stocking an observation hive

[Petewhite]

Hi all, I have set up a Th***es observation hive in a barn in the garden where I work (Furzey Gardens in the New Forest), where we have some information and displays about bees for our visitors.
The hive takes a brood frame and 2 super frames, stacked above each other, with glass each side. I am using langs.
I would like to have it stocked with a colony for the duration of the rest of the summer.
Has any body got any experience of running an observation hive like this?
I presently have 6 hives running in the garden and was planning to source my bees from them - any advice on how to proceed would be gratefully received.
Cheers

 

[beeatshellards]

hi pete , observation hives are meant for temporary use, as you need a queen and some brood, and bees, they like the dark so having an observation hive will not be suitable to leave open to the public permanently. condensation also builds up on a warm day in them , I dont think this would be an ideal "home" for them , unless you take them back to the hive every night and get them out the next day. not ideal(, only my opinion)

 

[Dishmop]

Just put the frames with bees into the hive and close it up.... One thing tho. are the glass sides on hinges or does the glass slide into grove/slots, because...

its one hell of a job to close a door on all those bees.
As your hive will be outside/ish make a couple of panels from something like Kingspan or ply and polystryrene insulation, to clip on at night time. My 4 frame obs hive is indoors, was set up last September from a nuc and overwintered with no problems at all. Since February or when the weather turned warm I have taken two frames out three times to start nucs and tonight I have I taken all the frames out and put into a big box because they have been getting hot indoors and I am going away for a few days. They tend to leave the hive if they get too hot, fly all over the place and annoy everybody then come back.
Make sure you put the entrance tube away from where the public will be standing. They might have a problem crawling up new plastic tube but their feet soon make it sticky and then you'd never believe just how fast they can run. They also drive on the right. They will also fall off the glass to start with but that also happens with new foundation.
I never cover mine up but I do shade them from direct sunlight/heat. They will move across the hive towards daylight. They dont seem to be bothered by artificial light.

 

[beeatshellards]

one brood frame okay , the queen can lay 1,000 to 2,00 eggs in 24 hours, so what happens when the one brood frame is full to capacity?

 

[Dishmop]

I doubt she knows the difference between what humans call brood or supers.

 

[beeatshellards]

okay you are right , as you have an observation hive do yours lay in the supers when the brood frame is full?

 

[Dishmop]

okay you are right , as you have an observation hive do yours lay in the supers when the brood frame is full?

Yes.
Remember that bees naturally work downwards, but if there is no downwards they have to lay wherever there is room.

 

[beeatshellards]

here we go dish mop more questions come to mind... if there is one frame of brood they cluster to keep warm ,so if they spread over 3 what happens, also are any gaps propolised, and what about the bee space?

 

[Dishmop]

Dont know about everybody else but I have my heating on when its cold so the bees enjoy the same indoor temperture as I do and dont need to cluster.

 

[beeatshellards]

thanks dishmop!

 

[Petewhite]

Cheers - I'll stock it at the beginning of the summer hols and see how long I can keep them in.

 

[beeatshellards]

good luck I shall be interested to hear how they get on, sorry I GOT SIDETRACKED WITH DISHMOP!