# Observation Hive on 8th floor of apartment building



## Rader Sidetrack

Welcome to Beesource!


If you have a way to provide the bees access to the outside, then there really isn't any reason why you couldn't have an OB hive on the 8th floor. Perhaps run a pipe/tube to a partially opened window, and add an adapter to the window so you can block off the wind/rain/cold while allowing the bees access to the outside. For instance, see the photos at the links in post #5 in this thread:
http://www.beesource.com/forums/showthread.php?242463-questions-on-observation-hives

The bees can certainly fly up 8 stories high.


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## mgzavri

Thanks Rader Sidetrack.

I have another question. How concerned should I be that the bees will start getting into my neighbors apartments and using those locations as feeding sources?


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## ruthiesbees

Do you have a deck or some outside area, or just a window to put them in? Might I suggest a topbar hive instead. A true observation hive that holds just a few frames is rather hard on a new colony getting started. And usually you need the ability to swap out frames with a full size colony somewhere else. A topbar hive with a viewing window will let you observe the colony without the usual stressors that go along with a very flat observation hive.

As for the bees feeding, unless someone has a very popular nectar source, like a linden tree, the neighbors are not likely to notice the honeybees.


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## jwdeeming

I read somewhere that an observation hive should not be overwintered indoors. Not sure if that's accurate but in your circumstance that would mean you would need a location ready to transfer them to. I'd like to hear other input on this.


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## Bonterra Bees

The flat, glass faced, 6 or 8 deep frame ObH with a reasonably short access routing to the outside is just a lucky Colony and doesn't need to be transferred outside for the winter.
Thru out the year, watching your Queen, busy laying and inspecting her Colony and easily watching all the amazing activities of the bees in your flat faced style ObH just can’t be beat. You can comfortably and easily see it all happen in a “very flat observation hive”.

Mark
Bon Terra Bees


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## D Coates

jwdeeming said:


> I read somewhere that an observation hive should not be overwintered indoors.


That's bad info. I've overwintered my OB hive 5 years now. They overwinter just fine inside but you do need to allow them access to the outdoors to carry out the dead and for cleansing flights when the weather allows.


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## D Coates

mgzavri said:


> So, I'm new to beekeeping and have absolutely zero experience. During my research, I read a lot of suggestions to start with an observation hive so that I can learn about what life looks like for the bees and the different stages they go through as a colony. To this regard, I have a question. I live on the 8th floor of an apartment building. Is it feasible to have an observation hive so high up?


Your height is no problem. OB hives are smaller than regular hives and therefor more prone to swarming. On occasion a hive will loose the new replacement queen on her mating flight. As you've got no experience it may take you a while to recognize this. If you've got no easy access to eggs or larva for them to make another queen of this happens you're in a bad way. Flipside, if you see capped swarm cells, will you recognize them and if so what are you going to do about it?

While I strongly recommend an OB hive to any experienced beekeeper I don't recommend them as something for a brand new beekeeper to cut their teeth on. Find an experienced beekeeper and work with him/her for a season so you'll better know what you're doing and what you're in for. There's no real concern of them getting into your neighbors place or bothering them, unless there's a swarm. Also, find out what the legalities of this are in your apartment building. If there are any bee/wasp related issues invariably you could get blamed. If you choose to not tell the apartment management, be very careful who you tell as you may be forced to get rid of the OB hive or loose your apartment if you're found out.

Knowing what you're doing before you get into this will definitely help keep concerns/complaints/issues to a bare minimum.


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