Hi Folks,
I thought I?d give one last report on the observation hive. It has been used at the markets five times now and has been an outstanding success. The hive has been a tremendous teaching aid for all things related to bees and honey. I knew that it would be popular with kids but was pleasantly surprised as to the interest shown by adults. After looking and asking questions, most people were really keen to sample honey. This was generally a trigger for honey purchases. The markets are held every two weeks and I removed a frame of bees on a rotation basis from two small hives. I have noticed that the disruption has held the hives back a bit but apart from that, there has been no adverse effects from removing bees and a queen for half a day. I now place lead diving weights on on the back legs of the frame just in case a big wind comes up and blows the frame over. It did occur once but it was a wild wind blowing that day. We position our stall so that the frame is constantly shaded. I did make a cover for the back and top of the hive if the sun was going to be an issue but haven?t had to use it. In my area, I could possibly use the observation hive all year round but there would be a few days where the temperature could be as low as 50 degrees F. I would also be wary of disturbing the brood nest during the cold months. We normally travel during the winter so that problem has been solved for us.
