Interesting question.
Well, the short answer is - you could put the half height box on top AND
definitely put a full size box on the bottom.
Reasoning:
Last year I tried the box-on-top because I'd seen Gareth do it and the bees
simply packed it with honey - for him. But in my case - they ignored the
box completely and it was still empty at the end of the year! Gareth
explained to me that if you put a top box on too late in the year, the bees
ignore it because they're sort of programmed to ignore that space - "we've
filled that space now". My records say I added that box on 20th July so we
can conclude that is definitely too late! I'd say putting a box on top is
worth a try but you need a backup plan in case they ignore it, thus you
want the box on the bottom too as your colony will be looking for space now
it has filled the current bottom box and at this time of year.
Now, the reason you put Warre boxes on the bottom is to provide space in
the natural direction of comb growth and have comb cycle up the hive. When
Warre designed his hive, he had unlimited strong young monks to do the
heavy lifting (he was an abbot) and he believed it was healthier for the
bees to build new comb rather than raise brood on very old comb. So the
concept is that the bees are continually generating new comb as they build
downwards, and you "simply" add boxes below thus never let them reach the
floor. Boxes in a Warre stack are meant to migrate up the stack over a few
seasons, you stick new ones at the bottom. Around September / October the
brood nest contracts out of the top one(s) and you take away (harvest) ones
at the top.
The idea is that the comb for the nest never gets too clogged with cocoons
etc. (Gareth discussed how bees manage old comb in wild nests in his post
on 8th May titled "lifecycle of honeycomb"). (You can debate whether old
comb really is bad for bees, and whether you should expand the hive to
discourage swarms at all, but let's not overcomplicate this post).
So I think that as you are one retired person and not a group of strapping
young monks, now is the time for 2 helpful volunteers living near you in
Headington/Oxford area to step forward to say "we will lift the hive for
you while you slide a box in below".
Volunteers, anyone? Anyone?
Paul
On Tue, 10 May 2022 at 21:55, <maryevelynbaker@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
Dear Paul and everyone
Talking about swarms, I looked in my hive with a red torch just now and
found the bottom (of three) box by the cold entrance (usually empty) is now
full of bees and comb. The comb looks new and what I can see that isn’t
covered by bees seems to be empty.
I think I should add another box. Can I put it on the top of the stack?
Taking the whole stack apart to put it on the bottom would be quite messy
as I think it might mean breaking some comb to move the boxes one by one. I
know it’s supposed to go at the bottom but I’ve forgotten why. I believe
it’s ok to put boxes on top to collect honey. I have got a half-height
box and a normal one to use.
Perhaps it’s a bit late in the season to put in another box but the bottom
box has always been empty - I haven’t looked inside for a couple of weeks.
I probably know why I should put the new box at the bottom, I’ve had it
explained many times before but it would be lovely if I could just put one
on top…. Or should I just make a swarm box quickly. I couldn’t see any
queen cells - there didn’t seem to be any room for them, the bees have
built comb side on to the windows and it is attached to the windows except
in the bottom box where it hasn’t quite reached the glass. I was hoping the
activity of the bees wasn’t them gorging on honey before swarming…
The bees love the new pond and it is buzzing with them.
Thank you for your wise and kind advice.
Mary
PS the bottom board below the mesh floor is still in place.
