# Hive box swap



## Random Dude (Feb 25, 2015)

suzyq said:


> Is it possible instead of adding hive boxes to the bottom to add them to the top like a Langstroth then at the end of the summer get the honey off the bottom? Not getting any younger and the one time I had my husband hold 3 boxes to add one to the bottom it was a strain for him. After that I took off each box and set it down on the ground on it's side just to add to another hive box. Hope to get a lift made next year just can't afford it this year.


Absolutely.

You can manage your Warre hives any way you want, which includes adding additional boxes above OR below the hive as you see fit.


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## thehackleguy (Jul 29, 2014)

You can also set the boxes on their side when installing another box on the base. Then re-stack the boxes....I'm relatively young and I don't pick up more than one at a time.:thumbsup:


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## suzyq (Jun 30, 2014)

Thank you both for your responses. Thinking I will add to the top this time around. My hive didn't make it through winter so I will be starting over fresh and am thinking it will be a lot easier adding to the top and only having to deal with taking off all the hive boxes when I need to take the honey boxes off.


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## thehackleguy (Jul 29, 2014)

Sorry to hear that. While you are waiting for more bees you could put some lemon grass oil on a cotton ball and set it in the hive. You might get a swarm to move in.


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## wagnerwoodworks (Mar 11, 2015)

Suzyq,

There are a variety of ways to super and nadir a Warre. Timing and circumstance are often the biggest factor in their success, and of course, you want to know what your actual goal is in doing so. Warre suggested a very easy, somewhat hands-off approach, but then also offered many other complicated methods for those interested in going the extra mile (his pioneering method, for example, was somewhat echoed by Michael Bush in his book). www.thewarrestore.com has some nice information about the timing and reasoning for supering, and it's worth reading up on. I've experimented myself with mixed results. (supering an empty box of new top bars does not yield good results)

In general, I still prefer to have the bees continue to build down. However, there are times when I'm dealing with a weak or a new colony and I approach it differently. This year one of the colonies is weak, and I'm going to try the following approach:
* They overwintered in two boxes full of comb (as Warre suggests)
* Due to a wind storm, they lost some of their cluster and honey stores.
* On Mar 15th (i'm in Maryland) I had to feed with thick sugar syrup, as they were running out of stores
* When i fed on Mar 15th, I removed the bottom box of empty comb, and replaced it with two empty boxes with top bars.
* Since i started feeding, i'll have to continue to feed until the nectar flow starts in about 3 - 4 weeks. (as of this post, they've sucked down almost 10 pounds of sugar)
* On/about 1 May, I will super that bottom box of empty comb that I removed. This will give them a place to store the nectar they bring in while they continue to work on rearing the brood in the box below.

The hope is that they will continue to build the comb down to continue the brood and that they will store nectar that they bring in up in the top box of empty comb. Of course I cannot guarantee this will work, so I'm not suggesting you try it; i'm merely suggesting there are options. Good luck!


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## bjverano (Jun 18, 2014)

suzyq,
My husband made a lift that's adjustable so we can use it for Langs and Warre hives. We used it for the first time on my Warre on Monday and it's so much easier. We both lifted it last fall when i downsized for fall and it was tricky. 
The Warrestore has a great info website. I refer to it frequently. Good luck to you


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