They Think It's All Over.

[Dishmop]

12 c and they think its spring.

Many of them drinking water.

 

[pargyle]

12 c and they think its spring.

13.5 degrees here this lunchtime... bet mine are out looking but can't see them as I'm at WORK ! Bother it ...

 

[HM Honey]

Still only about 8-9 degrees up here...

Whats the pipe they are congregating round?

 

[Dishmop]

Whats the pipe they are congregating round?

entrance to a secret escape route.



its the entrance to my indoor observation hive.

 

[Dishmop]

12 c and they think its spring.

13.5 degrees here this lunchtime... bet mine are out looking but can't see them as I'm at WORK ! Bother it ...

I had a job once. Didnt think much of it at all.
My work comes to me now.

 

[Hivemaker.]

I'm at WORK !

Sounds like a good job.

 

[HM Honey]

its the entrance to my indoor observation hive.

Indoor Observation Hive? Cool....How does that work?

When you say "indoor", you dont mean actually in your house I assume? I assume you mean in a shed or something silimar? How does it affect them clustering over winter? Does the temperature drop enought to make them cluster as normal? How do you inspect them?

So many questions..... I want an indoor Observation hive now......

 

[farbee]

Indoor Observation Hive? Cool....How does that work?

When you say "indoor", you dont mean actually in your house I assume? I assume you mean in a shed or something silimar? How does it affect them clustering over winter? Does the temperature drop enought to make them cluster as normal? How do you inspect them?

So many questions..... I want an indoor Observation hive now......

Looks like a garage door to me so I assume it to an unheated garage.

 

[pargyle]

Sounds like a good job.

I should be so lucky ... hours of inactivity interspersed with a few hours of less than taxing 'work' ... it all comes to an end at the end of March and then I'm unemployed ... and at nearly 64 years old - probably permanently ! But not for the want of trying ... ageism rules in the recruitment sector - at least as far as those seeking employment is concerned. Time will tell ...

 

[HM Honey]

Looks like a garage door to me so I assume it to an unheated garage.

Yeah, wasnt sure whether it was a garage door or white pvc cladding? The garage makes sense though.

 

[Dishmop]

The pipe leads to a plastic tube through the wall and into my lounge to a glass obs hive on the wall.
Clustering no issue because they dont need to. The most they ever do is move away from the inlet tube if the wind is blowing cold.
This pic as taken last January.

There are more in there this year.
It rotates on a central axis which is where the entrance tube is.
4 national deep frames.

 

[Dishmop]

Yeah, wasnt sure whether it was a garage door or white pvc cladding? The garage makes sense though.

The white is the window frame.

 

[lebouche]

The pipe leads to a plastic tube through the wall and into my lounge to a glass obs hive on the wall.
Clustering no issue because they dont need to. The most they ever do is move away from the inlet tube if the wind is blowing cold.
This pic as taken last January.

There are more in there this year.
It rotates on a central axis which is where the entrance tube is.
4 national deep frames.

Can I ask what happens when you need to open it up? How many frames does it have? I always wondered what the maximum is frame wise for an obs hive. I imagine you have to keep its size down..

 

[Dishmop]

I remove it from the frame and take it outside. The glass panels come off each side.
4 frames.

Once or twice a year I remove two frames with and put them in a nuc, leaving the queen there.

 

[HM Honey]

Hi Dismop

Sorry to be cheeky but could you message me more photo's of your indoor obo hive please? Photo's of the tube etc would be great too.

Also, can you let me know what sort of special considerations need to be taken and any sort of special work that's involved in keeping it running etc...

I'm thinking things like, don't the bees stay active in winter because of he temperature in your kitchen? What about swarming when they outgrow the 4 frames? Things like that.

cheers m8

 

[Dishmop]

Hi Dismop

Sorry to be cheeky but could you message me more photo's of your indoor obo hive please? Photo's of the tube etc would be great too.

Also, can you let me know what sort of special considerations need to be taken and any sort of special work that's involved in keeping it running etc...

I'm thinking things like, don't the bees stay active in winter because of he temperature in your kitchen? What about swarming when they outgrow the 4 frames? Things like that.

cheers m8

You will find lots of good pics on Google "images" under "observation beehive"

There are no special considerations as such.
The bees behave just the same as those in a outdoor hive.
When its cold they dont go out. They know what the temperature is because of the air entering the hive thro the tube.
They dont have much work to do in keeping warm because they are indoors and the hive itself is not subject to the outside temperature.
If I were to close the entrance, the inside of the hive would warm up and they would go loony trying to get out.
As I said, once ot twice a year when the hive gets really full I take two of the frames out and put new ones with new foundation in. That gives them something to do. They will swarm, if you dont catch them in time but if the queen is clipped, they will come back again, although you have to check if the queen tried to go with them. If she did then she'll be in the bushes under my window.
I do sometimes feed them but not regularly. Only if they have no stores.

 

[beebreeder]

There is some info here written by a couple that have an observation hive in the house
Graham & Annie Law
homepage.ntlworld.com/gandboss/
Hi, this is the home pa ge of Graham & Annie Law. We Live in Leicestershire England and have a house at the edge of the Charnwood Forest area of the county.

 

[hiveabee]

The pipe leads to a plastic tube through the wall and into my lounge to a glass obs hive on the wall.
Clustering no issue because they dont need to. The most they ever do is move away from the inlet tube if the wind is blowing cold.
This pic as taken last January.

There are more in there this year.
It rotates on a central axis which is where the entrance tube is.
4 national deep frames.

I want one of these hives

 

[Tdod]

the thought of seeing whats going on from the comfort of your own home has always intrigued me, thinking about sorting one of these so will have to search for some plans and get making

 

[busybee53]

You have started something now Dishmop. Cool.

How did you get other half/family to agree to an indoor hive? Mine are used to the bees that come home with me after inspections etc but I would never get away with 4 frames worth.