Observation Hive, entrance tube

Started by dlmarti, March 25, 2008, 10:40:02 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

dlmarti

If I want to make an observation hive, but I can't locate it near a window, or wall for that matter.  How long can I make the tube, before I run into problems.

I'm an engineer, and I'm stuck in the basement for 12 hours a day.
I have a lot of work tables, and I could free one up for a Hive, but the tube to the outside would be 15 feet long.

I pretty much wrote the idea off, but so many feral hives (in buildings), have odd entrances, and long distances too.

I was wondering if anyone has run up against this before?

Michael Bush

>If I want to make an observation hive, but I can't locate it near a window, or wall for that matter.  How long can I make the tube, before I run into problems.

I've done some pretty long ones before.  The problems are getting them used to it (learning that long trip to the door) and that the house bees will get lazy and plug up the tube because they don't go all the way to the door.  Shorter is better, but they can adjust to longer.

>I'm an engineer, and I'm stuck in the basement for 12 hours a day.
I have a lot of work tables, and I could free one up for a Hive, but the tube to the outside would be 15 feet long.

I've done them about that long before.  But they aren't ideal.
My website:  bushfarms.com/bees.htm en espanol: bushfarms.com/es_bees.htm  auf deutsche: bushfarms.com/de_bees.htm  em portugues:  bushfarms.com/pt_bees.htm
My book:  ThePracticalBeekeeper.com
-------------------
"Everything works if you let it."--James "Big Boy" Medlin

dlmarti

What about tubing versus, say PVC pipe.

For a run of that distance, what should I be looking for in terms of diameter?

Scadsobees

I don't know much about ideal diameter vs length.

I do know that I use 1.5 inch clear tubing, and I like that, although my run is only around 2 feet.  If there would be a blockage, I could easily tell where, and it is nice to see them going and coming.  Tubing would be a little more trouble if you have turns, kinking and all.

Rick
Rick