observation hive question

[Grid]

I have an observation hive, perma-loan from a friend, with two frames of bees with eggs, larvae, brood, honey, pollen.



I do not have permission to modify it, so I have to live with the layout as is.  The entrance is a 3/4"-7/8" hole.  There are 12 screened holes (same size) for ventilation - 6 on each side.

- I will be using about 12" of 7/8" diameter plastic hose running to a board in a window for the entrance.  Is this enough of an entrance for two frames?
- What to do for ventilation?  I could leave it vented into the house, or I can block some number of the ventilation holes, and run more hoses to the window to vent to the outside.

What would you do?

Thanks!
Grid

[Kathyp]

i think you should be fine.  my OB hive bees block the vent screes with propolis anyway.  i try to poke the top screens open in summer, but most of the time, their ventilation is just from the entrance tube.

[Grid]

Thanks!

[Grid]

Got them hooked up to the great outdoors.  4 or 5 queen cells started.  Not much traffic in/out of the tube yet, some though, so I know it can work.

:)  Lotsa fun!

[Kathyp]

you'll really enjoy it.  be prepared to replace.  sometimes the observation hives don't thrive.  i had to repopulate mine last year with a late swarm i picked up. 

ob hives are the best learning tool!

[Grid]

Once the queens hatch (I may steal one or two of the six they've started for other hives) and the winning queen starts laying, I will be taking the hive around my kids' schools and doing show and tell.  Then I will put them in a nuc, and start another observation hive.  :)

[Grandpa Jim]

If you want to steal those queens, you will have to put a cage over each cell and steal them as virgins.  The winning queen usually wins because she hatches first and kills all the other queens before they can hatch.
I have that same OH.  This spring I pulled the queen to use in another hive and left them produce a new queen.  She is laying well now so I will probably do it again.  In watching the queen after she has hatched but before she has mated she seems to constantly move around the hive touching every bee she can.  Almost like she is introducing herself as the New Royalty.  Great learning tool every new beekeeper should have one for a year or so.  There is so much you can observe, but then it is hard to get any work done when you just want to sit and watch the bees.
Jim

[Scadsobees]

If you can get a bigger tube, I'd recommend the largest you can get.  I run a 2 ft 1.5" tube and it still gets clogged, but that may be more because of the 90deg angle (soft angle) in it.

Rick

[Grid]

Too cool!  Saw a beautiful black queen crawling around in there last night.  :)  Happy day!  Of course the next 2 weeks are forecasting rain rain rain...  Hopefully enough dry hours for some good mating flights.