Indoor beehive

**randydrivesabus** · 10-18-2008, 07:51 AM

I didn't want to hijack Ben's bear thread. I also have a bear problem and I was thinking that i might be able to put my 3 hives in an outbuilding. I could cut slots to allow for the hive entrances to be against the exterior wall. The building is not heated. I could work the hives from inside the building. It was at one time a chicken house.
Anyone ever try anything like this?
One problem I see is what would happen to the bees that fly out of the top of the hive when I'm working them. They would be trapped inside the building.
Any suggestions to get the bees to reorient? The building is within a few hundred feet of the present hive locations.
I had a bear attack a couple of weeks ago and put up an electric fence. It has worked until last night.

**cdanderson** · 10-18-2008, 07:53 AM

One lady here uses an old school bus..with the hive entrances up close to the windows. She says it works fine.

charlotte

**Michael Bush** · 10-18-2008, 09:48 AM

What happens to the bees that fly out while you're working them?

**Eaglerock** · 10-18-2008, 09:58 AM

You might want to make it so there is a chicken wire window in front of and above the hives. If you don't you will lose to many bees when working with them. This way when working, they can get out and back to the hive.

**Galaxy** · 10-18-2008, 10:24 AM

It should work fine. It is common to see hives inside beehouses in Europe. See:

http://img340.imageshack.us/my.php?i...scf1860zy4.jpg

Of course, your "chicken house" needs to be bear proof.

I believe it would be cheaper and better to just build a good electric fence around your hives. Use a high joule, low impedance fence charger.

**Ben Brewcat** · 10-18-2008, 10:26 AM

I wonder if the entrances were NOT straight to the outside, wouldn't displaced bees just be able to go back to their entrances? Like just having the hives lined up inside with the windows open but covered with cattle panels or something?

**randydrivesabus** · 10-18-2008, 10:40 AM

I think if I don't make the front of the hive flush with the exterior wall the bees will find their way back in like they do when outside. If its not working out then I can always put them back outside next spring with an upgraded electric fence. I don't anticipate working them much during the winter. For now this is the cheaper solution and it got me to clean out the chicken house at least.
Any advice to get them to reorient? I don't think they will be doing much flying over the next couple of days as its become kind of chilly out.

**J-Bees** · 10-18-2008, 11:49 AM

#1. They will never get sunlight:

#2. They will come back an haunt you for doing that to them:}:}

#3. They might just like it there:}:}

JB:}

**Oldbee** · 10-18-2008, 12:01 PM

"What happens to the bees that fly out while you are working them".--M. Bush.

This question has been asked quite a few times. Can you keep bees [hive] inside a building and still be able to 'work them' when necessary and 'NOT' disturb the 'neighbors' if you happen to live in an urban environement? See threads: MedDoc2B; concerning having a hive in a garage.

This problem can be resolved with some creative thoughts in [about] these situations. The MAJOR problem I see is when opening the hive for inspections as a beekeeper normally would, out in the open. In a building, the bees [some] would naturally fly out and then not find their way back because the VISUAL cues for returning would be lacking/confusing to the bees. Another problem is TOO much heat in a garage for example, that must be dealt with.

If an urban beekeeper could possibly pull the hive out of the,.. 'building' when doing inspections and return it to the 'enclosure'; garage, house. outbuilding; whatever, and without too much effort, may be a solution.

**Eaglerock** · 10-18-2008, 12:14 PM

Originally Posted by Galaxy

I believe it would be cheaper and better to just build a good electric fence around your hives. Use a high joule, low impedance fence charger.

I loved the photo, but how do they work all the hives being on top of each other?

HEY... someone moved the smiley faces around.

Anyways, it must be a different hive set up then what we use.

I think a fence is the best way to go.

**Galaxy** · 10-18-2008, 05:29 PM

Originally Posted by Eaglerock

I loved the photo, but how do they work all the hives being on top of each other?

I believe the back of the hive can opened so individual frames can be pulled out horizontally into the building. Like this: http://www.cebelarstvo-bedek.org/satnica.jpg.

I looked at some hives in a Gamm Vert store in France this past summer and they had large frames like the one in the photo. But, I don't recall them having a back on each box that would open.

However, this type of hive might be very useful for a beekeeper with back problems. One would not have to lift any heavy boxes to get to any frame in the hive.

**randydrivesabus** · 10-19-2008, 07:10 AM

So after all this I decided against the indoor hives. I put one inside and I didn't like it. So I brought it back to where it was and will try to juice up the electric fence. I know many of you have a lot of experience lifting a complete hive (2 deeps, bottom board, inner cover and outter cover) but this was the first experience for me. It's pretty heavy but the worse part is the bulk.