Kenny's Warre Hive

My variation of a Warre hive. I have made frames for the bees to build comb in rather than the traditional method of only giving top bars. This will allow better inspect ability while allowing the bees to build natural comb.

This hive is basically 12" square, built with deep hive body dimensions.

I hope to get them built out to a minimum of 3 boxes for the winter.

I populated this hive by catching one of my swarms this year. The bees have been in the hive about two weeks at this point. They did not use any of the comb I gave them to start with, this is all new comb they have made.

I gave them some comb to start on when I hived the swarm, but they chewed through the string before they attached the comb to the top bar. It had fallen on to the bottom bars. I had to remove 4 frames at once to get access to the fallen comb.

A better look at the fallen comb on the bottom bars.

The comb removed from the 4 pack of frames. The bees made it easy removing the 4 frames having it stuck together with propolis.

A frame from the outer edge of the cluster. When closing the hive back up, this will be moved into the center of the cluster to encourage the bees to continue to build out the comb.

Another comb from the edge of the cluster.

As you get closer to the center of the cluster notice the larger comb

Eventually they will attach the comb on the sides and bottom bars of the frame securing it completely in the frame.

A close-up of the queen, and some stored pollen in the comb.