Through The Wall Observation Hive Wow

[blueblood]

I found this keeper on Jpthebeeman's Facebook group page.  I asked him to share the plans for it.  He is more than willing to help with them.  I think this is fantastic.  My wife doesn't know it yet, but this is in the future....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=AriE3OtIRSw

[Perry]

That's really cool, but working on it wouldn't be easy. I imagine you would have to take it outside as a whole unit to work on it.
Still.......

[blueblood]

He said he has a screen and board he pulls out to clean it.  And, he cleans the glass off three times per year.  Man, isn't it cool though!  I would be watching hours upon hours.

[LazyBkpr]

Thats a great little vid.
   My wife mentioned putting an observation hive in one of the windows. Seeing that gives me Ideas..
   I think the hive itself would still have to be outside, with one wall of glass against or as part of the window...
   Thinking of taking it apart for maintenance, cleaning etc....
  CANT be worse on the bees than if they were living in the wall of a house right?

[blueblood]

I would agree with ya Lazy, much better.  I say share some of your energy for trunk hives to the observation hive....

[BoilerJim]

Neat idea. However, IF I were do put one of those IN THE HOUSE I am afraid the wife would have ME sleeping OUT OF THE HOUSE with the dog. She just don't get into the hobby like my daughter and me. LOL 

[robo]

Neat looking, but not much to observe.   I find observation hives with parallel frames pretty useless.  You'll never see the queen or brood,  just bees wondering around and perhaps storing honey on those outer frames.   If your going to do an observation hive,  go single frame wide so you can see the interesting stuff.   I have a 4-frame deep in our house,  and my son is designing a 5-frame observation hive for our library as his eagle project.  I'll be sharing the details once he has things moving along......

[LazyBkpr]

I agree Robo..  Thats the biggest difficulty I am facing..
   Make the Observation hive into something sustainable, or make it with few frames so you can SEE whats going on...
   Been trying to figure out what to do for that exact scenario..  I have enough height to run about 7 medium frames Side on to the window...   but thinking running them end toward the window may allow me to see down between the frames. and allow me to use standard dimension boxes.....      Conundrum...  Less frames, more observation, more maintenance..   More frames, less observation less maintenance.....

[apisbees]

To mre they are a great teaching tool and I will stock one for a display but when not needed I but the bees and queen back in the hive. it is unnatural space and the bees would never pick an observation space on their own. If i want to see the bees I open up a hive to have a look see.
Some of the old bee books have pictures of hives that had observation windows so the bees could be studied by some of the early bee scholars. So they do have their place.

[robo]

the bees would never pick an observation space on their own.

Never say never!

Swarm moving into an observation hive. (courtesy of buzzbee)

[LazyBkpr]

LOL Robo..
   It is my goal to make this OB hive something they WOULD move into, but as yet they have not decided to share what interior colors they like best.

[blueblood]

  oh my!

[riverbee]

"Never say never!
Swarm moving into an observation hive. (courtesy of buzzbee)"

............
what a swarm!!!  great photos robo, thank you!