Joined
·
8 Posts
I'd appreciate a reality check from you folks who have experience managing permanent observation hives. I've kept bees for many years, but my only experience with an OH is use of an Ulster for giving presentations.
What are the major down sides to having an outdoor OH with combs that are not easily interchangeable with the Langstroth equipment in my apiary? I'm in the preliminary design stage for a large (on the order of 6.5 feet wide, 4 feet tall) single comb-width outdoor OH. I'd prefer not to use removable Langstroth frames. I believe the potential maximum 25 square feet of comb in the OH compares favorably with a Langstroth hive with about 26 deep frames.
Is management of an OH so challenging that I'll forever regret not using removable frames in the OH?
Here are the potential problems I can think of - none of which are insurmountable; are there others I haven't considered that would be a major problem?
- makes it harder to introduce queens (important but certainly not a major problem)
- can't bolster OH by adding brood from other hives (important, but I can still shake bees from other colonies into the OH)
- makes swarm control very difficult (I think I'm okay with this - if I pay attention, I'll have a good chance of catching any swarms)
- can't use the OH as a nuc to support production hives (don't care)
thanks for your insight!
What are the major down sides to having an outdoor OH with combs that are not easily interchangeable with the Langstroth equipment in my apiary? I'm in the preliminary design stage for a large (on the order of 6.5 feet wide, 4 feet tall) single comb-width outdoor OH. I'd prefer not to use removable Langstroth frames. I believe the potential maximum 25 square feet of comb in the OH compares favorably with a Langstroth hive with about 26 deep frames.
Is management of an OH so challenging that I'll forever regret not using removable frames in the OH?
Here are the potential problems I can think of - none of which are insurmountable; are there others I haven't considered that would be a major problem?
- makes it harder to introduce queens (important but certainly not a major problem)
- can't bolster OH by adding brood from other hives (important, but I can still shake bees from other colonies into the OH)
- makes swarm control very difficult (I think I'm okay with this - if I pay attention, I'll have a good chance of catching any swarms)
- can't use the OH as a nuc to support production hives (don't care)
thanks for your insight!