The best honey

Some people have created arguments stating that the Warré hive produces inferior honey. These arguments are based on ignorance and have no legitimacy. The following is from page 142 of the book, Beekeeping For All. This information is paraphrased to make it easier to understand. Here's what Warré had to say about the honey from his hives:

One might argue that because with the People's hive, the honey is harvested from combs that had at one time contained brood, its quality must be poorer than honey harvested from supers that have not contained brood. But combs that have previously contained brood only change the taste or color of the honey if they are black and spongy, because a fermentation has developed. If our method is followed, such comb never occurs. Its place is taken by comb that is only light to medium-brown.

In all hives, much of the nectar collected each day is first deposited into combs near the hive entrance, and thus in combs that have contained brood. It is not until later (sometimes much later) that this nectar is moved to its final position above the brood nest. In framed hives, it is not unusual for the brood combs to be black, and therefore capable of changing the color and taste of the honey, because in these hives the renewal of old combs is difficult and it is not uncommon that the beekeeper does not do it.

One may also argue that in the People's Hive, the honeys from different seasons are mixed. But we have pointed out in another section that mixed honeys are healthiest and most worth recommending. Moreover, in reality, the different honeys are only mixed at harvest. In the hive they are deposited one above the other in layers going from top to bottom, proportional in size to the forage at different times of the year. If the beekeeper is interested in meeting the tastes of his customers, there is nothing to stop him or her from processing a particular box or even a few specific combs from time to time. Furthermore, it should be noted that the late-season honey, generally the darkest, is placed at the bottom of the stores, and as a result is located immediately above the bee cluster. This is the honey that is easiest left for the bees when preparing the hives for winter.

We can certainly attest to the quality of honey from our Warré hives. We always harvest honey that everyone just loves! Not to mention the wax that gets harvested, which we always seem to find fun things to do with!