Hive Varre: drawings and dimensions, pluses for beekeeping, content and how to do it yourself

The maintenance of an apiary means that the insects need to create conditions under which they will feel comfortable and as close as possible to their familiar environment. Therefore, beekeepers are constantly developing new varieties of bee houses and care techniques. The Émile Warré Hive is one of the options that has certain advantages and disadvantages, which are best studied before installation.

General Description

It is believed that a bee house of this type is closer than others to the natural principles of bee life - there are no usual frames, wax inside, human participation is practically not provided. Benefits of using such a hive in beekeeping:

• internal arrangement is similar to how bees build hives in nature;
• house care is easier than other types of bee dwellings;
• honey collection takes place according to a simplified scheme of work;
• does not require significant costs from the beekeeper.

Varre hives differ in some points that beekeepers consider to be disadvantages (but not all). For example, the notch is located in the lower part of the body, and not in the middle. It may be difficult to ensure proper air exchange, which negatively affects the development of the family. The nuances are presented in the video.

A bit of history

The design of the hive was developed by the Frenchman Emile Varre in the first half of the 19th century. Abbot tested different designs - more than 50 different options. Based on the results of the research, the beekeeper developed and published the manual "Beekeeping for All", which was reprinted eleven times only during the life of the beekeeper.Interesting Facts:

• the abbot devoted more than 50 years to beekeeping;
• 350 bee houses worked simultaneously in his apiaries (on average);
• every bee family was observed - calculations, records, conclusions;
• the result of many years of experience was the rejection of the use of frames inside the house (as opposed to the usual Armenian and French versions of beehives).

Attention! The basis of Emile Varre's philosophy was natural beekeeping. The beekeeper was of the opinion that bees existed long before "taming" by man, and the task of the beekeeper is to provide natural habitual conditions for bees.

Rejection of the frame device of bee houses has reduced the cost of beekeeping. Insects independently work with nectar, produce honey - human participation is practically not required.

Drawings and dimensions

Varre's hive is called folk. The main advantage is low weight and simplicity of design. Bee houses filled with honey weigh no more than 15 kg, which means that you can work with such hives at different ages and physical condition.

In order to make this type of bee houses on your own, you need to perform some preparatory activities. The sizes include the following parameters:

• lower part of the body - the bottom - the usual dimensions of 33.8 cm, 33.8 cm and 1.5 cm;
• insect landing board - 16cm, 1cm, 1.5cm;
• notch width 12 cm.

Cases are stacked on top of each other, the number of sections usually does not exceed 4 pcs.

Drawings are in the public domain, usually indicate the internal design parameters. For example:

• body - 30 cm, 30 cm and 21 cm;
• walls are chosen with a thickness of 2-3.5 cm (excluding folds). Attention! Folds are recesses in the walls of bee houses, on which frames are then placed. When assembling the hive, take into account the distance from the edge of the upper part of the bar to the lid (not less than 0.8-1 cm);
• Some people prefer to install windows to observe insects - the size and location are chosen at the discretion of the beekeeper.

The author of the design preferred to choose elements of the hive with a thickness of 2.4 cm. Beekeepers change some parameters, depending on the experience gained.

Rationality of application

The main difference between keeping bees using the Emile Varre technique is that it is necessary to minimize human participation in the production of honey and products. Features:

• the right conditions have been created for insects, as close as possible to natural ones;
• for beekeepers add special handles on the side of the cases for transportation;
• when fruit trees begin to bloom in the spring, there are fewer problems with families.

But after the linden blossoms, the total honey yield decreases. Some beekeepers prefer to move the apiary.

Required tools and materials

Bee hives of most types of structures can be assembled by yourself. To assemble the houses of Varre, you need to prepare the following:

• power tool - circular saw, electric planer (or manual equivalents);
• hammer, nails, sandpaper, glue, level, measuring tape and other similar tools;
• boards, styrofoam or polystyrene for drank body and parts.

Wood is a familiar material for beehives. The latter are used less often (low ventilation, excessive lightness of the device, rodents and birds easily get inside).

How to DIY?

The Varre bee hive is assembled in several stages. Action required:

• prepare the workplace, materials and tools;
• cut out details, sandpaper sharp edges;
• assemble the cases one by one (a small box according to the indicated dimensions, 8 frames are placed inside, the distance between which should be 1.2 cm);
• fix on the sides of the handle (wooden, steel, other suitable material);
• fix the bottom.

It is necessary to monitor the joints, avoid cracks, cracks, chips. The level will help align the structure during assembly. For a beekeeper who has already assembled beehives or other similar devices, assembly will take a little time. For a beginner - a little more, but preliminary preparation will be important here. The last step is warming and fixing with a cloth. Details in the video.

Emile Varre's hives are small and easy to assemble. Human involvement is kept to a minimum, but it will take a couple of seasons to study in detail and visually the breeding and honey collection techniques (some nuances of insect behavior depend on the breed of bees).

Recommended