use of top bars instead of removable frames means that you will likely not be using a honey extractor. Instead, the comb is typically cut off the bar and crushed to release the honey.
Wax pieces are strained from the liquid honey and the left over wax can be used to make beeswax candles or other projects.
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Advantages
It is easy to see the appeal of the simple Warre Hive management system.
- encourages natural comb building – popular with natural beekeeping enthusiasts
- minimal equipment needed – all boxes same size
- reduced hive inspections
- does not require a lot of manipulation – managed by the box – not by the frame
- aesthetic appearance
- allows natural colony growth plan
Disadvantages
No hive is perfect for every situation and every beekeeper. The Warre hive has some disadvantages that you should be aware of.
- harder to inspect brood nest – comb is delicate and may be damaged when removed
- honey harvest destroys comb – bees much build more from scratch
- less common in US – trouble finding parts
- more heavy lifting when adding new boxes
Warre Hive vs. Langstroth Hive
Both of these hives are used by beekeepers throughout the world to good effect. Here is a quick comparison of the two.
Comb Structure
- Warre Hive: Bees build natural comv from top bars – no foundation
- Langstroth Hive: Bees build comb inside removeable frames – usually with foundation sheets
Hive Management
- Warre Hive: Managed with minimal interference and fewer inspections
- Langstroth Hive: Designed for regular inspections and hands-on management
Adding Hive Space
- Warre Hive: New boxes are added to the bottom of the hive – nadiring.
- Langstroth Hive: Additional boxes are added to the top of the hive – supering.
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Popular Books on Warre Beekeeping
FAQs
The philosophy of Warre beekeeping is to mimic the natural habitat and behavior of honey bees – while minimizing beekeeper disturbance.
Warre hives differ from Langstroth hives in several ways. Their stacked boxes are smaller and square instead of rectangular. They do not use 4-sided frames but rely on top bars without foundation instead.
Yes, you can harvest honey from a Warre hive. This is typically done by harvest the top box where excess honey is stored.
Warre hive beekeepers often employ natural beekeeping methods to control pests and disease. This includes comb rotation, integrated pest management practices and promoting healthy bee genetics.
Warre hives are not normally used by commercial beekeepers. Langstroth hives are preferred due to their efficiency and better honey production.
Beekeeping regulation vary by location. Check with your local association of agricultural agency to understand the rules.
Final Thoughts
If you’re new to the Warre hive, try to find a local beekeeping association with experienced Warre hive beekeepers (in your area – or similar climate) for advice and support. Regular, non-disruptive inspections and a commitment to sustainable practices are key to successfully managing a Warre hive.
Charlotte,
After making the modifications to the hive base/floor that I spoke of with you early this season and doing artificial swarming techniques outlined in “Beekeeping for All”. I have grown from two colonies to start with last spring to 7 vibrant colonies. I forwent any honey harvest to allow the bees additional food to build additional comb. I also used anti-Varroa mite techniques outlined in the educational section of TheWarrestore.com website. There were tons of helpful hints!
Doing away with the original floor was unfortunately a must to control varroa and SHBs. My redesigned floor seems to be doing the trick! Will let you know how the over-winter…
Wonderful, I am so glad you are having success!