# My bees aren't following the Warre rules!



## bjamesvw (Apr 17, 2014)

The bees will not move down. I would move the honey above the bees or they are likely to starve this winter.


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## grantsbees (May 9, 2016)

Well that's lousy. How did they end up there in the first place?


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## AR Beekeeper (Sep 25, 2008)

Bees move up in the stack following the warm air they generate.


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## max2 (Dec 24, 2009)

grantsbees said:


> Well that's lousy. How did they end up there in the first place?


Bees don't read instructions!


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## grantsbees (May 9, 2016)

Well, looks like I'm going to be shifting some boxes around so they can get to the honey over the winter.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

Every one I know in Nebraska says their bees spend the winter in the top box. Mine all do as well. The bees apparently did not read the books.


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## grantsbees (May 9, 2016)

I successfully moved the honey above the cluster. It was a beautiful sunny 68-degree day here. What I believe happened was that the queen got honeybound this summer. That is, I probably didn't nadir in time. Oh well, at least all their stores are around them or above them and not below them.


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## moebees (Sep 29, 2016)

max2 said:


> Bees don't read instructions!


Well they sure cannot if op did not provide them with a copy of the book!


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

> Oh well, at least all their stores are around them or above them and not below them.

If the weather is cool but not too cold for them to get the work done, they will fix that shortly and be back at the top again.


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## grantsbees (May 9, 2016)

Michael Bush said:


> >If the weather is cool but not too cold for them to get the work done, they will fix that shortly and be back at the top again.


Michael, in your experience, do the bees starve if they run out of stores above them even though they have stores below them?

Also, in my hive, the honey box I moved to the top was originally separated by empty brood box. So the bees would have had to cross an entire empty box downward in order to access the food in the box below.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

>Michael, in your experience, do the bees starve if they run out of stores above them even though they have stores below them?

Since all my bees spend all winter in the top all the time, the ones that survive are in the top and the ones that starve are in the top... Bees often starve with stores in the hive especially if they start rearing brood too early or too much and won't leave the brood in a cold snap.


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## grantsbees (May 9, 2016)

That's quite fascinating. I still think I made a good choice. I forced them into the position of storing honey below the brood box because I waited too long to nadir. If they decided to move to the top again I am not going to intervene any further. I will trust that the bees will reorganize the honey on days that are "workable". The old brood box will stay in the lowest position.

It's tough to argue when my local inspector, who has 60 years (no joke) of beekeeping experience, tells me that the bees won't move down in the winter so if there are stores below them, then they will likely starve.


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## BernhardHeuvel (Mar 13, 2013)

Better listen to your knowledgeable bee inspector...


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## grantsbees (May 9, 2016)

BernhardHeuvel said:


> Better listen to your knowledgeable bee inspector...


I did just as he recommended. He's got 59 years more experience than I. What do I know?


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## grantsbees (May 9, 2016)

A week after moving the lower honey box to the top, the cluster has stayed put in the box below. Which is perfectly fine with me.


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