# splitting a warre hive



## wcnewby (Sep 28, 2014)

I did a search of the forum, plus a google search, and a youtube search looking for advice on splitting a warre hive. This is well in advance of the actual splitting of my hive... It is even in advance of deciding to split it. What few references I did find spoke of how they were kind of gambling and hoping. I try to avoid both things. I read Warre's beekeeping for all, looked at his method for making a false swarm and found it somewhat incomprehensible.

Has anyone here split their warre? How did you do it? How did it turn out? I'm not going to do it if others have tried and failed with a high percentage. I'll just get another package and queen to expand. It would be nice to use the bees I have, but not if they are going to die because of it.


----------



## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

After working framed hives for over 40 years, I recently started managing a few Warre hives and top bar hives. The inherent problem with non frame hives is that they are difficult and messy to manage easily like a framed hive is. In a Warre, you can not easily manage single combs. So you will have to divide by the box, making the location of the queen, appropriate aged brood and balancing the population, a crapshoot.


----------



## Ravenzero (Sep 26, 2012)

You need to remember to check the underside of boxes to visually inspect.

BernhardHeuvel posted some pics of a hive with queencells, When you see this, go ahead and split, as long as each box has queencells, it doesn't matter where the old queen is, be sure to give them empty boxes to grow on too so they don't swarm.
http://www.beesource.com/forums/sho...chnique-to-harvest-honey-from-a-Warr%E8/page2


----------



## wcnewby (Sep 28, 2014)

Thanks...


----------



## wagnerwoodworks (Mar 11, 2015)

Odfrank, why did you switch to Warre hives? You seem very sour on them.


----------

