# Warré Management



## Chuck Jachens (Feb 22, 2016)

Had to look to see where Uruguay was. East Coast of South America between Brazil and Argentina. In the USA there is enough pesticide residue that the 5 years your speaking of is toxicity in the wax building up. Also the cell walls get too thick in the brood area from the buildup of cocoons. In nature, the bees abandon that comb and the wax moths will destroy it. Like a demolition crew. 

The Warre system cycles the brood comb up into the honey storage which is then harvested. I would guess that most wax gets removed every 3 to 4 years depending on the productivity of the hive and location. 

What you are doing may be sustainable in Uruguay, but is it best for the bees?


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## BernhardHeuvel (Mar 13, 2013)

Chuck Jachens said:


> In nature, the bees abandon that comb and the wax moths will destroy it. Like a demolition crew.


In "nature" wax moths are present in a hive all the time, not just in abandoned hives. Bees keep them at bay, though, but allow room for them to live and work. All my survivor hives had wax moths in low numbers living within the hives. I already wonder if there is a substance the wax moths produce that is active against varroa. 

In fixed comb hives wax moths are omnipresent. 



Chuck Jachens said:


> What you are doing may be sustainable in Uruguay, but is it best for the bees?


Yes, at least in Germany, too. I am working similiar and with good results. First year I nadir the new box. Install in one box, nadir the second. All other boxes go to the top for honey. 

What worked in France when Émile Warré lived does not mean it works everywhere else in times that we live in today. Biggest problem is a constant flow thoughout the season. We don't have that here. Not much flowering herbs and shrubs. Just an on-off nectar situation. Starvation followed by a nectar flood followed by starvation... with a more constant flow all over the season the nadiring works Ok.


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## ferreyah (Jan 2, 2007)

I am trying to do it best for bees. They are all colonies from local swarms, i don´t move them from their initial place. If i can´t manage that way, I am out. Today comercial beekeeping is in a critical situation here. We had unusual rains and all Uruguayan agriculture is affected. Comercial beekeepers can´t solvent their costs, as never in the past.

I agree with Bernard about wax moths. They are allies of bees, not enemies. My hunch is that they destroy old wax that bees won´t use any more, and bees leave them work their job.

I don´t have many beehives, but mine are strong and resistant. This way of hands-off beekeeping is named "natural" - natural beekeeping by Fedor Lazutin in his enjoyable book "Keeping bees with a smile". The other way with more intervention he calls "advanced" natural approach and it includes fixing weak colonies by uniting them with swarms. 

All the best,
Álvaro


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