# Observation Hive experiments?



## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

It's the wrong time of year for this, but you could always let them SWARM and get a good look at how they do everything. Not to mention you would get to keep an eye open for the swarm and catch it, then watch for the new virgin to leave out for mating flights, etc.


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## WBVC (Apr 25, 2013)

How does one deal with observation hives coming into and through winter?
An observation hive is on my wish list


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## drlonzo (Apr 15, 2014)

WBVC said:


> How does one deal with observation hives coming into and through winter?
> An observation hive is on my wish list


Once set up most people that have one that I've seen manage it the same as any other hive. That is depending upon how many frames and their size. If it's a small one 3 frames or less, I've notices allot of people put them into a NUC for the winter with extra stores. However a larger one has the ability to overwinter fine in place. You just have to make sure the bees push the queen down storing up honey when needed. I know some place a small port in the OBH to feed honey to them once they reach the top. I'm planning to put one in myself either this fall or in the spring but it's going to be large, on rollers, 6 deeps or more if I can get it all worked out.


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## Michael Bush (Aug 2, 2002)

If you get some small cell comb in it along with some large cell comb you can time from when you see the queen lay an egg in a cell (mark it on the glass with a crayon looking straight down into the cell with a letter or number) to when it's capped to when it emerges.


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