Bees living on show

[beehave89]

Hi there!
Firstly, i would like to admit that im very new to bee keeping and have a very limited knowledge in the subject so please excuse me if any of my questions are naive!!

I am a student architect and am researching the possibility of creating a building where part of the wall included an active bee hive. the bees would access the hive from outside and the idea would be that people inside the building can view the bees working away, prehaps through a glass screen in the wall.

my concerns are:
- do bees require specific light conditions, i.e. would having any intensity of light penetrating through the glass screen interupt the way they behave and
-do they require any specific privacy - would moving shapes outside the screen unsettle them and result in bees not settling?

Thankyou to anyone who can answer me or have a go at this one!! i very much appreciate any feedback!

 

[oliver90owner]

Take a trip to Quince Honey Farm. It would be an education for you.

RAB

 

[victor meldrew]

Take a trip to Quince Honey Farm. It would be an education for you.

RAB

 

[jasonahood]

Wow.... that's living the dream, i feel a trip to Devon coming on.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Take a trip to Quince Honey Farm. It would be an education for you.

RAB

Blimey is it still there?
I recall taking my daughter there when she was 5. That's 21 years ago...

 

[victor meldrew]

Blimey is it still there?
I recall taking my daughter there when she was 5. That's 21 years ago...

She will kill you

John Wilkinson

 

[Midland Beek]

There's many an indoor observation hive that has a hole and pipe through the wall to the outside. Newquay Honey Farm, Wales, is one such place with maybe half a dozen inddor colonies, from your standard observation hive to a colony on frames in a glass cabinet where you pull a lever and the frames separate to allow a view and then re-assemble themselves.

 

[susbees]

from your standard observation hive to a colony on frames in a glass cabinet where you pull a lever and the frames separate to allow a view and then re-assemble themselves.

Doesn't sound like a very relaxing place to live...

 

[mandabow]

title made me remember

http://www.youtube.com/all_comments?v=AGWfib8M8FQ

mad exibition

from what i remeber it's jesus, above a brood box with QX below stopping swarming. kept in a dimly lit room with tube to outside. fed sugarwater with red dye, queen would not come up into the light er area, but as soon as put on exibiton and in brighter light and more curfuffel the bees behaved like sculpture was outside the colony and began to tyr and move honey down. artist enhanced this by closing route to outside so they lived off the honey prior to the exibition opening, reopened it during exibition, but the bees did not refill, just carried on cleaning it. probably for the best art wise, i'd imagine the form would have been lost soon, tho jesus may have gotten wings.

obervation hives are generally in dark rooms, or have a door to keep it dark inside for queen to lay happily. you could expand on the idea, maybe have a glass sculpture covered in the summer, allowing bees to fill with stores, then in the winter uncover it to watch them come in collect it all, closest to on view, but not really theur inside a hive behaviour, more outside in

i once wondered about all walls of bees, bee conditioned house so to speak. great for carbon footprint.. not seeing them at all, but allowing them to dissipate the summer heat out of the building and add a bit to the insulation and warmth in winter.


Quince honey farm sounds great! feel a trip west comming on tooo!

 

[Dishmop]

I never cover my obs hive...
Hive is next to a window
Daylight doesnt seem to bother them apart from when I rotate the hive to look at the other side they will rush across the hive towards bright sunlight if there is any.... but if I pull the curtains halfway across the window they dont notice.
Queen doesnt seem too bothered if I'm watching her laying eggs.....

 

[Busy Bee]

I think you have all missed the question. Possible method you could use 2 way glass to watch the bees but it would need to be next to the side of the hive.

Busy Bee

 

[MuswellMetro]

I think you have all missed the question. Possible method you could use 2 way glass to watch the bees but it would need to be next to the side of the hive.

Busy Bee

If it works for Dr Ratneik at the university of Sussex Laboratory of Apiculture and social insects , then it will work for you

see photo of their set up, three hives open all the time to normal office lighting except at night

 

[susbees]

If it works for Dr Ratneik at the university of Sussex Laboratory of Apiculture and social insects , then it will work for you

see photo of their set up, three hives open all the time to normal office lighting except at night

And three more next door, all linked to the tele so they can watch 'em dance...

 

[Busy Bee]

I imagine this student wants a full hive not necessarily a glass hive, a standard Th****s hive with a side you can remove to see inside and this could be caried out daily or as required but the architect would need to have facilities for a bee keeper to inspect and manipulate them. I would'nt imagine the hive be sited in side a building with an entrance outwards. inpsection would through up all sort of problems once opened for inspection.

Busy Bee

 

[Dishmop]

I think you have all missed the question. Possible method you could use 2 way glass to watch the bees but it would need to be next to the side of the hive.

Busy Bee

as was pointed out to me once..... you wouldnt be able to see thro it if it was set up against the frames...

My thoughts are that the OP would like to build a hive into the wall... as like a window would be...........

 

[Dishmop]

I would'nt imagine the hive be sited in side a building with an entrance outwards. inpsection would through up all sort of problems once opened for inspection.

thats why you take them outside....

 

[Dishmop]

If it works for Dr Ratneik at the university of Sussex Laboratory of Apiculture and social insects , then it will work for you

as long as you have a good supplier of duct tape.....

 

[oliver90owner]

2 way glass

That's a novelty?

I thought all glass was two-way normally?

Pleas explain a little more.

 

[nikca]

The Taiwanese seem to have it sorted...

Taiwanese friend of mine put this on FB recently - sorry - no more details!

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