# cover observation hives to keep out light?



## ffrtsaxk (Jul 17, 2017)

It sounds like the light triggered orientation flights which is normal. Covering it helps them maintain proper brood rearing temperature. If it is in a window getting direct sunlight, then you would need to cover it to keep it from becoming a giant wax melter and to keep them from flying during cold weather in winter. If it is not getting direct sun and the bees are able to raise brood, then you don't need to cover it all the time. But, I keep mine covered because it doesn't hurt to cover them when no one is looking at them and makes things easier for them.


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## davemal (Mar 6, 2015)

Thanks, ffrrsaxk, Makes perfect sense.


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## ruthiesbees (Aug 27, 2013)

When I had mine at the garden center where I work, when the hive first gets installed, we keep the sides covered for about 3 days as the bees get used to where the entrance is at. After that, they don't run around the inside all crazy like, but we do cover them in the evening when we go home. Not sure that we have to do that though.


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## WindowBee (8 mo ago)

Light not change anything with observation bee hive unless it is direct sun light and is overheating the hive. Bees running around the observation hive because of 3 reason:
1)A few days after settled down the hive, bees are in mass learning process which means they learning the way out from the hive. In first days it is massive process because all bees in age over 8 days including foragers have to find way out and learn it. Just after few observational flights they learn the shortest way out.
2) Every day some amount of young bees over age 8days will try leave the hive to clean intestinum and learn the way out. Normally it is not very visible. The amount of that bees is not so huge. It is happening around from 1-3 p.m in sunny day with not so strong wind. But after few days of bad weather condition the amount of young bees is accumulating. So when the weather is getting better all of those accumulated bees are searching way out , learn it and make a poo.
3) swarming - this is obvious why. All bees trying rapidly leave the hive. Totally all, but after a while some amount of them going back ,rest of them including the queen fly away.


So the answear to your question - don’t cover the hive and don’t protect it against normal light. If you do that then bees will be behave unnaturally because will not used to live with light and later will be little harder for them to find way out from the hive because they ware learning in darknes before.

hope it help
Christopher


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## brushwoodnursery (Feb 10, 2012)

I like to cover for 2 days after installing bees. After that, leaving it open is best unless there is extreme heat or cold.


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## WindowBee (8 mo ago)

I keep them at home all the time, so temperature is rather 21-25°C no extremes


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## Adam Foster Collins (Nov 4, 2009)

We found that leaving the observation hive uncovered can lead to the bees placing a lot of wax on the glass. So much so that you can't clearly see through it. We opened the hive, cleaned the glass off and switched to covering it, and didn't have the problem anymore.

Adam


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## WindowBee (8 mo ago)

Maybe it is bee race dependent. If you would like to see my youtube channel (windowbee), you can see there all my hives kept that way(with no cover) from 2009. Bees place propolis only in the edge of glass. But the bee distance between glasses is 38mm. Thats are my observations. Some wideos are semi English version 😉


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## brushwoodnursery (Feb 10, 2012)

Adam Foster Collins said:


> We found that leaving the observation hive uncovered can lead to the bees placing a lot of wax on the glass. So much so that you can't clearly see through it. We opened the hive, cleaned the glass off and switched to covering it, and didn't have the problem anymore.
> 
> Adam


That's more likely the bee space. Maybe after the cleaning, you replaced the frames closer to the glass.


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