# bars, fixed or unfixed? and a comb?



## AkDan (Apr 13, 2012)

Been reading, I have a couple boxes ready...plan on building a few more here in the next handful of days. I'm curious if most people nail their bars down? is it required/nessicity in this type of hive? (when its not required by law) Simple trick to get your space a guy showed me up here was run a small screw on each end of your bars. either measure or use your spacing tool to get the space, screw in or out as needed, once its set you'll never need a tool again. 

Thoughts on starter strips? I have some combs on top bars that are a bit too long (the bars) I thought about stitching a few onto the new warre bars to get a head start and help with guiding combs. I did 'ok' with hair clips last year, though it wasnt steller, I dont have bees everywhere at this point to distract my attention lol. Think it would be worth the effort? I was thinking today I could cut them to fit. it looks like I'll be getting bees the end of the first week of may and I'll likely have to feed into june or possible end of june. I'm not sure if the old comb (some with honey some with dead bees in the comb) would help the new hive out enough to warrent it. 

I really need to download the warre book or buy it if I can find it and read it cover to cover....at this point short on time any help is appreciated!


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## odfrank (May 13, 2002)

I put a three pound package in a Warre on 3/7 and they drew out almost the whole box in two weeks with feeding. I like the idea of starting with no old comb for sterility sake. Bees have moved onto combless cavities for millions of years without our help. Coming from a Lang backgound, I made mine removable just spaced on nails. This helped when I added more boxes top and bottom to move a ladder comb into both new boxes. There was a recent thread here suggesting using ladder combs or foundation to help movement into added Warre boxes.


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## BernhardHeuvel (Mar 13, 2013)

I nail them down and fix them. Because unlike a Langstroth where you pull frames for inspections, you don't want to pull individual combs each time you inspect a Warré. That would be painful work and bees get angry with all the cutting.

What you do most effectively is, explode the hive into boxes, turn the box upside down, with some smoke drive them back and inspect from below. You have a free view because no bars hindering the sight. Bend the combs left and right to see in between the combs. You also could cut a triangle out of the comb to check for eggs or brood diseases. Basicly you work it like a skep. It's pretty fast and you won't roll bees. 

But you need to fix the topbars for that reason. The screw thing seems to be a good idea. 

Use starter strips. Burr comb doesn't produce good combs that can be used by the bees. The Warré is a very small hive in dimensions, you need to use all the space for good, regular worker comb. Otherwise the colony shrinks and eventually dies off. Hive strength and health all depends on straight, regular comb. It also makes handling the hive and combs so much easier. So definitely go for starter strips. I seldom use old comb but prefer two foundation sheets for every box as ladders. That works pretty well. Combs will do, too, of course. 

Bernhard


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## AkDan (Apr 13, 2012)

thank you for the comments!!! I finshed up 6 boxes now. Time to get a couple roofs and bottoms done and they're about finished.


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## warmbees (Mar 4, 2014)

Dan, what is your bar lengths?


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