Hello everyone. I know there are some other threads on Warre beekeeping in this forum, but I'd like to keep the conversation going. I've been reading "Beekeeping For All" several times and researching on the net for anything I can find. A lot of the Warre system clicks with me, it seems to make a lot of simple, logical sense.
However, there's a few alarm bells starting to ring in my head, as I think ahead to one day running a small commercial Warre operation. I'm hoping to hear others opinions and experiences on these matters:
1) I understand the reasoning behind fixed combs. Can't help but wonder though, wouldn't there come many situations where it would be very frustrating to not be able to go in and inspect? Ideally, sure, leave them alone. But what if your hive DOES have major problems?
What about raising queens? Not being able to extract? (I like the idea of crush and strain, but crushing and straining a few hundred hives? How is that done?)
2) I really like the square box, makes sense to me. But in the end, is it worth it as compared to the availability of Langstroth equipment?
3) How would it affect your ability to for example, sell queens, make & sell nucs, etc. when all your equipment is different from, in reality, most of your customers? Would beekeepers running standard Langs with foundation want to buy natural-cell, regressed queens? bees? I guess the main question is, would you be up against a wall not because you don't have a good system, but that all your equipment is not transferable to the majority of other beekeepers?
I guess that's it for now. I'm a bit Warre-fanatical, I will admit. I would be sad if it turned out to not be a feasible system in this day and age. But also have no Warre experience, so just trying to sort out ahead of time the realities. Thanks a lot for the discussion.
However, there's a few alarm bells starting to ring in my head, as I think ahead to one day running a small commercial Warre operation. I'm hoping to hear others opinions and experiences on these matters:
1) I understand the reasoning behind fixed combs. Can't help but wonder though, wouldn't there come many situations where it would be very frustrating to not be able to go in and inspect? Ideally, sure, leave them alone. But what if your hive DOES have major problems?
What about raising queens? Not being able to extract? (I like the idea of crush and strain, but crushing and straining a few hundred hives? How is that done?)
2) I really like the square box, makes sense to me. But in the end, is it worth it as compared to the availability of Langstroth equipment?
3) How would it affect your ability to for example, sell queens, make & sell nucs, etc. when all your equipment is different from, in reality, most of your customers? Would beekeepers running standard Langs with foundation want to buy natural-cell, regressed queens? bees? I guess the main question is, would you be up against a wall not because you don't have a good system, but that all your equipment is not transferable to the majority of other beekeepers?
I guess that's it for now. I'm a bit Warre-fanatical, I will admit. I would be sad if it turned out to not be a feasible system in this day and age. But also have no Warre experience, so just trying to sort out ahead of time the realities. Thanks a lot for the discussion.