To See or Not to See Bee.

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Joined
May 29, 2010
Messages
6,213
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2
Location
Norwich
Hive Type
National
Number of Hives
3 National Hives & 1 Observation Hive.(Indoors) & lots of empty boxes..
Many posts on people wanting to have a fiddle and see what their bees are doing..... or not doing....

I think that seeing what my observation hive is doing should give me a general idea of what is or should be normal inside any hive. Namely where the bees are.
Therefore it is my though that all those who lift the lid to have a look to see how many bees there are, will be wasting thier time because they are not at the top of the hive anyway......so unless you start separating boxes you can only see a few inches down between frames....

One pic for each side of hive.

Frames 2 x 2. Therfore I can only see outside of frames.

Bottom have no capped stores or brood, but there is food.

Top frames have mostly capped stores and some uncapped.
 
Dishmop, you are spoilt to a level most of us can only dream of!

:iagree:
Your point is still valid though, leave the girls alone 'till spring (except for and OA treatment if you are doing that). If there is a problem you probably can't act on it at this time anyway and by checking you might well create a problem!

Whether your observation hive is representative of a cold hive in -10'C surroundings is unclear, I guess your girls will brood longer, eat more and brood again earlier than an external hive?

By the way nice Meercat calendar, you got those in an observation pen in the lounge as well?
:D
 
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By the way nice Meercat calendar, you got those in an observation pen in the lounge as well?

Got some plastic ones in the garden as well.

and one dressed in an army uniform.....

and one in a dressing gown.....:seeya:
 
Comparethemeerkat.com, Comparethebeecluster.com...


Thanks Dishmop- nice bit of kit.

This colony in a slightly different situation to most beek's colonies. Obviously, due to the vertical "2d" configuration of an obs hive, the cluster structure is different to the structure of a cluster in "normal" hive or a wild bee nest which is more of a "3d" rugby ball shaped mass.

You said "Bottom have no capped stores or brood, but there is food." How can this be? Are you referring to the stores in the top frame?


Ben P
 
You said "Bottom have no capped stores or brood, but there is food." How can this be? Are you referring to the stores in the top frame?

No, bottom.


This colony in a slightly different situation to most beek's colonies.
I am guessing that it will only be different because the bees are more spread out sideways because they have no cold walls...
 
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As your obs hive is inside it has no bearing really on what is happening in hives outside with the weather to contend with. Very nice ob hive though wonder if I can talk swmbo into one lol
 
As your obs hive is inside it has no bearing really on what is happening in hives outside with the weather to contend with. Very nice ob hive though wonder if I can talk swmbo into one lol
Yes I realise that which is why I only said it gives me an general idea of what might be happening to outside hives.

When I hear of cluster I think of penguins..... They also keep changing places to give everybody a chance to keep warm....

When warm the bees have the energy to move about and go up and feed, and then return to the outer area of the cluster.


On my obs hive there obviously isnt what anybody would call a "cluster". More of a very even spread across the bottom frames. Lots of bums poking out of cells. Eating and cleaning I assume.

I dont think they are too confused by the heat.. I see the odd bee or two ruhing about trying to remember where the door is,,,, then I see them in the entrance tube, but as they get closer to the outside air, they realise its getting colder and change their mind and go back.....
but if the outside temperature has risen a bit I think they go back and tell everybody else that its ok to go out....
The hive has ventilation at the bottom and warm air enters thro that but I can control the amount of outside air entering thro the entrance tube..

wonder if I can talk swmbo into one lol

Just do it...
 

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