I am a Warre beekeeper as well and I appreciate your videos so much. I do want to correct that, unlike with a nuc, the queen and bees that come together in a package have no relationship with each other. The bees are collected from multiple hives and weighed, and the mated queens are from a queen-rearing apiary. This is why it's important to retain the candy between the caged queen and the workers in order to allow time for them to get used to her pheremones before they can access her; otherwise they would likely kill her.
Thanks for the comment! I have had bee packages where it is their own queen and ones where it was an introduced queen. Regardless you want to use the candy fondant so the bees have time to start drawing comb and are less likely to abscond that way. It also gives them time to get used the pheromones of a new queen. Both reasons are important. I completely agree that releasing the queen directly into a new hive is a BAD idea! Thanks for watching!
I have read a few different bits of advice on this. Some suggest to do it mid day so most of the foragers are away. I usually find near the end of the day works for me. I like to go up to the hive first and if they seem quiet then I will work with them, if they are really active or have been upset by something then I won't. I ask my bees and they usually let me know! Thanks for watching!
@@idamandahomestead4221 That is a very good idea! Such a gentle way to ask them (indirectly) and work with them rather than on them. I will adapt your approach.
Excellent tutorial again!! Thanks :))) Btw I watched a video from a warre user in the UK and he mentions turning each stacked box 90 degrees to the one below so the bars aren’t all lined up the same way. He said it can minimize the possibility of the bees building comb down onto the box below. Have you tried this before? And if so, do you find it’s a good method?
Hi from Ireland 🇮🇪 I am keeping bee’s for 5 years and have just bought a Warre. You used drawn comb to give them a head start which I don’t have, so I’ll be using just the top bars. What’s the down fall with this? Thinking of making a jig to put in my other hive’s to get the comb started, have you ever do this? Thanks 👍🐝
I only used the comb because I had it from a hive that didn’t survive the winter. Otherwise I would probably just give them some sugar syrup. Just to give them energy to build comb. Using comb from another hive might be alright, if your hive is healthy. Let me know how it goes!
I am a Warre beekeeper as well and I appreciate your videos so much. I do want to correct that, unlike with a nuc, the queen and bees that come together in a package have no relationship with each other. The bees are collected from multiple hives and weighed, and the mated queens are from a queen-rearing apiary. This is why it's important to retain the candy between the caged queen and the workers in order to allow time for them to get used to her pheremones before they can access her; otherwise they would likely kill her.
Thanks for the comment! I have had bee packages where it is their own queen and ones where it was an introduced queen. Regardless you want to use the candy fondant so the bees have time to start drawing comb and are less likely to abscond that way. It also gives them time to get used the pheromones of a new queen. Both reasons are important. I completely agree that releasing the queen directly into a new hive is a BAD idea! Thanks for watching!
Is it a good idea to do this in the evening so they are already kind of quiet at that time and won't fly all over the place?
I have read a few different bits of advice on this. Some suggest to do it mid day so most of the foragers are away. I usually find near the end of the day works for me. I like to go up to the hive first and if they seem quiet then I will work with them, if they are really active or have been upset by something then I won't. I ask my bees and they usually let me know! Thanks for watching!
@@idamandahomestead4221 That is a very good idea! Such a gentle way to ask them (indirectly) and work with them rather than on them. I will adapt your approach.
Excellent tutorial again!! Thanks :)))
Btw I watched a video from a warre user in the UK and he mentions turning each stacked box 90 degrees to the one below so the bars aren’t all lined up the same way. He said it can minimize the possibility of the bees building comb down onto the box below. Have you tried this before? And if so, do you find it’s a good method?
I have never done this and the bees don’t seem to build the comb onto the next box. It’s an interesting suggestion!
Hi from Ireland 🇮🇪 I am keeping bee’s for 5 years and have just bought a Warre. You used drawn comb to give them a head start which I don’t have, so I’ll be using just the top bars. What’s the down fall with this? Thinking of making a jig to put in my other hive’s to get the comb started, have you ever do this? Thanks 👍🐝
I only used the comb because I had it from a hive that didn’t survive the winter. Otherwise I would probably just give them some sugar syrup. Just to give them energy to build comb. Using comb from another hive might be alright, if your hive is healthy. Let me know how it goes!