Observation Hive

[jimmym]

Help ... I want to build a Observation Hive ... I Have read till I am blue in the face and have downloaded so many bad drawing online that the dimensions are so off and faded .. the plans on beesource are what I want but in the post bee space is so important can someone help me with the diminsions and design that know more than me .. a bee keeper is coming to help install my bees so i need the hive to be correct when he comes... i want it to be 4 frames high standard brood frames he is bring 3 with him and we are placing one new on the top. thanks for the help

[Michael Bush]

I don't have any plans but I have detailed the spacing and issues:
http://www.bushfarms.com/beesobservationhives.htm

[jimmym]

Ok Next question ... A Frame is 1 1/8 inch wide so if I want 1 3/4 of space on each side that would make my side be 4 5/8 inch which does not work with the beesource drawing am I looking at something wrong ....and that does not give you any room and all that in edge of your board so I would want it to be a little larger but the drawing call for a side board much smaller than that.

Thanks
Jimmy

[Dearth Vader]

It should be 1 3/4" of space between the glass panels *Not*on each side of the frame.
Dearth

[Michael Bush]

>Ok Next question ... A Frame is 1 1/8 inch wide

Actually the frame counting the end bars is 1 3/8". The top bar is about 1" (maybe 1 1/16").

> so if I want 1 3/4 of space on each side that would make my side be 4 5/8 inch which does not work with the beesource drawing am I looking at something wrong ....

A bee space is 3/8". So a 1 3/8" frame with the beespace is 1 3/4". Or another way to look at it is you have a 1 1/16" thick comb with 3/8" space on each side which makes 1 13/16". Or 1/4" on each side which is 1 5/16" but that always turns out a bit crowded.

> and that does not give you any room and all that in edge of your board so I would want it to be a little larger but the drawing call for a side board much smaller than that.

You don't want it larger than 1 3/4" unless you plan to put more than one comb thick in it or you prefer a lot of burr comb on the glass.

[jimmym]

See Makes much more since now thanks for the help ...

[jimmym]

If I get the spacing correct between the glass and the frame can I really mess anyup ... If the bees can get in the ob hive and they can get to the feeder and can not get out into the room then then is there really anything that is a big deal have I just relly stressed out abut this thing beeing so so and the only thing I need to be just so was the glass....

Jimmy

[drobbins]

jimmy,

you're correct
make the distance between the inside of the glass 1-3/4"
cut the frame rests so you have 3/8" beespace between the frames top to bottom
everything else is just add-on
a feeder is nice
an entrance/exit depends on where you're putting it
but the 1-3/4"/beespace thing is what you need to get right

pics of mine

http://www.drobbins.net/bee's/oh/

Dave

[jimmym]

since I have never even actual been around a hive .. I am new new to all this .. does the feed drip on the service and the bee feeds none of this is explained well in any books I have read .. I have a experienced bee keeper filling the observation hive and would have bought one but to be honest the one available are just not too atractive to hang I want it as a hanging in my office at work I have always bee amazed at bees and wanted one for years and last year sought out for some one to install one and finally found a bee keeper willing to do the work and teach me to maintain ..

thanks for the help ..

jimmy

[jimmym]

you sould start saleing your ob hive yours is very nice.....

[jimmym]

keep looking and you do sale wow if i had found you 2 weeks ago and 100 bucks of wood and 6 hours of drawing and hair pulling and all the reading i could have settle some poor person court case or help someone save a whale or something but no I was building a bee hive

[drobbins]

jimmy

you REALLY ought to have a regular hive before you mess with an observation hive
you need to understand bees to get one to thrive
hang around here, you'll learn a lot:)

Dave

[Michael Bush]

Feeders should NOT drip. No matter what kind it is. With a jar feeder, the vacuum holds the syrup in the jar. It should not drip.

[ScadsOBees]

Jimmy,
Just to warn you, that there are statistics that show that at workplaces that have observation hives installed, the productivity of the workers(human workers, not bee workers) drops by as much as 80%!!

One thing that I ran into is that the top bars of the frames are just a smidgen too wide for the bees to get between the bar and the glass. I ended up planing the middle of the top bars down down to allow the bees easier access (just chiselled them, really) .

Rick
(don't ask me for statistic references please!:D )

[Gudkov]

Dear sirs! Photo of my observation hive. 7 years exists. Simple, but working. http://imgsrc.ru/from_search/a264838.html

[Dearth Vader]

Dear sirs! Photo of my observation hive. 7 years exists. Simple, but working. http://imgsrc.ru/from_search/a264838.html

Cool Gudkov! You got a Russian Queen in there? :D

Dearth

[Gudkov]

Cool Gudkov!
You liked my english?:D
My hive lives independent life.
And queen bees I grow. http://imgsrc.ru/from_search/a265116.html

Eugene