7/30/2019 Warre Beekeping_hexagonal Hive

1/8

1 | h t t p : / / w a r r e . b i o b e e s . c o m / h e x a g o n . h t m

Warre BeekeepingCsuja Lszl's hexagonal hive in Hungary

The Warre hive's square shape is not the mostthermally efficient. A round shape best simulates ahollow tree and an octagon, or even a hexagon,better approximates to roundness than a square.Round, octagonal and hexagonal hives have beenused for longer or shorter periods in beekeeping

history.

John Gedde described a storified/tiered woodenhive with an octagonal shape in his book firstpublished in 1675 (see left picture below; theimage provider failed to scan all of it).1 His bookwent into several editions and the hive waspromoted by others, e.g. John Rusden in his bookof 1679 (see right picture below).2

Csuja Lszl has long contemplated making aGedde hive and finally started his project in May 2008. His goal was to make a simple andinexpensive beehive, i.e. precisely Warre's goal when designing The People's Hive. Afurther consideration was to better protect the colonies in the climate of Hungary which canhave temperatures of -20 degrees Celsius in winter. The plan is to establish 300-500 ofthese hives in 2009.

Before describing construction and management details here are some photos, all takenfrom the album 'Geddebeehive' (csuja_laszlo) athttp://groups.yahoo.com/group/Organicbeekeepers/ :

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Organicbeekeepers/http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Organicbeekeepers/

7/30/2019 Warre Beekeping_hexagonal Hive

2/8

2 | h t t p : / / w a r r e . b i o b e e s . c o m / h e x a g o n . h t m

A single 'ring' on its floor with two top-bars. Other floors beyond.

Placing top-bars with foundation starter-strips in ring slots.

7/30/2019 Warre Beekeping_hexagonal Hive

3/8

3 | h t t p : / / w a r r e . b i o b e e s . c o m / h e x a g o n . h t m

Populating a hexagonal hive.

Newly populated hexagonal hives.

7/30/2019 Warre Beekeping_hexagonal Hive

4/8

7/30/2019 Warre Beekeping_hexagonal Hive

5/8

5 | h t t p : / / w a r r e . b i o b e e s . c o m / h e x a g o n . h t m

New comb under construction.

Preparing to harvest.

7/30/2019 Warre Beekeping_hexagonal Hive

6/8

6 | h t t p : / / w a r r e . b i o b e e s . c o m / h e x a g o n . h t m

Ring full of comb.

7/30/2019 Warre Beekeping_hexagonal Hive

7/8

7 | h t t p : / / w a r r e . b i o b e e s . c o m / h e x a g o n . h t m

Removing honeycomb.

Construction

Plans for the layout of each hive body element or ring can be downloaded as a PDF. Eachring comprises three layers of timber (spruce or larch) with the corner joints overlappingalternately for strength. The wall thickness is 30 mm (in the plans for 2009) but they were50 mm in the 2008 prototypes illustrated above. The plans show 10 top-bars at 30 mmcentres, but the above illustrations show 9 bars, possibly at the same spacing toaccommodate the thicker walls. From 2009 there will be 10 top-bars. The ring height is120 mm. A queen excluder is not necessary. The bees used areApis mellifera carnica.The overall ring size is determined by the length of each side being 250 mm. The photosshow that the rings are regular hexagons whereas in the plans, two opposite sides arelonger. These longer sides will be implemented in 2009 so that the beekeeper will nevermake a mistake with the orientation of the top-bars.

In 2009 the hiveswill be covered with 30 mm plastic sheets with a sheet of aluminium as a

solar reflector.

http://warre.biobees.com/hexagonal_hive_plans.pdfhttp://warre.biobees.com/hexagonal_hive_plans.pdf

7/30/2019 Warre Beekeping_hexagonal Hive

8/8

8 | h t t p : / / w a r r e . b i o b e e s . c o m / h e x a g o n . h t m

The hive is expanded by both supering, or nadiring (adding new rings at the bottom). If thehive is storing only 0.5-2 kg/day, the new ring is added underneath. If it is storing 2-10 kgper day then new rings are added both underneath and on top.

To populate hives the plan is that between 20 April and 10 May 2009 hundreds of 2-ringhexagonal hives will be set up baited with Nazanov and pseudo-queen pheromone swarm

lures. From these, strong colonies of 6-8 rings (720-960 mm high) will be built up. They willbe migrated in the second half of May to the acacia honey harvest with expected yields of30-50 kg per colony. One ring holds 10-12 kg honey. After the harvest the colonies will befed sugar syrup. A further harvest from sunflowers will take place in July (20-40 kg). Thebees are left to stock up with pollen in August and fed sugar syrup. They are left with 20 kgof honey for winter. The colonies are treated for Varroa in September and October.

References

1. Gedde, John. A new discovery of an excellent method of beehouses, and colonies,which frees the owners from the great charge and trouble that attends the swarming ofbees, and delivers the bees from the evil reward of ruine, for the benefit they brought theirmasters" ( London, Printed for the author, 1677. 3d edition, enlarged, with severalobjections answered.) A transcript of the part of this concerned with the Gedde hive isdownloadable as a PDF. A scan of his book is downloadable athttp://www.culturaapicola.com.ar/apuntes/libros/468_Gedde.pdf .

2. Rusden, Moses. A further discovery of bees. Treating of the nature, government,generation & preservation of the bee. With the experiments and improvements arising fromthe keeping them in transparent boxes, instead of straw-hives. Also proper directions (toall such as keep bees) as well to prevent their robbing in straw-hives, as their killing in thecolonies. By Moses Rusden, an apothecary; bee-master to the King's most excellentMajesty. Published by His Majesties especial command, and approved by the RoyalSociety at Gresham Coll. London, printed by the author, and are to be sold at his housenext the sign of the King's Arms in the Bowling Alley ... 1679. First edition.

Acknowledgements

Thanks to Csuja Lszl for permission to use his photos and for help with compiling thispage. Thanks also to William T. Eagleton of the Yahoo Warrebeekeeping e-group for helpwith contacting Csuja Lszl and initiating enquiries.

http://warre.biobees.com/gedde_transcript.pdfhttp://www.culturaapicola.com.ar/apuntes/libros/468_Gedde.pdfhttp://www.culturaapicola.com.ar/apuntes/libros/468_Gedde.pdfhttp://warre.biobees.com/gedde_transcript.pdf