Plexiglass for Observation Hive

[Jonathan Hofer]

I'm just wondering if anyone has tried plexiglass for observation hives instead of regular gless? Also, what are the drawbacks to a single frame observation hive?

Thanks

[Ross]

Plexiglas-- it's the devil to clean and keep clear. I used regular double strength window glass. I haven't broken a window in 30 years, so I'm not too worried. I thought about safety glass, then I thought about how it all let's go at once in little bitty pieces. Regular glass will break in larger shards, but they usually stay in the frame, at least allowing you to cover it with cardboard or something to get it outside. You could try regular glass and cover it with plexi I guess, or get some hurricane film to go over, or just replace the plexi every spring instead of trying to clean it.

[Ross]

single frame hives -- not enough critical mass of bees to survive. Be prepared to re-stock often. I like one big enough to act like a regular hive, raise brood, raise drones, raise a queen, etc. I can tell from mine when a flow starts, when pollen is coming in, etc.

[Michael Bush]

>I'm just wondering if anyone has tried plexiglass for observation hives instead of regular gless?

I've done both. I like things about both. The plexiglass is relatively cheap and easy to work with but harder to clean and it scratches eventually and has to be replaced. I clean it with FGMO. I move the bees into a nuc by the tube and soak the glass with FGMO and wait. Then I come back and wipe it off and finish that off with windex. With glass I just scrape it with a razor blade scaper and finish off with the windex.

>Also, what are the drawbacks to a single frame observation hive?

Single frame deep? Or just one frame?

I have one that's just one frame and have never been able to keep it going. It's nice for putting a frame of bees in to take to a school or something, but not for keeping a viable colony. I find that three deeps or four mediums makes a nice size that you can haul outside to work and yet be big enough to be viable.

I like them one frame thick so you can always find the queen. If you have more than one frame thick the queen and most of the brood will usually be hidden.

[Bill Ruble]

I just made one yesterday. I made it 2 frames deep and 4 frames high. That way, I can put in 8 medium frames which should be enough to keep it going. My main reason for doing this is because I ordered my first breeder queen and want to put her inside this so I can tell better what is going on. I can slip the glass out partway and remove frames to do grafting and such. It is my first attempt at grafting, my first observation hive and my first breeder queen so with me well.
Bill

[Ross]

Sliding glass only works for a little while, then the bees propolize it and it never slides again. I would suggest you put the glass in with a wooden bead stapled or bradded in. If you need access to one frame, use a divider strip and mount a one frame piece of glass separately with a wooden bead also. If you brad it in, the wooden bead is easily pried off and replaced when you need to remove glass.

[Bill Ruble]

Ross, how then do people change all there frames and rotate them?

My plan was to remove eggs from a breeder queen on a regular basis but you make it sound difficult to do. Maybe I should just put her in a regular hive.

I wish I knew how to make an OH that you stack suppers on so I could remvoe frames anytime I wanted. Any ideas?
Bill

[jim b]

Has anyone found plex or lexan to warp in the humidity?
-j

[leamon]

Michael, how often do you take the hive outside to work it? I've thought of a hive upstairs in an unused room and away from the window as nothing faces north and i figure heat would be a problem. Anyone ever make an OH from old window sashes?
leamon

[Ross]

I remove mine by removing the wooden bead to remove the glass. Even if it gets propolized, I can still get the glass off. Sliding in a groove, once it gets propolized, it's stuck.

[Michael Bush]

>Michael, how often do you take the hive outside to work it?

Of course that depends somewhat on the issues the hive is facing, how often I take it out. Usually three times a year or so I end up taking it out and cleaning everything up and reworking something.

> I've thought of a hive upstairs in an unused room and away from the window as nothing faces north and i figure heat would be a problem.

North is a nice window for an observation hive. That way they don't get overheated from the summer sun shining in the window.

[sierrabees]

I am trying something new this year. I picked up a cheap metal picture frame that was just a smidgen too large for two medium hive frames. I made a small wood frame to hold the mediums and hinged the picture frame on one side with the other side permanant glass. I mounted the whole thing on a lid that fits a six frame nuc box with a queen excluder between the OB area and the Nuc. I plan to move the queen above or below the excluder depending on what I want to do. Of course I have to keep this in the Barn instead of the house if I am going to open it very often. I have also thought of making a styrofoam slip on cover for the OB part and keeping it outside but I'll have to play that by ear.

[jjgbee]

I built a single frame ob hive when my daughter was honey queen. 86& 87. She used in talks to over 10000 school children and fairs. I used double strength glass which is very durable. The glass slides into loose fitting slots. If bee prop. or build comb to the glass, I just take top off and turn OP hive over. Both glasses and comb slide out as a unit. More inportant than glass is a wide base. Min. 6in. Also have a 6 5/8 extension that screws on top of single for a food frame for longer shows. Note Slow laying queens are great for OB hives. When daughter was Honey Queen, the single frame OB hive with a slow queen lasted all summer under my patio. When she needed it for a demo, just closed it in evening and it was ready for the road the next day. In Sept the bees superseeded the queen and her daughter went out , mated and both were laying together for 3 weeks. I took it to club meeting to show it and the next day they killed the old marked queen. Too much stress I guess.

[Ross]

Might not have been enough bees bringing in propolis in a single frame hive. In a permanent hive, they will glue the glass in the groove. It won't come out, promise.