swarm-list Mailing List: Warré beekeepers - please take this off the swarmlist

[Elinor N. LEVINE (elevine]

Please take this off the swarmlist, please!

The chat list would be a good place for this discussion.

Thank you,

Elinor

On Jul 7, 2025, at 4:08 PM, Claire Lussier via swarm-list <swarm-list [at] alamedabees.org> wrote:



George and I connected and had a wonderful Warre talk today. 

Gary, this is great information. What ingenius solutions. I tried to transition a Langstroth nuc to a Warre with very poor results so I am interested to hear about it if you are successful. 

George and I discussed cut a think line in the Warre top bars and putting some preformed comb in (possibly gluing) so the bees have something very straight to build from. 

	Claire Lussier M. (510) 590-1789

On Mon, Jul 7, 2025 at 12:10 PM Gary Barker <grbrkr [at] gmail.com> wrote:

Here are some videos I've taken over the years about Warre Beekeeping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uq28G6Vktec&list=PLJw0Cmc9avDRPKX_SkhWXa-M1ev3O3Dg8

Gary Barker

grbrkr [at] gmail.com

510.918.4918

On Mon, Jul 7, 2025 at 11:37 AM Gary Barker <grbrkr [at] gmail.com> wrote:

Hi all,

My name is Gary. I live in Oakland and have been working with Warre hives for over ten years. I still consider myself strictly amateur and by no means an expert. I only have one hive, and plan to add another hive this year. 

I really appreciate the more natural approach Warre hives offer. The bees build their own comb, which in itself can be a challenge. I originally started with using single top bars, but found that the bees often built comb diagonally. Now I construct full four-sided frames and run a starter strip of wax comb along the top bar to guide them. That works much better, though I still find an occasional diagonal comb or two. 

I also like working with the smaller Warre boxes, which are easier to handle and on the back. When I'm ready to harvest a box, I place a bee excluder beneath the box I want to remove. I can either remove each frame to harvest or take the entire box to harvest.

There are other things I've experimented with over the years, and I'm still learning and tweaking as I go. 

How about the rest of you? I'd love to hear about your experiences—any tips or questions to share?

Best,

Gary Barker

PS: Here is my hive. Note: the box on top is an adapter for a langstroth nuc I bought this spring. When I harvest the nuc (end of the year or in the spring) I'll remove it and only use Warre Boxes. 

<IMG_1687.jpeg>

<IMG_1686.jpeg>

PSS: Here's my bee label...

<Bee Nation Label.jpg>

 

Gary Barker

grbrkr [at] gmail.com

510.918.4918

On Sun, Jul 6, 2025 at 11:12 PM Gerald Przybylski <gtp000000 [at] gmail.com> wrote:

there were a few beekeepers in the roster who indicated they have or did have Warré gear,
but didn't respond.  Timid? Can't be bothered? At sea themselves?

Nobody contributed a good Warré knowledge source either.

Perhaps the four of you can work together and exchange ideas.
You're welcome to ask me questions but you'll get the perspective of a keeper of Langstroth gear.

Jerry

On 7/5/25 12:12 AM, Gary Barker wrote:

Yes, I would be interested.

On Fri, Jul 4, 2025 at 10:28 PM Gerald Przybylski <gtp000000 [at] gmail.com> wrote:

A beekeeper using Warré equipment emailed me about feeling somewhat
adrift, and wants to get better.
I don't know enough about the equipment and style to give good bay-area
relevant advice.

do you have an interest in banding together to share Warré management
strategy/tips/advice?
or in need of it?

If you do, email me back and i'll hook you all up over email

If there's a really good web resource, please share

thanks,
jerry - mentor coordinator for acba

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